New increase of $2.00 Tax on ONE Pack of Cigs? - Taxes on Chips, Sodas and Alcohol - Congress Consid

Wow, the tax of a pack of Cigarettes went up 60 cents on April 1st, but I guess that is not enough for the govt. - they are now considering a $2.00 tax on ONE pack of cigarettes, besides taxing "junk food"!

link to article:
www.politico.com...

If you make big bucks — or enjoy alcohol, cigarettes and Coke — the government might hit you up to pay for fixing the nation’s health care system.

On Tuesday, the Senate Finance Committee peeked into vending machines and liquor stores, company payrolls and health savings accounts, looking for a mix of tax increases and spending cuts as a way to pay for a health overhaul — which could cost more than $1.5 trillion over 10 years.

Experts thought the big debate might be public plan vs. no public plan. But that may well pale in comparison to the difficulty of settling on a way to finance health care reform.

“I wish there were a number of painless options,” Robert Greenstein, executive director of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, wrote in his prepared testimony. “There aren’t.”

There appeared to be a bubble of support among the experts for taxing bad behavior, including a $2 tax on a pack of cigarettes and a higher excise tax on alcohol.

But soda and sugary drinks found a friend Tuesday in Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), the ranking member on the Finance Committee.

Unbelievable - the whole "no taxes on those making under $250,000 a year - sure no "FED income tax" - but what they are doing is going to be taxing everyone completely to where - no one will have any money left for themselves to save! It will all be added on as huge taxes on things people buy!

What is funny - is they are considering taxing all the bad for you stuff - supposively to get people to STOP the bad for you eating - right? Okay - then they need to take care of the WORST eating for you problems of GM FOOD!

I don't hear about them wanting to take care of that little problem, in fact they want to expand it! So - they will tax us to no end on those items we have enjoy eating - drinking, or smoking so we will eat those "healthy" GM foods that cause real problems including reproduction in women.

Oh but they are not stopping there

Still, it’s easy to see why the bad-habits tax was so tempting: Taxing tobacco, junk foods and alcohol could raise $600 billion over 10 years.

Lots of other options will also get a look.

People who like the tax-free status of their company health benefits could be asked to ante up. Money in the pot: more than $700 billion over 10 years.

Treasure the tax benefits from your health savings account? Some experts say the accounts encourage “excess consumption” of health services — and committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) agreed they’re worth a look. Money in the pot: $60 billion over 10 years.

How else are they looking at raising money?

Well - if you like to give money to charities - don't count on getting a tax deduction at some point in the future, as you have in the past - but hopefully - it won't even get to committee.

Non-health-related items remain in the mix, including capping the deduction on charitable donations, which received a chilly welcome on Capitol Hill after President Barack Obama proposed it in his budget.

“The proposals that we have discussed,” Baucus said, “will not come easily. The reforms that we are planning are not cheap. ... Finding money that we can all agree on will not be easy.”

Baucus gave one of the clearest signals yet that limiting the tax-free status on employer-based insurance remains a serious option. Obama opposed it during the campaign and repeatedly went after Republican John McCain for making it the centerpiece of his health care plan. Labor unions are also against it.

Yet the idea is attractive because of the money it could generate: $250 billion annually if the deduction was lifted altogether. Baucus insisted a full repeal was not under consideration, but he said lawmakers must look at the deduction.

Okay - I have a GREAT idea - they want money from taxes - they are looking under every nook and crany to tax all of us on products - here is some ideas:


1 - Tax all oil companies - an excessive income tax of net profits - when it is over 4 billion dollars in 3 months time of PROFIT!

2 - Tax the Banks on all the money they have taken - but have not loaned out and not kept the credit flowing!

3 - Tax the credit card companies on their excessive interest rates they are now charging the public!

Those are just a few ideas!

We are going to be taxed so heavily on everything we purchase - we will be giving the big corporations and govt. any excess dollars we have been able to keep previously!









[edit on 13-5-2009 by questioningall]

Ya know, maybe it's a good thing all our businesses are exporting job overseas. There may come a time when WE might want to export ourselves, and those jobs will be appreciated when we get there.

Well I guess cigarettes and whatever else they are going to use to rob American people will have to go black market soon. Is this the kind of govt. we want? I thought govt. was supposed to the of, for and by the people not OVER the people.

This is getting ridiculous. I smoked cigars like black and mild while I was at work before the tax hike, but I stopped when the packs shot up in price. I can only imagine what they will charge now. I don't drink soft drinks unless there's nothing else... so personally it won't affect me much. Alcohol on the other hand, will be a problem. Time to make myself a still I suppose.

I agree with the OP though, especially with taxing the oil companies. You want to see what excess money does to you... I'll have to find the picture. I saw it on drudgereport a long time ago.. a picture of the head of exxon. They should tax him for each of his chins

edit: found it

[atsimg]http://files.abovetopsecret.com/images/member/2dad49276a77.jpg[/atsimg]

[edit on 13-5-2009 by Estharik]

How about we put a one thousand dollar per month tax, in addition to the taxes they already pay, on anyone who holds a law/policy making govt. job and call it the "Just for the Hell of it Tax"?

Originally posted by Bombeni
Well I guess cigarettes and whatever else they are going to use to rob American people will have to go black market soon.

I'm thinking, though, that so-called "sin taxes" are fairly appropriate if they go to the right place...like cigarette taxes into health care. Then again, you still can't get big Tobacco to pony up the social costs of their product.

Same goes for junk foods...using sugars, fats, salts and neuro-exciters like MSG and Aspartame, all cheap stuff, to make a gazillion dollars and leave it to the taxpayer to fund the eventual costs.

Somebody's gotta pay, Lucy...

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by Bombeni
Well I guess cigarettes and whatever else they are going to use to rob American people will have to go black market soon.

I'm thinking, though, that so-called "sin taxes" are fairly appropriate if they go to the right place...like cigarette taxes into health care. Then again, you still can't get big Tobacco to pony up the social costs of their product.

Same goes for junk foods...using sugars, fats, salts and neuro-exciters like MSG and Aspartame, all cheap stuff, to make a gazillion dollars and leave it to the taxpayer to fund the eventual costs.

Somebody's gotta pay, Lucy...

Who decides what the sin products are? If that is the thinking then I demand they put a 20 dollar tax on every porno magazine and porno video sold; imo these items perpetuate sex crimes against women and children, and that's not very healthy for the sex-crime victims is it? Of course I know that is left field but enough is enough. They are definitely going from push to shove now and one of these days I guess we'll have reached our breaking point, I don't know what happens then. I CAN'T BE HELD RESPONSIBLE.



[edit on 13-5-2009 by Bombeni]

Originally posted by Bombeni
Who decides what the sin products are? If that is the thinking then I demand they put a 20 dollar tax on every porno magazine and porno video sold; imo these items perpetuate sex crimes against women and children.

Opinion, yes...you can't prove that.

If you can, then by all means, go for it. Call your legislators and tell them so.

Also, lets not forget this - end of no sales tax on internet purchases:

link: www.butasforme.com...

Now Congress and Obama have their eyes on the Internet to help fund more government spending — because most U.S. States are pushing for the new tax rules that require federal oversight — and Washington is ready and willing to help. Congress is expected to introduce a bill this week that would require Amazon.com, L.L. Bean, eBay, Cabela’s and other online merchants to collect sales tax on all online purchases and return that money to the state in which the purchaser resides — which may force business that make sales online to abide by the tax laws maintained by each and every state.

The new bill rewrites the ground rules for mail order and Internet sales by eliminating what its supporters view as a “loophole” that, in many cases, allows Americans to shop over the Internet without paying sales taxes.

America is... NOT... a free country any more...

Everyone in the government sit up on their high horses and just laugh in our faces...While robbing us of of our last pennies...
We have... NO SAY SO ANY MORE WHAT HAPPENS...

They have turned up the speed of destroying this country...

I am ashamed of what our children and grand children get to inherit...

I hope that people wake up so we can fix this country...But...at times I feel totally helpless...

I honestly don't know what it would take any more... to get people to see what is happening to this country...

I will just say I am ashamed...I hope one day I can raise my head and say I am proud to be a American again...

They mean to leave our children with ...NOTHING...

I hope people understand that...

Originally posted by JohnnyCanuck

Originally posted by Bombeni
Who decides what the sin products are? If that is the thinking then I demand they put a 20 dollar tax on every porno magazine and porno video sold; imo these items perpetuate sex crimes against women and children.

Opinion, yes...you can't prove that.

If you can, then by all means, go for it. Call your legislators and tell them so.

Oh I believe there are studies along those lines about porno increasing sex crimes. I know the American people are slow to react but if the govt. goes thru with a 2 dollar addl. tax on cigs and taxes soda etc. I really believe they will have a riot on their hands.

reply to post by sapphirearaidia


Sapphire if they try this one they are going to find themselves in troubled water as Ted Kennedy might say. You are right the govt. is not run for the benefit of the people anymore it is run by a small group of bstrds that want what they want and those who don't like it can drop dead.

Originally posted by BombeniI know the American people are slow to react but if the govt. goes thru with a 2 dollar addl. tax on cigs and taxes soda etc. I really believe they will have a riot on their hands.

I'll tell you what happened here...
One...Big Tobacco (Canada) started selling to wholesalers in the States, who resold to Native groups who smuggled them back in through reserves that straddled the border. Then you simply went to the stores that knew you and could sell you a tax-free carton for...I donno...2/3 the price. The taxes came back down.

Or what you can do now...go to a reservation and buy cheap smokes. They even have drive-throughs. Call it the revenge of the Indian.

How about this idea.....

FIND THE $9 TRILLION DOLLARS THEY LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I will just say...

I have called my representatives...and Emailed them...

It does... NO GOOD...

They do not care what we say any more...!!!

I am just waiting for when people are ready to make a change...There is nothing more I can do...

When people are ready to take to the streets...To let them know we are serious... Be sure to let me know...

I don't want to be left out on that day...

I just hope it is some time soon...Before I am penny less and living under a bush some where...!!!...

I mean come on, seriously ?
Are they really trying to get the American people to turn on them?
If they are, they are doing a far greater job then they realize.
Damn this kind of crap makes me so pissed that I just want to go out and break something. I think I am going to do that after I am done with this post.
WTF is wrong with these people?
I smell a march comming on. A BIG ONE.
Something MUST be done.

So?

Cigarettes, alcohol, pornography, gas, junk food, should be taxed more heavily.

Yes, poorer people are more likely to smoke, drink, eat junk food ect; - Maybe the reason behind this can be addressed?

I don't smoke ( much), I don't drink ( much) I don't eat junk food ( much) - *grins* But when I do, I do so with the understanding that I will pay to indulge.

I just don't get why it's such a big deal? Taxes are part of living in a society in which you expect the government to provide something. How else do you want them to be collected?

I do everything I can to avoid paying as much tax as possible - I don't drive, I very rarely drink, smoke or view pornography - I save money this way.

Yes, as the OP said the oil companies should pay more - but you pay your representaitves salaries, you vote for them ( or don't), YOU need to do something about it!

Originally posted by aimlessly
How about this idea.....

FIND THE $9 TRILLION DOLLARS THEY LOST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

wow - what a novel idea for the govt. - OH - but why would they need to be accountable for anything? Jeez - they can now just charge the American public even more for their "loses"! So do they have "real" incentive to find the missing money - when it can just go on the backs of the public?

reply to post by questioningall


If they start taxing to each purchase over state lines and sending the money back... I fear we will have more than 9 trillion coming up missing next round. Not to mention it'll be hell on sellers to get each different state taxes figured in for each purchase.

reply to post by Merigold


Well arent you the grandson that all grandmothers hope to have.

To go after people who live a certain lifestyle over those whom live another is completely wrong.

hey I got an Idea... All of those driving Bentleys, corvettes, wear gucci, fly in jets, own corporations, lets just tax their lifestyles. Hell, you want to go after people that want to live a certain way, fine, go after everyone, not just people who fit the poverty profile.

THEY are the ones who got us into this mess, yet WE are the ones that have to pay for their screw ups.

They lost 9 Trillion dollars!!!!!!!!!!!
But WE, no I am sorry, Our Children will be the ones that have to pay for it.
It has gotten way out of hand, and something needs to be done about it.
Im sick of all these political BS games.