posted on Mar, 4 2013 @ 12:44 AM
reply to post by AuntC
a good and valid point. but this is the norm for ANY farmer no matter what they grow/produce. admittedly the government is making a heck of a lot more
off tobacco sales. almost makes one wonder how we have let it become so that SOME people are paying so much more
taxes than others, seriously
talk about
UNFAIR TAXATION. a burden only SOME people are stuck with just because of an unwise choice they made, normally while still a kid,
yet the punishment continues till they can quit or die.
you know it wouldn't be so bad if all that "tax" money went to pay for people to STOP smoking. free quitting help of all varieties that are out
there, (wouldn't really be free since smokers pay for it with every smoke they buy). but no that won't happen. as much as every government crows
about it happening to make people quit and to pay extra health costs that they
claim is caused by smoking, the reality is that it is a nice
cash cow for them. one reason they like doing it with something like cigarettes is that they KNOW dammed well how hard it is to quit for most people.
thus insuring that that tax base will continue to be there. and well for those that actually quit there are always more taking up the habit. so while
they like to SAY it is done to get people to quit the REALITY is that they DON'T want that tax base to disappear otherwise when they first started
that taxation they would have been spending that money on things that actually might HELP people to quit.
another thing that strikes me is that at the same time they go on about health care costs because of smoking, that they go out of their way to INSURE
extra heath costs for smokers. this has been done by forcing those who smoke to do so out in the cold. rules like no smoking in the workplace (even if
it is the vehicle you use and no one else use or rides in), they could have instead insisted on workplaces having specially sealed/vented smoking
areas INSIDE. or even "smoker shack" outside so that you could at least stay out of the wind. rain and snow. as it stands now around Toronto not
only can you not smoke at all inside the workplace, they even PROHIBIT having an outdoor structure that has more than a roof and TWO walls, and it has
to be really small. in other words they have INSURED that there is minimal protection from rain and snow, an NO PROTECTION AT ALL from wind. this
tends to cause those that smoke (and are apparently more prone to being sick) to become sick on a more regular basis and even more prone to things
like bronchitis and pneumonia. thus actually INCREASING the healthcare costs for a smoker. another side effect that happens is that those with cars
will smoke in their vehicle, this causes MORE POLLUTION as many will idle they vehicle to provide heat in the winter and air conditioning in the
summer. i know i used to sit in my truck (i was too cheap to run it much myself) and watch over 20 people at a time running their vehicles for 15
minutes for 15 minute breaks and even for a whole hour while on lunch. yet again those "taxes" smokes pay could pay for POPPER heated/airconed even
well ventilated structures that would help with this if they REALLY were concerned about "healthcare costs". but no they have far too many OTHER
USES for that money that has nothing at all to do with smoking and smoking related issues.
no those cigarette taxes have nothing at all to do with what they claim, it is just a way to glean more and more money off those who are slaves to
their addiction.