Senate Defies Bush; Approves Tobacco Tax

[Reincarnated]

Senate Panel Approves Huge Tobacco Tax to Fund Child Healthcare

Medical News Today

Friday 20 July 2007

In an overwhelming majority of 17 to 4, and in defiance of a threatened veto by President Bush, the US Senate Finance Committee approved a bill to expand child healthcare using a large increase in tobacco tax. Most of the Republicans on the Committee joined the Democrats to vote in favour of the bill.

The current legislation for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, SCHIP, is due to expire at the end of September.

If passed by Congress, the new bill would entitle another 3.2 million children in low income families to receive state funded health insurance. These families can't afford medical insurance but don't qualify for Medicaid because their earnings are just above the cut off point.

If passed, the bill would bring the overall number of state insured children to around 10 million.

President Bush has said a number of times he is against the bill because it expands the government's role in healthcare and is financed by a huge tax increase. He favours a system of tax breaks to encourage uninsured people to take up private insurance.

Source

Great news to hear.

[Celumnaz]

For your good healthcare (and so much more, thanks to our taxes): Thank a Smoker

And you are all welcome.

Now if I could only be allowed to grow a pot plant...

[Michelle]

Bush is not the allpowerful, invincible, omnipotent being we've all been led to believe?

Thank you for your contribution, Cel.

[IronGhost]

Here in Minnesota our Conservative Republican Gov. implemented a 75 cents per pack cigarette tax, and it helped balance our budget, brining in something like $200 million per year.

Of course, as a Repubican, he refuses to call it a tax, but a "health impact fee." But, whatever.

The Senate's new tax is a great idea -- why does Bush oppose???? It's hard to imagine why.

I agree whole heartedly with Celumnaz -- bring on the legal pot, bring on the pot tax, and watch government revenues sore.

Legal pot + massive pot tax reveues = a lot of happy Americans.

The only losers will be the criminal gangs that now enjoy all the pot revenue for their own evil ends.

[Bella-Angelique]

Many more will be quitting now, especially with the new med that came out last year here to help.

[questionmark]

Here in Minnesota our Conservative Republican Gov. implemented a 75 cents per pack cigarette tax, and it helped balance our budget, brining in something like $200 million per year.

Of course, as a Repubican, he refuses to call it a tax, but a "health impact fee." But, whatever.

The Senate's new tax is a great idea -- why does Bush oppose???? It's hard to imagine why.

I agree whole heartedly with Celumnaz -- bring on the legal pot, bring on the pot tax, and watch government revenues sore.

Legal pot + massive pot tax reveues = a lot of happy Americans.

The only losers will be the criminal gangs that now enjoy all the pot revenue for their own evil ends.

That idea will never catch on....

[BrucePrime]

What an incredible scam, I cannot believe otherwise smart people fall for it. You just mention the word "children" and people turn off their brains.

This is nothing but a precusor to raising taxes on everyone.

On the surface, taxes on cigarettes are designed to discourage people from smoking, while at the same time telling us these taxes will go towards healthcare for children. Usually this money just goes to the government (state or federal) general fund and is used towards other things.

Then when cigarette smoking declines, the money coming into the government coffers declines. The government comes to us and says, "well, we don't have enough money coming in, so we need to raise more taxes."

What an incredible scam.

[questionmark]

Then when cigarette smoking declines, the money coming into the government coffers declines. The government comes to us and says, "well, we don't have enough money coming in, so we need to raise more taxes."

The point is that, if you look a little over the borders, nobody really quits because of taxes. Germans are already paying 5 Euros (about $7) per pack of 20 cigarettes. Less than 4% have quit with the last tax increases.

If I would still be addicted to nicotine I wouldn't quit either just 'cause cigarettes are slightly more expensive. Cigarette and Booze tax are an endless spout of revenue for a government.

Oh, and if I may stay with Germany (when it comes to funny taxes they are the champions), Kaiser Wilhelm introduced Champagne taxes to build his fleet prior to WWI. That fleet is laying for almost 100 years now under the waters of Scapa Flow (sp?) but the champagne tax is still there.

[Sgt._Love]

Damm i like to see the senate defying bush but i smoke aaaaahhhhhhhhhhh cant win no matter what

[Bob26003]

Good, this is awesome. And I smoke too.

But I have sense enough to realize that tobacco is grosse.

What we need to do is clamp down on the tobaccco manufacturer's about the 100 plus chemicals they add so YOU CAN NEVER QUIT!

[questionmark]

Good, this is awesome. And I smoke too.

But I have sense enough to realize that tobacco is grosse.

What we need to do is clamp down on the tobaccco manufacturer's about the 100 plus chemicals they add so YOU CAN NEVER QUIT!

I did, eleven years and proud of it.

[Bob26003]

I did, eleven years and proud of it.

Awesome , But alot of others cant seem too. What is it? Like 1 and 3 who use tobacco will die from it.

Tobacco is the number one killer in the US. Correct?

Edited July 20, 2007 by Bob26003

[Sgt._Love]

Good, this is awesome. And I smoke too.

But I have sense enough to realize that tobacco is grosse.

What we need to do is clamp down on the tobaccco manufacturer's about the 100 plus chemicals they add so YOU CAN NEVER QUIT!

totally agree and belive me i hate tobacco too

[Michelle]

I quit, two months and counting.

I believe heart disease is the number one killer and it hasn't been established it is attributed to smoking.

[questionmark]

Awesome , But alot of others cant seem too. What is it? Like 1 and 3 who use tobacco will die from it.

Tobacco is the number one killer in the US. Correct?

Cigarette smoking is the single most preventable cause of premature death in the United States. Each year, more than 400,000 Americans die from cigarette smoking. In fact, one in every five deaths in the United States is smoking related. Every year, smoking kills more than 276,000 men and 142,000 women.

link: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics...moking_mort.htm

[The Skeptic Eric Raven]

Good, this is awesome. And I smoke too.

But I have sense enough to realize that tobacco is grosse.

What we need to do is clamp down on the tobaccco manufacturer's about the 100 plus chemicals they add so YOU CAN NEVER QUIT!

I laid it down with no problem. Maybe your will is just not strong enough. You just love taxes don't you?

[Michelle]

link: http://www.cdc.gov/tobacco/data_statistics...moking_mort.htm

Emphasis on 'single most preventable cause of premature death'.

[Reincarnated]

As you can see the so called "legal" drugs kill way (32x's) more people in the US than all of the illegal ones combined.

Edited July 20, 2007 by Reincarnated

[Celumnaz]

can only kill you from nicotine overdose or lack of oxygen

and all medicines are poisons