On April 1,2009 President Obama approved raising the taxes on a pack of cigarettes from $.39 to $1.01. Claiming the tax increase will be used to pay for children’s healthcare.

"Let's give America's families the support they need to weather this crisis," says Obama.

Almost as if the extra dollars were coming out of his pocket. Its interesting how a tax from the government can be them giving something.  If anything, it’s the smokers who are giving the families this support our government is claiming to provide. So if you have children, especially receiving healthcare from tobacco sales, be sure to also tell them about the patriotic smoker who made it all possible. No more dirty looks from families and their children. Praise alone they should have for these great Americans. 

Such a tax has been allowed due to the demonization of smoking and this claim that taxing will or may reduce smoking. This is also what some politicians call a “voluntary tax”, which they expect will raise $33 billion over the next 4 ½ years. Expecting a lot of volunteers are we? So which is it really? Our government attacks and benefits from the tobacco at the very same time. Do they want to reduce smoking, do they want to provide children with healthcare, or do they just want to tax somebody?  What about those who want to see smoking banned everywhere? What do they have against children’s healthcare? That is the formula our government created (on April Fool’s day no less).  Smokers smoke and pay for healthcare. If a smoker doesn’t smoke, healthcare doesn’t receive this money. But this tax has been justified because of the claim that taxes can discourage consumption. So it can discourage consumption and raise revenue from the same consumption it discouraged? This is astounding sorcery. I’d have to be American to believe it.

They know people are going to keep smoking. When these children receiving healthcare turn about 16 years old some are going to start smoking, but good thing because they’ll probably start having children who need healthcare. They made sure to let you know of all the horrors of smoking, but nothing about how anyone profiting from it is just as responsible. Not only are crooked politicians involved. Thanks to this legislation now families and their children who receive care are responsible.  You can’t tell me selling and using a substance is bad, and then profit from it. Our government thinks it can however, and sadly they seem to be getting away with it.  

Why would a program like children’s healthcare be what smoking pays for anyway? Why not cancer treatment for smokers? Ridiculous yes, but its more sensible than what we get from our elected officials. Can we tax fast food to pay for my gym membership? No? Oh well, maybe obese people will be the scapegoat when smokers are extinct. Which I guess is what is supposed to happen the day after they spend their 33 billion tax dollars smoking. Until then, thank every smoker you meet for their patriotism knows no end.

I hate that the best article (with some numbers and stuff) that I could find came from fox news. http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,298663,00.html 
but here it is. Also for some decent takes on taxes and how they should go about them check out http://www.taxfoundation.org/ .

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