"Sin Tax" On Alcohol?

[DMS]

A Kentucky lawmaker wants so-called sin taxes to be spread around.

Representative Rick Nelson of Middlesboro is filing a bill that would shift some of the proposed higher taxes on cigarettes over to alcohol.

Nelson's proposal would increase the tax on alcoholic beverages from eleven cents to twenty cents.

He's also calling for eliminating sales tax exemptions on horse sales and stud fees.

Governor Beshear is proposing a 70 cent hike in the cigarette tax and spending cuts to make up a projected 456 million dollar budget shortfall.


http://www.wkyt.com/home/headlines/36690849.html

[Dolphin]

Best and Most effective for raising $$$$ is to Tax, Fine Politician's every time they LIE


Desolve all tax exempt organizations, religions and churches, start collecting property tax and income tax on all of these Businesses !!!

[katie]

I have always said that the tax on booze should be increase. I am a smoker, and have always been taxed more when $$$ were needed somewhere. If gasoline taxes go up, cigs go down, cigs go up, gas goes down, I believe it's just whose wheel needs greased.

I believe the booze has not been taxed so heavily due to all of the politicians who drink and don't smoke. I'm not sure which is the more evil.

There is just as much death and destruction caused by booze as there is cigarettes. Wonder how much money they could earn just at the inaugural ball alone!!

Classic case of "them" telling us how to run our lives

[re3too]

Best and Most effective for raising $$$$ is to Tax, Fine Politician's every time they LIE

Well, shucky dern, Dolphman! Then we'd have a surplus! What to do, what to do?

[Nervous Wreck]

Does anyone really understand the 'scope' of taxation? The average person has NO idea of the taxes they 'actually' pay!

FREE money to the politicians and government. That's what taxes are! Sure wish I could sift through their 'budget' one time!! First thing would be some PAY cuts, and they would live the life of 'normal' Americans. No more free retirement! Work a normal week like the rest of us. And LEARN to live within their means!! Dam politicians!!

[kdfwr911]

There's no way to justify balancing the budget shortfall on smokers backs. That's the easy way to balance the budget while causing the least amount of public uproar. Non-smokers will be happy to see someone else get taxed through the nose while they will escape higher taxes for the most part. But it's an unfair burden placed on smokers backs to make up all that lost tax revenue. Are smokers going to get more services in return for their increased tax burden??? I don't think so. And as far as the BS goes about smokers costing the system more in increased health care costs, that's BS plain and simple. Just a way for everyone to "feel good" about unfairly taxing a group of individuals. Everyone is going to die at some point in time. Smokers will likely die younger than non-smokers. This means many smokers will have their health problems while covered under their employer sponsered health care plans instead of in later years while covered under Medicare. So many smokers will pay for their health care costs as opposed to non-smokers who will more likely die of heart related problems after years in a nursing home while covered under Medicare. In addition to that, who is going to be the biggest burden on the Social Security Admin, the smoker who dies at age 60 without ever drawing the first SS check, or the non-smoker who dies at age 85???? I mean really, why aren't we increasing taxes on the segment that is placing the biggest burden on the system.....the non-smokers who live to be a hundred?

Smokers didn't get our economy in this mess and shouldn't have to bail us out of it any more so than anyone else does. The burdens of these times should be shared among all segments of the population equally. Put the sales tax back on food along with modest increases in the taxes on tobacco and alcohol. Everyone has to eat (including drug dealers, thieves and prostitutes), and everyone should have to bite the bullit and do their part to help get us through this mess, not just the smokers.

[JLA]

While I'm not a smoker and not a big drinker (unless at the lake!) I do think you should spread it around. Putting the burden of taxes on one "sin" or cross-section of the population is just stupid. But we are talking about politics!!

[katie]

kdfwr911 and JLA, that argument was long ago lost to many of the do-gooder groups... these are the ones the politicians listen to, not the average citizen.

Do you think the politicians and the do-gooder groups truly have NO CLUE of how many "welfare and disability" dollars go to cigarettes and booze alone??? I would love to see the welfare system go back to c-rations, food and clothing handouts like it was when I was a kid.

[katie]

well, don't know the whole story but..... what do you think about the proposed tax on "soft drinks"? I say heck yeah, 1 in 3 kids are obese... sodas should have never been in schools, IMO

[JLA]

Well, if it is really going to be a "sin" tax, let's make prostitution legal and tax the the hell out of it!

I mean if you're getting screwed by taxes, you might as well get screwed!

[katie]

I agree JLA! Just think of the reduction in taxes, hell, Nevada residents didn't used to have any tax, don't know if that still holds true.

[djcardinal]

Well, if it is really going to be a "sin" tax, let's make prostitution legal and tax the the hell out of it!

I mean if you're getting screwed by taxes, you might as well get screwed!

Its stupid that this isn't legal! Totally STUPID!!!

[Dolphin]

It is in Louisville ! Is it Not ???

[Nervous Wreck]

I just love taxes and all the conversation about them!