Wednesday, March 30, 2005

Outlaw Sin

The new trend making its mark on the state budget is sin taxes. In recent years, boosting the”big three” (property, sales, and B&O taxes) has become an increasingly unpopular idea. Democrats have since strayed from the “tax and spend” moniker since the days Reagan used to blast them for it and since “new Democrats” like Bill Clinton have become more fiscally moderate.

In Washington State, sin taxes replace their hardcore predecessors. This year both the current governor and Senate Democrats are relying heavily on cigarette excise taxes for new revenue.

According to the
Yakima Valley Herald sin taxes are increasing sharply and are predominate factors in the new biennial budgets.

Gregoire's proposed budget calls for generating $73.2 million over the next two years by boosting the state cigarette tax by 20 cents a pack over the current $1.425. The increase would jump an additional 60 cents in the summer of 2007.

Senate Democrats unveiled their budget earlier this week and front-loaded their hikes. They would raise $168.2 million from cigarette tax increases — 60 cents per pack over the next two years and an additional 20-cent-per-pack increase thereafter — also bringing total increase to 80 cents.

In her press conference announcing her budget two weeks ago, the current governor said that if she could tax people out of smoking, then she is doing something good for the health of our state. Meaning, she is taxing smokers for their own good.

That seems to be the justification for taxing tobacco. We’ll force people into being more health conscious because no one will be able to afford to smoke.

If smoking poses such a high health risk, then why do we continue to allow it at all? Wouldn’t it be more prudent – in the name of health, of course – for Washington (or even the Feds for that matter) to outlaw tobacco?

This would seem at least a little fairer to tobacco companies in lieu of the outright discrimination against a single industry.

Just the other day I saw a television ad by Phillip-Morris that offered services to help smokers quit. This is in every logical way a bad business practice. Could you imagine Nike running ads to encourage people to go barefoot? To be sure, there is a tax incentive for companies like Phillip-Morris to be, well….anti Phillip-Morris. That doesn’t make it right.

In order for the government to truly adhere to its righteous principles, then smoking should be illegal. I don’t mean smoking in public should be illegal. I’m not a New Yorker. It should be illegal to buy, sell, and consume tobacco products. If liberals are truly concerned for the health of our citizens, then we should prevent them from unhealthy practices.

However, their neglect to move towards prohibition is truly telling of their real motives. Health and welfare masquerades the fact that democrats might not be so new in their ideology after all.

2 comments:

JZ said...

Washington's New Governmental Slogan "Who Loves Ya!....We do...Cause U Certainly Dont Love Urself!"

I mean, right....that is why they are creating all of these absolutely fabulous laws...or is it? Why not tax smokers...I mean..Heck Yeah..Smoking is BAD! and since people are not capable of making their own grownup decisions about smoking...we should let the Gov step in and start slapping some hands...Lord knows...us Washingtonians need it. Hey, While our government is at it...why don't we impose a Fast Food Tax...we all know Mcd's is bad for ya..maybe a Tanning tax..UV rays..their a killer..a tattoo tax..simply because their distasteful..a piercing tax..I mean that has to be a hygeine issue..a swearing tax..Oh Shit..oops here's my f**king 10.00..better make that 20.00...a spitting tax....etc..these are all certainly bad for you and unattractive traits..so why not tax those also? Hey I know...why not be taxed if your overweight, or hell, underweight...why not be taxed if you use bleach as a hairdye, or you dont use birth control...lets tax you extra for every kid that exceeds a limit of 2.....

Anyone get my point yet?

LET THE SMOKERS SMOKE! so what...its not our lives...How can the people of Washington sit by and let out State become so Socialistic?

It is obvious that Senate AND House Democrats have decided to make a mockery out of the 2005 legislative session. With a promise to the State of Washington to pass only meaningful legislation, they falsely went forward with the guise that they believed in that promise. Despite promises from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, the majority party has failed to make a serious attempt to improve our state’s economic climate. The Democrats increased cost for contractors who do business with the state,The clean car emissions legislation will hurt Washington’s car dealers while handing regulatory control of our state’s clean air laws over the California, there is a 10.1% increase in spending over the next two years, and to top it off as of today..Democrats have created 539 million new dollars in taxes!!!

This is bunk and so are the democrats.

Anonymous said...

Sucks to be y'all. I think I'll kick back this afternoon, smoke a cigar while watching the cherry blossom parade here in D.C., and contemplate the fact that I'm not paying the 138% tax y'all are in WA state.