Malkin: Obama's Recession Remedy: Tax the Poor!

[Terri]

By Michelle Malkin
January 14, 2009

"Everybody's going to have to give," President-elect Barack Obama warned over the weekend. And some people will have to give more than others -- starting with low-income smokers.

Democrats are rushing this week to impose massive tax hikes of at least 61 cents on every cigarette pack sold in America, in addition to new increases on other tobacco products. The money will fund a long-plotted federal expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).

Yes, this is Dr. Big Nanny's prescription for recession: punitive tax increases on the poor to feed a universal health care Trojan horse.

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[sweettooth]

I am a staunch conservative. But let's face it. Smokers are going to be hard pressed to find simpathy for their "smoking Tax burden" from non-smokers. I don't smoke, and my children have all been on apnea monitors, so cigarrete smoke, even outdoors was very dangerous to them. Taxing cigarettes is a good way to discourage smoking. And if the poorest of the population are stupid enough to waste what little income they have on cigarettes, then they deserve that tax! They should be buying food instead, because cigarettes are not only unnecessary, but harmful, not just to the smokers, but everyone around them. If they insist on harming their own health, AND the health of those around them, then they SHOULD foot the bill for the health care programs that care for those they've harmed, often their OWN children!

[Terri]

Yes, I know that dedicated anti-smoke folks don't care if smokers are taxed $50 a pack.

But it is good to remember that the government that can tax smokers at an exorbitant rate can also tax you at an exorbitant rate on a legal product that you like to buy.

[Terri]

UPDATE: SCHIP Bill to be Voted On Today
Connie Hair
Human Events

The State Childrens’ Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) legislation is expected to be brought to the floor of the House of Representatives today by House Democrats. As of deadline, the full 285-page bill had not yet been given to Republican members. Some minority members on the House Ways & Means Committee had been allowed to read parts of it and are trying to piece together exactly what is in this monster of a bill. The conventional wisdom among Republicans is that it closely mirrors last year’s SCHIP legislation that was vetoed by President George W. Bush.

UPDATE: HUMAN EVENTS received a summary of [HR-2], the SCHIP bill, from Dave Camp (R-Mich.), the ranking member of the House Ways and Means Committee, when it became available at 5:39 this morning. According to the summary released by Camp this morning, the bill would dilute the focus on America’s poorest of children by opening SCHIP to the children of illegal aliens as the bill eliminates the identity-verification requirements in the current law and severely limits what states can do to attain proof of citizenship. The bill also removes the five-year waiting period legal residents are currently required to wait before enrolling in Medicaid or SCHIP. The bill does not include a cap on income for eligibility which would permit families making more than $80,000 eligible for coverage, whether American citizens or not.

Take note: This bill is to be voted on today and Republicans were just allowed their first look at it this morning.

This is one of the consequences of being in the minority.

[Dingbat36]

When do taxing authorities wake up to the fact that a huge "sin tax" usually nets them the exact opposite of what they want. Many people will stop buying the product (or find ways to get it that are no doubt illegal) resulting in a smaller pool of those paying the tax. Result? The taxing authority either gets even less taxes than before the hike or they get approximately the same amount from a smaller pool of "sinners".

If our government truly wants a big pile of tax money, I suggest they tax bathroom tissue and to close the loopholes, they can tax tissues, paper towels and baby wipes so there won't be an alternative available to the public. The only time anyone squeals about taxes is when that tax affects them directly.

Kinda like government handouts isn't it? You'll never hear from those getting the benefits as long as someone else is paying for them. This is the ugliest form of class warfare and our legislators (both federal and state) should have trouble sleeping at night but then we are just the "drones, the worker bees" and we really don't count for much. I don't believe they even connect the money they throw away with the people from whom it was taken!

[thomas]

"starting with low-income smokers."
And ther'se more, so much more available, snacks, junk food, soda, booze (by the bottle and drink), cloths, gas, oil, groceries and on and on and on. There comming to take me away ho, he, he, ha ha... there is no end to their grab for money and power. When the squeeze starts and taxes pile on and climb and the dopes who voted bHo squawk it will be sweet "I told you so" music to my ears!
The Old Chief

[RW]

But it is good to remember that the government that can tax smokers at an exorbitant rate can also tax you at an exorbitant rate on a legal product that you like to buy.

Absolutely...what makes alcohol so expensive, both foreign and domestic is TAXES on it.

Let's say that the government thinks $150 is too much to pay for shoes? After all, there are people who go to Payless cuz they can't afford another store? SO, the government taxes at a high rate any pair of shoes that is over, say, $50. What happens to people with very small feet or very large feet? My younger has big feet. My older and I have average feet. My younger pays more for the same shoe her sister and I buy, cuz her feet are larger than most...

Once this kinda tax against smokers gets thru, be sure that other taxes will follow that make NO sense, other than..."it's for the children..."

[Terri]

But if these do-gooders truly cared about The Children, they'd be cursing mightily over the squandering of current SCHIP funds and the cheating of the very children the program was intended to help. State data analyzed by the Department of Health and Human Services reveal that 13 states spent more than 44 percent of their SCHIP funds in 2008 on people who are neither children nor pregnant women. Michigan topped the list with more than 70 percent of its federal children's health insurance funds earmarked for adults who have no kids.

In New Jersey, people earning as much as $295,000 were enrolled in its SCHIP program, dubbed "NJ FamilyCare." Like many states, New Jersey failed to check eligibility for all program enrollees and refuses to conduct stringent assets tests.

This program will likely be voted on today in the Senate.

The above quote from Malkin's article reminds us of how bad it's been but if you follow the link to Connie Hair's article you will get an idea of how much worse it's about to get.

[jheasler12175]

The logic of taxing smokers to fund childrens's health care escapes me. The money would be better spent treating smoking related lung diseases. At least there is a causal relationship there.

The unintended consequence of the new taxes will probably be the reduction in the number of smokers, a desired behavior, but also a reduction in the tax revenue from tobacco products as more smokers feel the economic pinch and quit.

One way to collect more tax revenues is to tax all wage earners. If you share in the benefits of the USA, you should share in the financing of them and that means paying taxes. No exceptions.

[candles]

Take note: This bill is to be voted on today and Republicans were just allowed their first look at it this morning.

Wow, Obama is not even sworn in yet and the tranparency is clear as mud.

Republicans should just vote on any and all bills they are not given time to read, no natter how important it is.

This will upset a lot of people that voted for Obama. He said he would tax the rich and they do not think that would mean them in any way shape or form.