President Says 'Sin Tax' On Soda Is Food For Thought

**LostOutrider** · 09-19-2009, 08:16 AM

Keep your filthy government hands off of my subsidies!

**2dumb2kwit** · 09-19-2009, 04:49 PM

Originally Posted by LostOutrider

2d2k - you'll have to try harder than regurgitating some battle-slogan you read on a poster at your last teaparty if you want to offend. I'm not sure what kool-aide you're referencing, but it seems you and I operate under different personal codes of moral responsibility. It is true, you don't owe anyone anything.

Sorry to disapoint you, but I think for myself.

As far as our "codes of moral responsibility", I think you are probably right....You see, I think it is a mans "moral responsibility", to provide for himself and his family, and not expect Uncle Sam to steal from someone else, to provide for him.

**LostOutrider** · 09-19-2009, 11:13 PM

It is my sincere hope then, 2d2k, that you never find yourself in a situation beyond your means to provide for yourself and your family. It may surprise you how quickly life can change. If you ever do, though, I'm glad that there are programs in place to provide food, education, shelter, and medical attention to you and yours. I'm more proud of my tax dollars going to those programs than I am of my tax dollar buying more bombs and desert military bases. More proud of my taxes being spent on education and prevention than I am for them to be spent on paying farmers not to grow crops or on driving down the cost of HFCS so that we can saturate the market with crap food.

If that is what you call Uncle Sam 'stealing' from someone else to provide for you, then I concede. Pour me a glass of Kool-aide.

**2dumb2kwit** · 09-20-2009, 11:40 AM

You have missed my point, completely. (Probably because I'm not very articulate.)
I have no problem helping those who need it.....in fact part of my point, is that we have programs already, to help those who need it.(And I'm glad that we do.)

The problem that I have, is when the money that I work for is taken from me, then a large percentage of it is just wasted on the red tape and BS, and the small percentage that actually does something, goes to help someone who is perfectly able to help themselves, but chooses not to.

**2dumb2kwit** · 09-20-2009, 11:55 AM

Come to think of it....the last tobacco tax jump (before I quit.) is a good example of this. The price of a pack of smokes went up......either .60 or 1.00a pack....I can't remember which. For most smokers, that's over $50 a month.

The extra tax money was to fund a change in the SCHIP program. Now I have a hard time believing that there are not enough programs out there, to be sure that children get health care, but that's beside the point. The main change that needed to be funded, was that instead of the cap of someone making $30,000 a year, they raised it to $60,000 a year.

So they are taking $50 a month away from people, to pay for a kids health ins., so that pop, that makes $57,000 a year, doesn't have to. That's wrong in my book.

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 09-20-2009, 12:22 PM

Originally Posted by 2dumb2kwit

Come to think of it....the last tobacco tax jump (before I quit.) is a good example of this. The price of a pack of smokes went up......either .60 or 1.00a pack....I can't remember which. For most smokers, that's over $50 a month.

The extra tax money was to fund a change in the SCHIP program. Now I have a hard time believing that there are not enough programs out there, to be sure that children get health care, but that's beside the point. The main change that needed to be funded, was that instead of the cap of someone making $30,000 a year, they raised it to $60,000 a year.

So they are taking $50 a month away from people, to pay for a kids health ins., so that pop, that makes $57,000 a year, doesn't have to. That's wrong in my book.

The price of my tobacco has increased 110%, More than double what I WAS paying(and that was already being taxed).Seems like "sin Tax" is carrying the majority of the load already. Just so you can understand how much this tax has increased....(I "roll my own") I was paying $10.28(sales tax included) every two weeks for my tobacco. I now pay@$24.50(Sales tax included) every two weeks. I think it Ironic that the majority of people who smoke are middle and lower income folks(going from what I heard on the news)with the majority of those being in the lower income brackets. Since I am in Kentucky where the price of tobacco is cheaper than most other states, you can better see the ramifications as it applies to others.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 09-20-2009, 12:29 PM

OK so the powers that be are imposing sin taxes. I guess it is safe to say that those with a criminal history our now paying higher taxes? Is this correct. I mean "Sin Tax" must apply to breaking laws, right?

**2dumb2kwit** · 09-20-2009, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

OK so the powers that be are imposing sin taxes. I guess it is safe to say that those with a criminal history our now paying higher taxes? Is this correct. I mean "Sin Tax" must apply to breaking laws, right?

If they thought they could get some money out of it, it would! LOL

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 09-20-2009, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

OK so the powers that be are imposing sin taxes. I guess it is safe to say that those with a criminal history our now paying higher taxes? Is this correct. I mean "Sin Tax" must apply to breaking laws, right?

No the term "Sin Tax" is usually reserved for the things that you don't have to have. Things like alcohol and tobacco, things that are considered "Sinful".

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 09-20-2009, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by pocomoonskyeyes

No the term "Sin Tax" is usually reserved for the things that you don't have to have. Things like alcohol and tobacco, things that are considered "Sinful".

Why not make them illegal? So let me get this right following the letter of the law equals sin?

**oly** · 09-20-2009, 12:52 PM

I use tobacco and pay a sin tax so If they can find a far way to implement a fat tax is OK with me

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 09-20-2009, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

Why not make them illegal? So let me get this right following the letter of the law equals sin?

Well in my opinion that is exactly what is going to happen with tobacco,they are just slowly working their way up to it. The Government learned their lesson in Prohibition,and with Marijuana. Both Marijuana and alcohol were made illegal almost overnight...didn't stop either one.

I believe they are trying a different approach with Tobacco. Started with tobacco "buyouts" where Farmers were paid to NOT grow a crop.An approach that was originally intended to save land from overuse, as Farmers were always having to pay their bills so they couldn't just up and stop growing the very stuff they were depending on to pay their bills. That way the land could lie "fallow" and recuperate. The buyout does not work that way. Say a farmer is alloted 50 acres to grow tobacco on, the Government "Buys out" 30 acres of that allotment so the farmer can now grow only 20 acres, but the farmer can still plant anything they want on those 30 acres as long as he doesn't plant more than 20 acres of tobacco. The really sad part is they promised the farmer "X" number of dollars. Then after they agreed they refused to pay the full amount, only about 80% of original price. The farmers still ended up getting the shaft as they budgeted for the full price instead of 80%.

Now they increase the taxation of Tobacco in an attempt to reduce the "Demand" for the product. If this works(and it probably will) I expect the government to try the same approach with other"unhealthy" items like alcohol,bacon.....etc.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 09-20-2009, 01:23 PM

I agree that you are probably right. I guess I am tired of government subsidized crime. Law abiding citizens are always the first to pay. The cigerette tax has made a pack worth it's weight in gold! Now the ramifications of that, almost every convenience store in our town has been burglarized for it's cigarettes.

**pocomoonskyeyes** · 09-20-2009, 01:31 PM

Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

I agree that you are probably right. I guess I am tired of government subsidized crime. Law abiding citizens are always the first to pay. The cigerette tax has made a pack worth it's weight in gold! Now the ramifications of that, almost every convenience store in our town has been burglarized for it's cigarettes.

If they are that valuable in "Civilization" guess how much they are worth in prison.... about 10 times as much as "on the streets". I watched an old Prison Documentary and then a pack of cigarettes were worth $20 on the inside.

**COWBOYSURVIVAL** · 09-20-2009, 02:23 PM

I have visited the local jail 3 times of late to goto bond hearings for my stolen lawnmower. Here is what I witnessed personally. Money order after money order being brought in by loved ones to give to the inmates. These loved ones were obviously not working at all. I beleive I am paying for inmate cigerettes as well. At some point we won't have enough to support those that are unwilling to support themselves.