4.29.2008

useless taxes.


according to the gothamist NY state officials have agreed to increase the tax on cigarettes by $1.25, which would give NY State the highest per-pack tax of $2.75. And in NYC, there's that $1.50 tax, so Big Apple residents will have to pay $4.25 in cigarette taxes ::head cock to the side::.

According to the article, "studies" have indicated that this move should encourage approximately 6% of the state's smokers to quite....and discourage high schoolers.

This upsets me.

I dont think its right for the government to add obscene taxes to the things that they deem unhealthy. Im pretty sure this is America. And this tax, like everything else will only have a resounding effect on the poor people of the city. While the upper class can continue to go on buying cigarettes at the upward of $15 a pack while they sip their aged Brandy... the poor single mother if forced to make a decision between grocery shopping or a pack of cigarettes.

If you want to argue smoking as being "a choice," I cant argue there...but please, you must then put a tax on everything unhealthy. Fast Food. Watching excessive amount of TV. Not exercising. Working the wood too much (lol, sorry...inappropriate).

The word I'm looking for is extortion. And all over some made up numbers and "studies". To think that price is what is going to hold a high school student back from smoking, is about as ignorant as thinking they wont have sex if condoms are too expensive.

And I'm not even that avid of a smoker, I just think this is a bit of an injustice. Being punished for enjoying a simple pleasure. Its like we are children...
Its prohabition all over again. And we all know how that turned out. Ugly women and sobriety. Not a good look.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

hmmmm....people eating fast food = only hurts their fat asses (and people that have to look at them). and kids can have sex without condoms, can't smoke without cigs. not a good analogy.

more importantly, heroin should be legalized. and then taxed.

shaun. said...

the anology is about the idea. the idea that high prices with stop them from doing it. That is the analogy. Abd its stupid.

This is a tax for the poor and thats crap.

Anonymous said...

yeah, but poor people smell.

shaun. said...

oh god.....

the quality of my readers is very high.

shaun. said...

love you anonymous. :)