3 thoughts on the cigarette tax.
1- BlackIrish, in an earlier post, is an example of the precedence set over the last few years by attacking the tobacco industry. It is now established that the government can regulate and tax indiscriminatly a legal product. Some cities have a trans fat ban. Your light bulbs are history after 2012. More to come....
2- A few years ago a special interest group challenged that the lottery was an unfair 'tax' on poor people. Is not raising taxes on cigarettes the same thing? A finacially secure person would adjust easily to the tax. A poor person? not so much.

3- Stores that sell cigarettes are experienceing angry customers that said they didn't realize the tax was coming. That represents the reason that we have such a poor government. (popularity of congress, the President, and the Governor are in the teens and twentys). They say we get the government we deserve, and the lack of attention to a tax that was debated for over a year is apalling.

check out this link and then tell me you smokers in Wisconsin have it so rough!
http://health.msn.com/health-topics/addi...

RUSerious: There was previous mention about health care costs, and considering all the controversy about GM and their health care costs, it was the freshest EXAMPLE in my mind. Sorry if it offended you.

lierre04, you said “some smokers pay VERY high health care premiums but alcoholics at GM.....” Those two things are unrelated, have nothing to do with one another, just plain do not compute.
Did you know that whether you’re an alcoholic (or casual drinker), a smoker, both, or neither, your insurance options are the same at General Motors? Well, wait-smokers probably can’t go to alcohol rehab unless they're also alcoholics-you’ve got me there.
And GM doesn’t fire smokers. What the other employers (or the government or insurance companies) might do to smokers is not in GM’s control-no matter how powerful they might be. And none of it is the fault of the workers, alcoholic or not, either-and the smokers among them sure can’t like the tax any better than you do. (Please don’t say they can afford it on nearly $30 an hour-that has nothing to do with it either.)
What I was getting at is this: what does any of it have to do with General Motors? How does this GM stuff come into play regarding an article about the new cigarette tax? (I agree-it's over the top)
Your anger at GM, the company, or GM workers has no place in this forum about cigarette taxes-can’t you at least choose one where GM, cars, or assembly line workers are at least mentioned in the article?

RUSeroius: I'm sorry you found my post so confusing. The alcoholics came up in the issue with health care costs going up for smokers. I was trying to say that smokers tend to pay higher premiums, when all that happens to alcoholics is they get sent to rehab. And I was not trying to say that smokers should get paid 30 dollars an hour. I was trying to say that it is unfair that alcoholics get these high paying jobs even though they show up on the line drunk or hung over, but in some cases, smokers get fired because health care premiums are too high for company costs. Plus, I rather have a smoker make my car than someone who is drunk. It was more of an example than a generalization.

I love it when stinky smokers with yellow teeth drive around in their rusted out 1975 junky car and complain about the price of smokes!

Imagine all the money to be made if the government would tax the drug with the most addicts who use it by "choice" - all products containing caffeine!!!!

lierre04, You said: "will quit whenever I feel like it."
You went on to say: "To all the non-smokers who are saying good riddance to smokers, you should be thanking us. If it weren't for people who smoke....."
Then: "And alcoholics, what do companies do to them? They send them to rehab. And some get right back to drinking on the line while making your precious General Motors vehicle and get paid nearly 30 bucks an hour to do so, while some smokers pay VERY high premiums , get paid very little."
The smokers and drinkers in your little tirade are completely unrelated to each other, and could be interchangeable-what sense does that make?
By your logic, maybe someone should start paying smokers $30 an hour-apparently you deserve it more than those alchoholic GM workers!

There are 19-20 points in ear ear that they laser and 3 points on your hand, one on your knee, and one on your foot. I have smoked for 20 years and I haven't smoked in 4 days now and every gets better and better...........It is worth it. I went to the place in Janesville and they made my 7 yr daughter a part of the procedure and involved her with counting the points of laser....I was amazed!!!!! If you want more info e-mail me at michele@janesvillebrick.com

Why was my post deleted? It was not inappropriate or vulgar in any way at all, I feel there were 2 posts on the Ken Hendricks death article that should have been removed and I did recomened them to be removed (although they were not) I do believe my post was valid and had many good points that now nobody else can see and why is that? Is the Gazette now censoring the blog?

That is what my friends told me as well . They say it works . ????

What do they laser in these treatments? Someone said in your ears, is that right?

It is your choice to smoke or not to smoke . I smoke and have for years . I have two friends right now are doing the Laser stuff to quit in Janesville. So far they are not smoking .. Has anyone tried this ? I am considering doing it . I can't pay these prices to smoke any more .

First of all, let me say that I'm a smoker and I don't want to quit. I refuse to let the government push me into quitting. I will quit whenever I feel like it.

To all the non-smokers who are saying good riddance to smokers, you should be thanking us. If it weren't for people who smoke, the government would just be taxing other necessities that the general public consumes; ie: Gas, food, clothing, etc. Yes, we may pollute "your air," but we're keeping taxes down for you. Oh and might I add that more innocent people are killed by drunk driving than by second hand smoke.

To all the people that agree with the rising costs of healthcare for smokers: isn't it discrimination? I would be all for the rise of healthcare, if it included overweight and alcoholics, and other drug abusers. Yes, I know, some overweight people cannot help it. But there are some that can. And alcoholics, what do companies do to them? They send them to rehab. And some get right back to drinking on the line while making your precious General Motors vehicle and get paid nearly 30 bucks an hour to do so, while some smokers pay VERY high premiums , get paid very little.

Wow, so many different subjects to talk about...

1.)Smoking is a choice. No one has taken away the right to smoke. If that's your choice, you'll pay what you need to in order to fulfill that choice. CHOOSE not to smoke, and you don't have to worry about it.

2.)Again, smoking is a choice. It may be difficult to quit, but it takes will-power. If you want it bad enough, you can do it. Over-paying for smokes is an incentive to quit. I smoked for 10 years and quit. Anyone can quit if they WANT to. But again, it's your choice.

3.)Someone mentioned about smoking in restaurants. Referring back to #1, it's a choice, a choice that should be made by the owners of the establishment. The government has taken away that 'right'.

4.)The government can talk as much about how much revenue they will get, about where the money will go, and so forth. Truth is, the majority of us will never see where it goes and the government doesn't follow through with most of there promises anyway.

5.)I really hope the 'perfect' world comes along... less smokers, leading to less smoking related illness, leading to lower insurance premiums, leading to more money in my pocket, and so forth. Again, that's in a perfect world which none of us will ever see.

6.)Thanks for listening. And happy new year.

Okay, so I see both sides of it. I have smoked for 30 years. I tried several times to quit.

Unless you have ever tried to quit something no matter what it was, smoking is by far the hardest. I have managed to stay smoke free for a while.

Raising the price of cigerettes wont get people to quit. They have to want to quit! You cant force it. You will only make them spend the money on the cigerettes anyway and make the ones who get the tax richer, and those who really cannot afford it will end up not paying some other bill such as groceries or taking care of their health or their children etc. Just so they can smoke.

You might even push the smokers into chewing tobacco. The cost of Grizzly in Beloit is less then $2 a can.

Think about it. This is America and too many people are dictating what we can and cant eat, drink, smoke, watch, listen to or even speak or read.

We may as well be living in Russia with no rights.

Be prepared, once everyone is done taking from the smokers they will start to find other things to tax people on and get richer from it.

Also, watch out, all those who love to drink, or eat junk food you will be the the next targets.

Unfortunately, the tax increase probably won't make much of a difference in the number of people smoking. People need to realize that part of the reason health care costs are going up is because so many more people are in poor health due to smoking, pollution, fast food and food preservatives. I watched my grandparents both die young from smoking related health problems. My wife's grandmother was just diagnosed with breast cancer. She lives in a house with a smoker. Anything that can help limit everyone's exposure to smoking is a good thing. It would be nice to have it gone for good, but that will never happen because there is too much money made from tobacco. Hopefully the state can use this tax revenue to better educate the youth in Wisconsin about the dangers of smoking.

Maybe Doyle should put a tax on the casinos. Gambling is harmful to people. Oh wait the indians give millions of dollars to Doyles campaign coffers. This guy makes me ill.

It should be $10.00 a pack. Go ahead...kill yourselves. Too many people anyway, and those who smoke are the dummies.

Smoking cigarettes will never be illegal. Because it is the rich white men making all the money. Same as all these new taxes.
The war on drugs will never end because it is the rich powerful white man making all the money. If drugs were legal that wouldn't be the case. Where do you think all the money put into the prison system goes?
Check out who our Governor is trying to sneak into the Supreme Court! The plans he told us he had, and what he has been doing are opposite sides of the coin! Does he want to make people STOP MOVING TO WISCONSIN?

Raising taxes on cigarettes is like raising taxes on the rich. Most people are not rich and most don't smoke. It's easy to get a majority to agree when your taxing "those people". But the government didn't stop there. Wait till you renew your license plate. Did you think that stopping automatic increases in the gas tax would save you any money?

Sorry-I see it is MOM of 5 (congratulations on that)-not momo/f5. Forgive me for cutting it too short in those 2 posts.

If you don't like the tax increase. You shouldn't have voted for Doyle. He's a liberal democrat and he actually thinks he can tax people to quit? That is crazy thinking. Let's say that his theory works and everybody quits smoking. That takes a huge chunk out of the tax revenue that the state "needs" to operate. What will happen next? We will be taxed on other things to cover the loss of revenue. It's funny how he wants to ban smoking from all public places. Why can't a business owner decide whats best for his business? If he wants to have smoking in "his/her" establishment then let them. If they start loosing business because they allow smoking they will soon change their policy and be smoke free. Let the power of the people dictate what should be allowed. Not the government.

Ok, momo-and I do agree with that. It IS physically possible for a person to quit-I wish everyone would, as a matter of fact. But it's a tough, gut-wrenching experience, no doubt about that.
(I have been close to people who were in the process of quitting-almost as dangerous as smoking itself...;-) Your words just sounded more like a declaration.
Anyway-I've always thought, with the government putting itself in a position to decide for you what was good and what was bad for you, and giving themselves the authority to do something about it when it was "useful"-why then don't they outlaw ALL things that are, or can become, addictions. (But then I imagine they would be the first among us to insist psychologists should hurry up and deny the existence of sex addicts or addictions.)

It ain's easy to quit. I did quit over 14 year ago. Smoked 2 packs a day and was paying $2.20 a pack and thought that was expensive. I did it cold turkey and have been SO thankful I did. The benefits of it have been plentiful. I even took up running and biking. It is wonderful getting out on a bike and seeing the land as you have never seen it before from a car. Doesn't cost a dime in gas either. The best beneifts are that I don't stink anymore and no burn holes in my car seats or couches.

Yes the tax on smokes sucks!! But at least we can smoke..right? I live in Janesville work in Rockford. No smokeing in any type of business there. I've smoke for 11 years and I agree with not smoking in restraunts. I can wait till I get to the car to light up. But going to the bar and not being able to smoke? That is insane... So I guess we should just be happy we can even smoke in the great state of Wisconsin.

I will probably get a lot of flack for saying this, but I'm going to anyway.
The reason the government won't ban smoking and drinking is very simple. If they did, our entire economy would collapse! Think about it... they can tax cigarettes and alcohol up the wazoo, and make billions of dollars a month doing it. Without that income the government wouldn't have a whole lot of money left over for the really important things. Am I wrong?

Insurance companies already charge higher premiums to smokers. There is no need for the state to step in and save the day. You can bet your butts that insurance companies are not losing money on smokers. The state just sees an opportunity to demonize and oppress a group of people and rip them off for a quick buck. You deserve to be mistreated, you are morally corrupt. No one will stand for the smokers, they are the new lepers. And don't get me started on how it is for the children. There is nothing more pathetic than a grown man or woman hiding behind a child to further a fanatic cause.

Watch out for buying cigarettes on the internet. I read an article a short while ago, probably in the Gazette, about how the state has a way of tracking internet sales of tobacco and has sent out huge bills to people who have made such purchases, one being a bill for several thousand dollars to an elderly lady. Also watch out for prescription drug sales. You may have the DEA knocking on your door. Just because they sell it on the internet does not mean it is legal to buy in the USA or in the Great State of Wisconsin.

simplybasicme:
The government does tax alcohol. That's why one can buy a bottle of say Captain Morgan on a duty free/tax free shop on cruise ships and foreign ports for 1/3 of what it is on land in the States. Don't be so foolish to think that the government isn't going to have their hands in the bank when it comes to something that is a multi-billion dollar business. Again, don't like? Don't drink or move to Canada. It is what it is. Better yet, don't like it? Run for office :)

RUSerious:
Perhaps my ideals weren't portrayed as well as I thought through words. What I was trying to get across was that with ANYTHING in life, you have to a) make the conscious decision to do anything and b)you have to want it. I'm not saying that to quit smoking is easy. What I find categorically false about smoker's saying "it isn't that easy" is that NOTHING in life that is worth it is easy. If you want to quit, and yes, cure your addiction then it will take work and sacrifice. I am not a smoker, but I have faced my own demons. If you don't want to quit smoking then don't. But don't sit and complain about the tax hike. It is your choice to smoke and pay the hike.

I am not a smoker nor have ever been-but this tax is foolish and shortsighted in that the people in big government say its supposed to fund health care.
But if there are less and less people needing health care because they quit smoking and buying cigarettes-wouldn't there be less and less tax money coming in to fund this health care? It comes to a point where you have diminishing return. If the theory governor espouses is correct then we will need to have more people smoking than those who quit. And if more people quit then where will the tax money come from to take up the slack to fund all the programs the government wants to use the money for?

Pleaseeeee!! We are talking about a persons rights here, not about price and health. We don't live in a communist country, do we? Makes you wonder, huh? Even my husband, who has asthma, thinks that this high of tax is wrong. Why not tax alcohol? It kills not only ones brain cells but whomever you might hit while driving under the influence. Yes, I am a smoker and have been for 33 years. Doyle reminds me of Tommy Thompson when he took away help for single moms and kids. Take a poll in Wisconsin and see what effect that had on one parent homes and the kids in them! Now we will probably face more crime to get the money to afford this habit in general and more people who are really addicted buying cigarettes rather than feeding their kids!! It's sad to think about but I'll bet it is going to happen.

I have smoked for 40 years...since i was 16. But i REFUSE to pay the extra tax on the already outlandish price of a pack of cigarettes. My last cigarette was 12/31/07. Smoke free. I am already noticing the benefits of not smoking.

I will be doing some traveling soon and plan on checking out other states prices on cigarettes. I know that not every state is as greedy as Wisconsin. Meanwhile, I plan on buying on the internet. I found a website today that sells cigarettes for $14.00 a carton.

momo says " Smokers say all the time that it's not that easy to quit. I find that categorically false."
And what gives YOU this expertise to make this finding? Please reassure anyone who wants to quit then that you did smoke and easily quit, or there is no way YOU can find it "categorically false". And even if you did smoke and quit (real congratulations would be in order), you cannot tell anyone you found it easy if you had the "habit" for more than a few days.
Like you yourself also said "Afterall, it is an addiction, is it not?" Explain that. It would not be an addiction if it was easy to stop. One dictionary definition of addiction is "...a dependence on a substance... or a type of behavior, such as gambling. The dependence is so strong that it may seem as if the person is unable to break away from the dependence."
You went on to say "There are so many resources and aids out there now compared to years ago."
Now explain why these resources would be needed and offered, sometimes actually free, if it is catagorically false that it is difficult to stop smoking. No one has ever offered the same for my desire (not addiction) for coffee or chocolate.

I have no problem with the cigarette tax, even if the government does not do what they say with the money. On another thread many people were complaining about the cost of healthcare, and on what GM workers make. Has anyone stopped to think that, as unfair as it might be to single out a group, it is for the good of many? It may be idealistic thinking, but let's say the numbers released by the start are right. If that many kids and adults either quit or never started, that would for sure mean less asthmatics, emyphesma and cancer patients. Which, in turn, ideally again, would lower health care costs. In turn, lower health insurance premiums. Which, could mean less nagging on the gazetteextra.com blog about autoworkers and how much they make because the cost of vehicles could go down because they would no longer need to build in such high insurance costs and compensation packages into their sticker prices. Of course, I realize this is all ideal and would work verbatim if we lived in a perfect society. As for taxing food because of the "fatties." Look at your receipt from Woodman's. Your apples, bread, Cheerios, milk, etc is NOT taxed. But, your Doritos, donuts, Pepsi and sugary cereals are. And, don't use the sophomoric reasoning of "if it's so bad for you then why is it legal?" If it were illegal, just as many people would do it. If Gov. Doyle made cigarette smoking illegal, not too many of the smokers on here today would quit smoking just because it is now illegal. Afterall, it is an addiction, is it not? Smokers say all the time that it's not that easy to quit. I find that categorically false. If you want to quit, you will. There are so many resources and aids out there now compared to years ago. No one likes to be told what to do or to feel like the government is being intrusive. However, it is what it is and no amount of complaining is going to change the new tax. Don't like it? Stop smoking!! It's a choice to stop, just like it was a choice to start. And, maybe it's too late for (you) to stop smoking but would you want your kids to start smoking? grandkids? Of course not.

If smoking is dangerous, then why is it legal?
The government makes much more from smoking than those evil tobbacco companies ever did, and we all know how much the government likes to spend money.
Now if only they could figure out how to tax people with inflated egos....

I lived in Arizona where Smokes were $5.00 or more a pack. I found most people rolled there own this was much cheaper. They tasted nasty but it's smokes were talking about.. Smoke on

Hey BlackIrish? Shame on you for judging others. I find it disturbing to find all of the people who don't have enough to do so they worry about what other people are doing to themselves. Smoking and eating are bad for you, it's true, but so is gambling, driving, watching television, and drinking. Are we going to try to tax them out of existence as well?

You know this is all just a bunch of crap and the sad thing is that most of you fall for it. If the goverment really wanted to help the health of the people they would just make them illegal, but oh wait they can't do that they would lose too much money. Instead well get alot of people addicted then hike up the prices whats a few billion peoples lives when it comes to making money!

Great idea , punish the guy that can barley make a living that has a addiction that is not illeagal , what next raise gas tax too . OH that is outragious too . may as well legalize the drugs and tax those too . may as well cops wont stop the drug traffic .

I don't think that higher cigarette prices will stop people from smoking...maybe a few social or very light smokers, but as stated elsewhere, it is an addiction. Do you see the high prices of meth, heroin, cocaine, etc. stopping those addicts from purchasing it? No, and studies show that the addiction to nicotine is as strong, and possibly stronger, than the one to heroin. Being someone who quit smoking, I know that money wasn't the issue and wouldn't be if I were currently smoking - I'd eat less, get less clothing, turn the heat down, walk more, or whatever! People can say, yeah I'll probably quit, but I know from experience it is a lot easier to say than do! No, I don't have the solution to all of this, but this isn't it. And moby6400, you are dead on about the money probably never being used as intended!

theyre still cheaper than a fancy starbucks coffee.

Don't hold one hand on your rear, while waiting for this TAX money to go where it was promised, if you do, you will be one armed the rest of your life!

<<In my opinion, they should have raised taxes on food so everybody pays, not only the smoker.”>>

Why the heck should people have to pay more for food? It's not like we have that option in our lives, especially those on a budget. I for one will NOT financially support a smokers CHOICE to smoke, and polluting my kids' air with harmful chemicals at the same time. Sheesh.

I will start by saying I don't smoke, never have. At first I was ok with the tax if it went to health care for people with health issues from smoking. There can not be one person that thinks smoking is not bad for your health and if one is still going to do it I don't want to subsidize their health care for something they did to themselves. But, if they want to use the tax money as a way to prevent kids from smoking thats not right to punish the adults for what someone else's kids might do. Where are the parents in this world? You here from them all the time when they wnat to blame someone else for that TV falling on them. They never want to take reponsibility for their choice to have children. Ever time you turn around other people kids are costing someone money. Its just like the school tax. I have no problem paying my share but, why don't the people with kids have to pay more then me with no kids? One almosts get punished for not having kids. People with kids get tax credits. People without kids may have more money in their pockets so they can afford an nicer home which will cost them more in school taxes. Or my health insurance some how my wife and make a family and have to pay the same premium as someone with 4 kids. There is a good chance they go more then I do. Maybe you smokes are getting screwed.

Here! Here! Well said camper61!