I'm of the opinion that they should raise a federal tax on alcohol instead of tobacco. But the only problem with that is most of the legislators would have to pay a tax increase then, and far be it from the "chosen ones" to pay for anything, since we so graciously send them to their places on high for their "infinite wisdom"…but then, there would also be a tax on ripple…nuff said.

I live on $30,000 of income from social security and my pension, plus my savings. I wish to thank you President Obama and the 44 sponsors of H.R.2 for raising my federal taxes by $1,500 per year. Increasing a tax by 2185%, especially a tax that will fall almost entirely on the lower middle class and the poor, appears to be a direct contradiction of your campaign promises.

Who do you think rolls their own cigarettes? The guy making $200,000/year or the guy living on a fixed income that got addicted to cigarettes 35 years ago, when they were 35 cents a pack.

My life current expectancy is 77 years. The same as it would be if I did not smoked but drank 9 beers a week or had three accidents or violations in the last 3 years, or gained 90 pounds or had high blood pressure controlled by medication. If I had never smoked my life expectancy would be 82.

Four of my close relatives experienced the onset of dementia at 78. So not only will my smoking save me and my loved ones 5 years being a vegetable in a nursing home but it will save the taxpayer's $300,000 in nursing home costs plus 5 years of social security payments.

I think that will more than offset any additional costs that my smoking has caused the public. But if you really feel the need to punish people for their sins, lets be fair and tax the alcoholics, the reckless drivers, the obese and salt producers (high blood pressure) to the same degree.

I.E
A $4 tax on a bottle of beer.
A $1000 tax on Automobile Insurance
A $7 tax on a Big Mac
And
A $7 tax on a pound of table salt.

Just to be the voice of dissent I am a smoker. I have smoked for more than ten years. If it was up to me I would increase the fedral tax on cigarettes by a dollar a year until no one could afford to smoke. if you are concerned about the cost of years in a nursing home I have one piece of advice for you BUY A GUN!!
it is cheaper and then people don't have to hear about how you are " being punished" for doing somthing that you are not being forced to do

YOU DON'T LIKE THE PRICE STOP SMOKING

if the price of gas goes up you drive less, you don't ask the government to stop taxing it.

How come the Feds never owned up to their part in the tobacco problems.
After all they subsidized the growers for a very, very long time.
Are they not responsible for the addictions, too?
It is going to cost more for tobacco procucts than for illigal drugs. It is going to put the poor smoker at a risk of being mugged or killed for their smokes.

Who didn't ask the government to reduce the price of gas…..?

Sounds like you're suffering from excessive cranial pressure. You might want to take your own advice by relieving that pressure with the GUN YOU BOUGHT!! Just to be voice of rebuttal.

You wouldn't ask the "fedral" government to reduce the price of gas if they taxed it 2200%?

I am not a smoker, but I do know that prohibition did not work, and this won't work either, as a means of stopping addiction to cigarettes. Our daughter-in-laws mother is 56 and is terminal with lung cancer that has spread into other areas. I watched my brother-in-law on his death bed dying of COPD, while his kids were down in the hospital parking lot smoking. Never underestimate the stupidity of people.

May I be encouraging to those who really want to stop smoking, without sounding like I walk on water because I don't smoke!

Food addiction and people sitting on their lazy fat butts for thirty years develop all sorts of unnecessary degenerative diseases, but nobody talks about that. Why? Because food addiction is socially acceptable, whereas drugs, alcohol and cigarettes are not socially acceptable. Don't try to defeat that addiction at the same time you are struggling with the concept of addiction overall. Find another thing that IS good for you, and IS socially acceptable and do that along with your program to quit cigarettes and it may make things a little easier. Joining a gym, photography, get a pet, etc. are a few suggestions.

I think the government should just out-law smoking in public flat out. Drunk driving effects people not drinking. Second hand smoke effects at least ten times more non-smokers than drunk driving effects non-drinkers. Plus the kids in your car didn't really get to choose if they wanted to smoke or not but working a a drive thru smoke shop I see at least 20 examples of that in one 6 hour shift. I would say 90% of smokers think of no one but themselves, yes there is a tiny like 10% that do it in private but the rest of you think its the 70's and you can just smoke where ever you wish…. Its just sad

What a way to sock it to the little guy. It is known that smokers are in the lowest socioeconomic groups in America. So we are taxing them. If cigarettes are so dangerous and addictive, MAKE THEM ILLEGAL! If not, leave people alone. Stop acting like you are doing people a favor by taxing them. This is a money-hungry attempt to take money for as long as there is money to be taken. This is nothing new to our society today. It is sad. Very sad.

who found a gun to buy?,, no handguns nor ammo in mobile,al

i smoke @ 56 years old as of yesterday.
i smoke about 5 to 6 aday with my work,my grandfather rolled his own,died at 98 in a nusing home of pheanumonia
i run hard two miles a day,currently bench 340,and curl 180#
had 5 five kids ,paid school tax and property tax on 60 acres of land,now i have to pay to sit on my porch and smoke,tax will put another 70k people out of work in south carolina? LETS BUY OVER SEAS??

TAX US SMOKERS SO WE HAVE TO BUY OVERSEAS,,OBAMMA PROGRAM TO MAKE US A SOCIALIST STATE? HERE GOES OUR TOBBACO GROWERS AND ANOTHER 50K JOBS FROM AMERICANS

Lets up the tax another ten cents and then there will be enough money to buy everyone ice cream.FICA…federal ice cream act.You have to wonder how people can come up with this stuff and keep a straight face.Always another money grab justified because it will go to fund a "worthy cause".If smokers are going to pay for health care for illegal aliens,why not make them buy ice cream for everyone also?Lets take them for all they are worth.

I thought Obama wasn't going to RAISE TAXES!!! Is it just me?

Why not tax junk food? There are a lot more fat people than smokers, and that would generate a ton of revenue, pardon the pun.

Tobacco is not now nor has it ever been subsidised by the gov't. The farmers and tobacco companies paid for the tobacco program themselves.It was called the no net fee. Meaning no net cost to the gov't. For every 100 ponds of tobacco sold the farmer and the buyer paid 1 dollars a piece to fund the pool(tobacco program). Get the facts before you shoot off at the mouth. Tobacco has made more money for the gov't than any other crop in history. Still does. I know this for a fact as I am a lifelong tobacco farmer and my family has raised tobacco in this country since 1790.

To georgeky

Thanks for telling Wilma how it is about tobacco farmers. My husband's family was in the tobacco business for many years in N Carolina and you are right. The tobacco industry has made millions for the government and they were NEVER subsidized by the government. My husband is descended from the Duke family in N. Carolina. J.B. Duke started off with one bundle of old tobacco he found in a barn after the civil war and he planted and plowed with one blind mule. He worked hard to get his tobacco farm started and he and his family made plenty for the government. And the federal tax on it was abominable. The government took instead of giving, just as they are doing now. Obama needs to be impeached. He has ruined this country before even 100 days of his presidency has past. And if someone does not wish to smoke then don't smoke but they need to leave smokers alone. We have as many rights as anyone else. Why should we pay for someone else's kid's health insurance anyway? I have no kids. Let them pay for their own kid's health insurance and if they are so gung ho on paying for health insurance for illegal aliens, then those people need to pay for it and leave us smokers enough money to live a comfortable life. We do not owe someone else's kids nor illegal aliens anything. Now they are going to get our social security money we worked for all of our life. How much more will smokers be punished to furnish something for someone else who has not worked for it??
If you would like the Duke famly legacy verified you may do so by going to
http://www.nchistoricsites.org/duke/empire.htm

Just another taxation without representation. We tax fuel to take care of roads but tax smokers and give the money to someone else. The money from smokers tax should go to health care for smokers. The complaint use to be that smokers are hurting the health care but the tax money isn't going to help smokers health care.

Dude u are a true jerk. I agree with some tax increases but this one and this one only was targeted unfairly
Increase Federal tax on RYO tobacco from $1.0969 per pound to $24.78 per pound
wish I had a gun so I could blow your fingers off and stick it in your mouth to shut you up! Use your brain and read first before you shoot off your mouth.
How would u like it if the tax on that beer you just had went up so much it just cost you 3 times as much as last week.

Sorry but the tax hike on RYO tobacco is 100% totally unfair

I've smoked since I was 25. I consider myself a very considerate smoker. I have no problem with keeping my cigarettes extinguished in public places. I will not blow smoke into someone's face for them to breathe.I'm 42 years old and my wife and I don't have any kids. But….this bull and nonsense of making us pay for someone elses kid's healthcare is beyond sanity. We already have to pay plenty of taxes for school and don't have any children.We work hard every day to earn a living and lead very low maintenence lives.God forbid that we smoke in public and yet they would think nothing about sending us on our way drunk!!!! How many innocent people have been run over by a cigarette smoker VS a drunk driver.We all have vices….. the point I'm trying to make is ….. people in charge of these stupid laws need to stop the hypocrisy and above all………. GREED!!!!!!
Ease up will you ????? Learn to live a little bit simpler lives. Quit spending other people's money for them. Taking money from a person who is willing to work and giving it to someone who is not… is thieft by deception!! Oh well… I don't think this tax will work for very long anyhow so…….. let's keep our chins up!!

People lets get with it here the government is going to tax everything we buy or own till we die and even after your dead. Who do you think is going to pay for all the banks and insurance companies it sure is not going to be the high class its going to the little guy always has been always will be hope this works for Obama. Hope he has lots of room in the white house for the people he is putting out of work. Trickle it down first the cigarette company goes belly up then lets see its the grower next then its the everyday joe working to make the parts for all htose involved oops fumble where you going to put theses folks. I get the Lincoln bedroom first dibs.

As and x smoker i believe it should be up to each individual person. It's thier body and nobody made them smoke. They can quit any time they want to. I feel its a communist act to tell people where they can and cannot smoke. Most people I feel have common sense not to smoke in restraunts were people are eating go out side, but why punish bars, if you don't like the smoke stay out.

As and x smoker i believe it should be up to each individual person. It's thier body and nobody made them smoke. They can quit any time they want to. I feel its a communist act to tell people where they can and cannot smoke. Most people I feel have common sense not to smoke in restraunts were people are eating go out side, but why punish bars, if you don't like the smoke stay out.

This tax isn't suppose to go in effect until 3/31 In Kentucky we've got a new state tax kicking in too Some places here have already raised the price for the Federal tax I don't think it legal but what can I do Over $2.00 a pack all in one swoop I'm still realing from this and I am very angry about those stores that have already increased the prices

How is telling people where they can and cant smoke a communist act? I don't smoke but I think that this tax increase is insane. Why the excess tax increase on cigarettes, just because they are bad for you? So is drinking soda but I'm not paying four dollars for a mountain dew. I live in Nebraska and my brother bought a pack of cigarettes today and they cost him five dollars. Thats from 3.99$ a few days ago. Tobbacco was Americas first cash crop and helped build this country. Thanks a lot Obama, but at least Chew didn't get a tax hike

Well, as long as we're going to tax…now that the Feds have it going on…EVERY time I go to Walmart with a handicapped (no, really) friend, ALL the handicapped carts, you know, the electric ones, are filled (no pun intended) with fat people. The feds need to impose a fat tax on Walmart or any other retailer for every fat person riding one whose only handicap is their bulk, and the tax should be based on the level of over-weightedness of the occupant and be added to their bill at checkout. Walmart would be out of business in a week OR there would be a lot more of us skinny folks shopping at the local Walmart. If they really want more money to subsidize the Big Brother agenda, this would/should be easy to implement.

i hope all the lawsuits that are coming' all 8000 kill all Tobbacco company in to hell for all the lie's they told us all 25 plus years ago. just another way to make money. tax pot better than Tobbacco.

Carton in Cook county Illinois was $78 and they told it will go up another $6 next month. I didn't buy it but was just curious. Is this the 1920's all over again? Prohibition of cigarettes and the stock market tanking. Black market cigarettes will hit the market a couple months after that. The stupid program that pays for illegals and a nice raise for government will not work! Time to move to a free country.

As I sit here drinking my morning coffee and smoking a cigarette looking at the big brown cloud over the Denver Colorado metro area I will say again as I have said for years…..when you quit driving-I'll quit smoking. As far as the 'tax', it is just another part of the 'brainwashing test' just as political correctness is a part of 'censorship'. I'm thinking it is a good thing I am not 'fat' too or I may be sent to the guillotine department at some Walmart, as my thin, shop at Macy's, have martini recipes memorized, run 3 miles a day to Whole Foods to buy a 'diet' soda friends. Just kidding, but I am not kidding when I say that when I am standing facing God and God asks the doctor next to me why he didn't take as good of care with me as he did the diet soda drinkers I don't think I will step up and stand up for him.

Pardon my ignorance, but what's the difference between pipe tobacco and "roll your own" tobacco? Marketing?

Why won't someone just start selling whatever tobacco is currently called "roll your own" as "pipe tobacco"?

I think Tom is missing the point. There should be no tax! It's a matter of principle. Increase taxes so people smoke, drink, or drive less?? That's not part of being in a free country. These programs need to end because they will not work anyway, AND it's UNconstitutional. Everything the Gov't touches it screws up, and you as the sheeple keep drinking the Gov't kool-aid thinking this next new scheme will be better than the last one. Yeah, right! I like Einsteins definition of INSANITY. "Doing the same thing over and over again, expecting a different result"

WELL SPOKEN……
1000%% Correct !!!!!!

Tax the freaking alcohol!!! Then the politicians can pay some tax too. Geez Barrack, didn't you used to smoke until you became a candidate for president? Thanks for yet another tax (and so soon in office too).

I live in GA and I just paid $40 for a carton of cigarettes and the guy at the gas station told me the tax hike went into effect and I hadn't heard that so I was looking on the internet and the federal tax isn't supposed to take effect until 4-1. The stores have already raised prices which I don't understand at all. They also are trying to impose a state tax hike of a dollar a pack. What the heck is this country coming to I can't choose whether or not I want to wear a seat belt and now I can't choose whether or not I want to smoke.If I want to kill myself that's my business and as far as the health care costs I'm sure all the money I paid in to my insurance company will be more than enough to cover my "lung cancer". Philip Morris better start sending some good coupons. As far as the "lies" the tobacco companies have told in the past I mean come on did you really think that smoking was good for you? All companies tell lies to get you to buy their product, does cascade really take food off of dishes like in the commercial NO WAY. Obama sucks and is a complete idiot, only 3 years and 9 months to go.(sigh)

I am a smoker of 50 years and I think after this large tax hike everyone should quit smoking and then let them figure out where they are going to get the loss in tax money from, real estate, etc… Take that and smoke it.

I bet obama would hate if all us smokers just up and quit where would he get his blood money then. I knew the first time i seen this guys face he was an asshole.. thtas why i didn't vote for him. and he's a demecrat I thought they where for the little guy don't this dumb ass know that it's the poor who still smoke.

This tax increase on tobacco might cause more people to buy cheaper brands of cigarettes such as roll your own brands, unfiltered worse for your health causing an increase in lung cancer possibly. The ironic point is that this money is going to health care sounds more like blood money now. Siphoning the population he disagrees with while sparing the ones he sympathizes with to make him look like a "better" president.

i think this is fucking bull shit i voted for obama and all hes done for me so far is fuck things up who dose he think will be affected by this the average Joe is being laid off from work and trying to figure out how to be able to get food gas and pay bills now we have to sale blood plasma for cigarettes this is bull shit where's the real stimulus check you promised to help me out why did the bank's get so much you know instead you could have gave every adult American 20 grand and said pay off your debit and buy stuff in are local community's and saved your selves millions and are economy would have boomed and saved a lot of jobs and would of help the American people struggling and not a bank that's gonna use the money to invest in Chinese banks . i agree with most of y make people addict to a useless product that doesn't do anything for you but fuckin feeds your addiction y not tax alcohol witch ruins way more people's life's and actually does something for you like getting you drunk why not legalize marijuana and get your tax money from the potheads and quit spending billions a year to put people in jail for something that's worst side effect's are ridiculous penalty's and jail time i mean how could some one get 5 years for weed and a petafile aka chomo get two for rapping some ones little kid come on whats wrong with this country seriously obama is a smoker why would he do this to his own people i thought he would make a good change for us i wonder what the real black community thinks about this seriously

I bet cornbread doesn't get taxed. If we're supporting illegal aliens with our smoking, why not a taco shop tax instead.

Smoking kills, it stinks, and smokers violate "my" rights to not breath it by smoking outside every building entrance and on every sidewalk. Smoking should be only allowed in your "personal" home, property, or car! NO PUBLIC SMOKING ANYWHERE. For those that don't want to pay the tax…QUIT! You will be healthier and have more money in your pocket.

TO MIKE,
This page is called smokers news not non-smokers news so if you want to blog about how smokers suck than find someplace else to do it.

@ Mike

Banning smoking in public places is unconstitutional and it infringes on our freedom as Americans. We have just as much right to smoke in public as you and your buddies have the right to ride around in your crappy Honda Civics blaring your annoying rap music.

Hmmmmmm, now i see that I can buy marlboro's online for 14.90 a carton?
I think ill rebel this new tax!

Once again it is pick on the smokers time.
B.O. voted to taise cigarette taxes in illinios so it comes as no surprise he signed this into law. this is definately a case of taxation without representation. if you stop to think about it we had a revolutionary war over a 1% tax on tea. is it now time for a boston tea party again? should we just refuse to buy cigarettes for a period of 1 month? i would hope all americans would join me in boycotting cigarettes for 1 month and let the feds see the error of thier ways in excessive taxation.
better yet perhaps we should start a smokers party. we can bring back joe camel as a political mascott because then he would be protected under our right to free speech. we could eliminate sin taxes alltogether and cigarettes would be less than 2 dollars a pack.

I roll my own cigarettes too. I agree with dunc. How can a reasonable man put such an outrageous tax increase on the poor? A man who claims to be a Democrat?! The rich do not smoke. The rich who smoke do not roll their own cigarettes.They buy packs. Obama is the embodiment of a lying corrupt politician full of hypocrisy.

Hello all,

I am a 34 year old SMOKER. And have been for over 15 years…

I can not believe that us as a nation takes this. I mean isn't the government (Obama) supposed to be for the people, I mean by all rights we put that ass there. He talked a good talk, and had everyone fooled in to thinking he was "the change" this country needed. Boy what a slap in the face we all got that voted for him.

Taxing one one group of people is wrong and itsnt that raciest of him to do. Setting out a soul purpose to tax only 1 group of people US SMOKERS! well if you look around there are so many other things to spread the tax over, why all on one thing? Raise tax on junk foods, as someone here said, or how about beer/wine…and other alcohol beverages. Heres a thought, lets tax every single person on their color of skin…if your pink you pay 200% more then green, only because its not the right shade of pink… come on, couldnt this tax hike have been spread out across many different things to make up what you felt your pocket needed? I know that by doing that yeah you would have gotten your money YET you wouldnt have pissed off every single smoker in our great country….it would have been hidden and no one would have crap to say because we all got the shaft with out the lube!

someone here said that obama should have given US AMERICANS the stimulus as he so promised in running for office… YOUR NOT ALONE, I AGREE FUCK THE HUGE BANK THAT KEEPS THEIR HAND OUT FOR MORE… we the little people are what makes this country go round. I hope in my life time I see the little people stand and fight back… I would be side by side fighting too. This is Bullshit!

I live in Washington State. i just looked up how much tax I'm already paying on a pack of cigarettes and just about passed out–2.02 state tax and the current .39 federal tax, but wait, don't forget the 8.9% sales tax on the entire amount, yeah, that's right, I'm paying tax on fucking tax. It hurts my head, it really does. So yesterday, I go to buy a pack and the price has already been raised, so the pack I paid $5.29 (before sales tax) for last week, I paid $6.35 (before sales tax) for, but wait, that's more than the .62 it was supposed to go up, hum, I'm confused. I suppose when the tax actually goes into effect next month, that same pack will go up another .62. It will be cheaper to smoke pot than cigarettes before this is through, I swear.

Did it ever occur to the nut who wrote this piece that if people stop buying cigarettes, smoking related illnesses will also decrease & along with ir medical expenses paid for by the taxpers?

Pretty simple if you asked me.

And when you're dying of lung cancer, we can all just tell you "too damned bad, you get NO TREATMENT" unless you can pay for it.

Why should the rest of society pay taxes to support lung cancer treatments for people who brought it on themselves, & have no insurance.

Get a grip on reality, people.

I THINK THIS IS SO DUM NOW PPL ARE GOING TO DO WITH OUT JUST TO SMOKE AND PPL ARE GOING TO TAKE FROM THERE KIDS JUST TO BUY THEN SO IT IS DUM… I MEAN PPL ARE GOING TO DO IT YOU WILL NEVER STOP THAT

I also smoke. Big deal. All of us smokers know smoking is bad for us. Obama hasn't ruined anything. you're just predigest. you already had is set in your mind that Obama is black and therfore hes going to ruin everything. You seem to forget he's half white, and more educated than most americans including yourself. So look in the mirror. Your a half-breed yourself. If you want to smoke, its your perogitive, as it is mine, but dont blame the president for your nasty habit. The world wasnt built in a day and the deficite wont be repaired in a 4 year term. If your as intelligent as you want to appear to everyone, next time you buy a pack of cigarettes and want to bitch about the seventy cents tax increase think about the little children that can get medical help now that couldnt before the tax. Be thankful kiss my ass

Hey Jimbo,

Why should the rest of society pay taxes to support your obesity treatment, heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes?

Yes, tax mcdonalds,burger king, tax ground beef, pork etc., tax sugar, salt, bread.

You think a little bit of cigarette smoke is doing you harm?!! What the hell do you think you breathe into your lungs everyday you walk outside?!! What about the other pollutants that are much more harmful to you?!! People have smoked for years and now all of a sudden secondhand smoke is killing everyone. Bullshit!!! What do you think the vehicles we all drive put into the air?!! Yes, I am a smoker and am tired of getting the shaft and hearing from all you whinny asses about secondhand smoke. Wake up & smell the real pollution!! I am also sick of all these crooked ass politicians including both the democrats & republicans.

People need to start standing up for their rights. Back in the 60's people fought for what they believed in. Now alot of people believe and fall for what these crooked politicians try to make you believe. George Bush buffaloed many people into believing his bullshit lies. His family had ties with the Osama Bin Laden family. He did nothing about the 911 incident and instead went after Sadaam. He is a MORON and should have been impeached. Now Obama, a smoker is penalizing the smokers, mainly the poor person who is already struggling with life. The wealthy people will still be able to afford to buy cigarettes, while the poor person will have to go cold turkey. How come they don't tax the alcoholics? That would be because they make their money when they sell you the booze and then make some more money when they arrest you for DUI. People in this country are getting less and less as far as freedom goes. Maybe he rich politicians should dig deep in their pockets for the healthcare program. I am also irritated that this healthcare is not only intended for children, but also for LEGAL IMMIGRANTS! What about the person working for minimum wage who has no insurance? I guess they don't count and aren't of the right nationality.

Its messed up if you ask me i smoke an now our cigs or going up and obama can kiss my white ass greedy little bastard i knew he wasnt gonna do shit for our country but hurt us more mind as well make alcohol higher too oh yeah make weed legal wtf is this world comeing too now. later

Why Tax Ciggs, when you can tax alcohol which causes more problems every year. All the deaths caused by a drunk driver, you don't hear about people being killed by somking a cigg, and if you do that's thier choice to smoke that cigg, you don't have a choice to get hit by a drunk driver. Drinking kills and makes you not think straight atleast with a cigg, you can still think straight and drive right.

Hey!!! why should I have to pay for illegal B%#tards and there families thru my habits & tax dollars… I pay for my own insurance & disability every week out of my check & then some. I'm sorry but I will NOT PAY FOR ILLEGALS who cannot practice BIRTH CONTROL what ever their religion….(CATHOLIC) you wany BABIES take care of them your self!

I SMOKE…AND IM A PHYSICIAN…I THINK THAT SMOKERS USE A DIS-PROPORTIONATE PORTION OF GOVT HEALTHCARE BENEFITS AS THEIR HEALTH DECLINES DUE TO CIGARETTES…SO I AM EXCITED ABOUT A TAX THAT IS EARMARKED FOR CHILDRENS HEALTH PROGRAMS…SOCIALISM…HAH…ITS RESPONSIBILITY…SOCIAL CONSCIOUSNESS…CONGRATS OBAMA AND DEMOCRATS FOR ACCOUNTABILITY

Legalizing tobacco was the governments idea in the first place. All the death's caused in this country by cigarette smoking, and second hand smoke is the governments fault.They created the problem, but they do not want to really resolve it by just making it illegal, they would rather create more revenue by increasing the taxes on tobacco.They need to increase alcohol tax , it destroys homes, kills innocent people, and is the #1 reason for abuse in this country.
All you Obama lovers out there….still love him, or beginning to see through the "audacity of his deception"?

Any one really understand why the Cigarette tax increase is going to fund SCHIP? It is to make it easier for all the illegal aliens who are living in the United States to get medical care for all their hordes of children. Why not make THEM pay higher TAXES for depleting all of our resources by living here illegally?

What planet do you come from? Are you nuts? Obama can afford to pay the extra tax with all that money he is making from that job we gave him.But you can bet your rearend he doesnt roll his own. Only poor and low middle class do.He is a liar.

Yes we do think we should be able to light up where and when we want after all we pay more taxes then any other citizen in this country but we get less rights

Obama still smokes.He said so.I heard him on the news the other day.But there is good news ,He said that he has not smoked on the Whitehouse property yet.

Yeah John T You are a Doctor you are not in the same boat as the rest of us RYO crowd.You have no clue.

How about a caffeine tax,air tax,rainy day tax and sunny day tax…thats the ticket!

Wake up Mr. John T. MD. The wealthy people like you and Obama can still puff away and drive around in your Mercedes & Hummers. The poor person out there struggling to survive won't be able to have a smoke to relieve some of their stress this world brings. I suppose you think we should pay higher taxes on cigarettes so the LEGAL IMMIGRANTS as I mentioned before can have free health care. I work full-time and raise two children on my own and occassionally like to have a cigarette. I have no health insurance, but the LEGAL IMMIGRANTS will have it before I do. Maybe you should buy cases and cases of cigarettes if you are so much for the cause. Socking it to the little person who just gets by is bullshit. This government is so corrupt and has been for years, WAKE UP!

Just another note for Mr. John T, MD. You smoke yet want to badmouth the smokers, what about the aspartime that is in diet products that causes brain tumors, loss of memory, & sometimes death?!! Do you think maybe we should tax the products that have aspartime?!! People should watch the Documentary Channel instead of CNN as they tell you what is really going on. Aspartime can also cause many health problems, so why not tax it, as it is as bad as the cigarette products.

The state-local tax in Chicago, IL comes in second in the nation with cigarette tax at $3.66 per pack. With the federal government tax increase of .62 per pack starting on April 1, 2009 and the newly proposed tax state increase of $1.00 per pack smokers in Chicago will be paying $5.29 per pack in tax. With this tax increase each smoker in Illinois smoking one carton of cigarettes per week will pay an additional yearly cigarette tax to the state of $2,236.80 and to the federal government of $302.40. Using the $2,236.80 cigarette tax add 6.25% ($139.80) state tax and an additional 2% ($44.73) Cook County tax, if you happen to live in palatine add 1% ($22.36) Palatine city tax.

I frequently travel to China for business the cost of Marlboro’s in the Hong Kong airport is ~ $9.00 per carton. The legal amount of cigarettes you can bring back with you is 2 cartons. I plan to have all the non smokers on my team bring back 2 cartons of cigarettes per person. Buying cigarettes this way I can save $2,314.09 per year in unnecessary taxes.

Everyone reading this should see what their state did with the money they received from the Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) Illinois spent some of the money on a senior citizen prescription-drug program and property-tax rebates in Illinois.

We know that smoking is not good for us, but it is the falsified and fudged statistics concerning 2nd-hand-smoke that we take exception to. And due to that misinformation, we smokers are now being forced, as a minority, to donate, not to people with lung cancer, but supposedly to poor children whose obviously poor parents are in the process of over-populating the world with more poor people.
My solution for smokers! Do not make any further donations to any charity. The next time anyone asks me for a donation, I will tell them that congress has forced me to donate $350.00 a year, and that their congressman and the anti-tobacco lobby got their money.

HEY! Somebody has to pay for the welfare brats. When I was young it was manly to smoke and kick faggots. Now it is just the opposite. What a world.

Has anyone else heard that they are going to try to make it illegal to send tobacco through the mail, too?

Stupid ass Obama and his tax hikes. I can't wait for this black piece of shot to leave office. What the hell has happened to this god damn country. Get in line for bread faggots, because Obama done has this country into a bunch of socialistic morons. And that's change you can believe in. I hate obamas black f-ing ass!!!!

my boyfriend smokes so this is really hitting home we live on the state line of nebraska and iowa and it has already increased my guy about passed out when he paid so much for a pack of smokes , everything is going up I thought we were suppose to be helping the econnomy not hurting it , how is this change ? Of course like every other person (republican or demacrate) they will say anything to get ellected . And I think it won't stop with cigarettes soon food will go hire its already riduculas i use to buy cart loads for $100 but am lucky to get out of the store with a few bags full, and I hear mister president is going to tax ssi and disability so no one is safe , which many people warned about him to bad no one listened im inccent since I didnt vote for ether canadite both sucked plan and simple Ron paul would have fixed this mess without taxing the only thing that keeps some people alive,like the usa isn't fashest enough using my tax money to fund lights to chetch speaders and big brother things, whyn't tax the shit out of bill gates or the rockafellers? there rich enough and hey whyn't tax mister president he makes enough as well, dont tax the poor to make money for people who proboly dont need health insurance (let them pay like the rest of us do without insurance or go to the er)if they cant pay for kids then its there fault for not adopting them out.
If obama is going be so socalist whyn't pay for every woman who cant aford a kid to have her tubes tide?They would rather let them have kids that become abused and then dhs do nothing about thats our tax money going to programs who dont help the kids. We are going start buying smokes at indian reserves at least they dont tax people since they are exsempt from fedral/state taxes. I agree with a person on here who says we should tax fat pepole since more obuse people die the smokers, and tax preditory lending to since that leds to suiside and being broke. And being a child who was abused(and who dhs ignored) i would have rather had a good home then health care, Brock is making alot of people pissed and if he wants a second term its best to not do that and again its fashisum since you cant tell people what they can and cant do are we now a comunist country?And many people will turn to drugs to get relef and thats what we need are more meth atticks how about the money go to meth users to help them or some worthy cause?Freaking heck i though bush was bad and where is this stimulas pacage for us poor folks just keep baling out the rich what a wonderful world when our lifes (jobs)are at jepordy everyday to tax us is riduculas maybe well all have to go amish at least we could raise our own tabaco and not get taxed lol.

I am from SW PA, and we are taxed every which way but loose in this state. I myself think that AIG's bonuses should be sufficient to pay the bill for health care. The government made the mistake and gave them the money, we made the mistake and got Obama, so instead of taxing the middle class (like there is one) and the poor (which are too many) make AIG pay for it.

If you want to tax someone, tax the wealthy. I'm sure they can trim the fat somewhere in the lifestyle to chip in for the less fortunate.

Also, a comment about the second hand smoke vs drinking and driving by Nicholas @ 9:33 pm. You stated, "Second hand smoke effects at least ten times more non-smokers than drunk driving effects non-drinkers. Plus the kids in your car didn't really get to choose if they wanted to smoke or not."

Alcohol is linked to 75,000 deaths per year. Not to mention, children are affected by drunk drivers, loss of parent(s) or their own lives. I've lost family to drunk drivers and don't appreciate the comparison to cigarettes.

This is just the beginning of losing our rights. PA is a non smoking state and now this tax, and what's next? Thank God we can still bare arms in case we need to take our country back like we did with England. Maybe this is history repeating itself. Think about it.

Disappointed to be an American

in iowa it is illegal to recive tobacco thro the mail which sucks

in nebraska and now in iowa it is illegal to smoke in a bar or restraunt and motels are now making it illegal to hike the price of ciggarettes is just plan low next they will be making it illegal to smoke in your own house I saw on tv on some science channel that the goverment wants to put camreas in your house to prevent illegal activitys from happing wtf isn't this a free country? and to tom @ 6:31 am the right to bare arms will soon be taking away in most states the critera to own a firearm is so strict its not funny my uncle who has adhd was denied a gun last week on the basis that adhd might affect his judgment when he has a ok iq just is hipper and has difficulty learning quickly he took gun leasons and passed and had a gun 10 years ago so whats with not giving him one now anyway back to the hike on taxes why rob the poor to pay the poor whynt rob the rich to give to the poor? and why give the rich more money so they can be richer while the poor get poorer wonderful change there, change is coming in taxes and unfairness gee if this is change then i dont want to see what non change is lol

Totally agree. Where are they or should I say who are they going to hit next for the tax money when smokers can no longer afford to smoke, they get enough of my money before I do. It is just as well though, I QUIT 2 weeks ago when I heard about our new presidents plan and have no intention of the government getting 1 thin dime more of money that I work for to give it to people who have never had a job in their life to sit at home and wait on the mail every month. To bad they can't tax that check !!!

Well America, you voted for him and now you got him! We McCain supporters TOLD YOU SO!!!! But this REALLY pisses me off even more because I didn't even vote for this stupid monkey. Now I can't even afford to buy my cigs anymore! $5.25 a PACK in Alabama! WTF?!?!? They were $2.85 a pack last week!

Well, I guess I'm going to have to resort to stealing them from now on - something I didn't ever want to have to do but now feel obligated to do. I look at it as my patriotic duty to do so!

Ask not what your congressman can do for you, ask what YOU can do for yourself!

And once cigs start a whole new bootleg era, I will get rich doing it just like the Kennedy's got rich bootlegging alcohol during prohibition. You got to be a criminal (lie, cheat, and steal) to get anywhere in this country. Obama lied didn't he? Thought the bastard wasn't going to raise taxes. Guess YOU Obama supporters feel pretty stupid now dontcha.

Ok ya we are getting somehwere now aren't we here we all sit with our fingers on the keyboards crying foul because we dont like getting hosed again. Stand up and fight for what you believe in. Stop crying about it and do something about it. Its time for us to take back what our forefathers gave us. Stop and think what would happen if we all became self sufficient the government would have no money to play with. And all your congressmen and senators wouldn't have a job that would be sweet revenge and there would be no giant bailout for all the banks and car companies the Ceo's woul have to work for a living what a shame time for it to happen as far as I am concerned but it wont due to the fact there are to many sheep in this country and bleeding hearts who cant handle be cruel to people who dont belong in this country. Send all the Illegals back and I mean all that Includes the folks who think they are americans but are not If you weren't born here get out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Iam tired of paying for the Mexicans and asians and everybody else came here taking work from the people that pay for this country.

I checked the price for my tobacco today (3/26/09) and I can now order it for $22.99 And I Bought it for $12.25 Last month, I do not earn $250,000 a year. So this is a tax hike, that as a candidate he SWORE he would not do. HE IS A LIAR plane and simple. Now this liar is going to increase the federal debt 3 TRILLION $?
GOD HELP US ALL!!!!! NO ONE ELSE WILL>>>

I got an idea!
lets put a tax on those fagot,tree hugger,socialist,classes everyone's wears now days.

I too I'm a smoker. You know I have known more people who didn't smoke die of lung cancer. They still have not proved about second hand smoke hurting people. Polution I think hurts more than smoking. I am also tired of being told what I can and cannot do about where I smoke. This tax will not help and will hurt more in the long run, mark my word. I still cannot believe people acutally voted for this guy. Happy NOW.

Premium cigarettes cost $85.00 a carton in the city of Chicago. Why people do not believe Chicago taxes cigarettes is beyond me.
I quit. Once I had to, excuse me, cough up money for parental care, I do longer can afford to smoke. But I respect the concept that if one is duly taxed and one pays the tax, one has the right to smoke that cigarette, damned near any where one wishes. There is no normal commodity that is taxed higher than cigarettes, no gasoline, not food, not housing, not alcohol that is for sure, alcohol is damned near free compared to cigarettes.
In regard to stats about smoking deaths: If you are murdered by a crack dealer looking for you to pay your wife's debts, a bullet to your brain, and during the autopsy of your body they see you smoked, that fact will be added to the cause of your death.

'michele @ 1:40 am:
Hey!!! why should I have to pay for illegal B%#tards and there families thru my habits & tax dollars… I pay for my own insurance & disability every week out of my check & then some. I'm sorry but I will NOT PAY FOR ILLEGALS who cannot practice BIRTH CONTROL what ever their religion….(CATHOLIC) you wany BABIES take care of them your self!'

'Bastards'? You, heartless American SOB bastards are you predecessors who stole land from Mexicans and Indians who you, white bastards, eliminated almost completely as a race. Maybe u, dumb f.., will understand why they hate Americans all over the world, greedy scum, that doesn't want to spend a few bucks to help poor and sick. In your f… perverted view illegal means 'non-human,' Untermensch, though, I am sure u don't even know what it is, illiterate stupid mother!.. The Day of Reckoning is close for you and your pathetic, greedy, inconsidered country. You'll see…

I dont know who wrote that I or anyone else here is a heartless American and A bastard on top of it all but look back at what you wrote check your spelling you Suck at it bonehead. Yep you are right we are a greedy country so what.Stay right where you are will you cuz we dont need anymore dumbshits here. We have enough of you morons.

Fred, u are the moron, I speak at least 3 languages, including you English. And I was called bastard first, though I am not illegal. Do u speak any other language? Strongly doubt that, cause 'I am a f…. American, I don't need to learn f…languages.' Yeah, u don't have to learn at all - useless. What do u know about other people, cultures, languages, history? What, u still think you are a hub og the Universe? And u didn't answer my question about stolen land. Guess, no arguments, only obsenities. Your country is bancrupt - morally, economically, culturally, historically. Draw the curtain, please.

Tax all imagrants legal or illegal a 30% flat tax without posibility of a return. there is your taxes leave the smokers alone.

The only thing that excuses America is Motley Crew and Van Halen.

This tax is so stupid. Why tax a pleasure some of us have? What happened to OUR FREEDOM? The only reason NOT SMOKERS COMPLAIN is because of the smell. Its my choice to smoke so don't take my priviledge away because I won't be able to afford it much longer:((

I do agree to an extent, the main objection I have is that cigarettes just seem to be a fail safe item to tax when the gov't needs more revenue. This is mostly because there is no lobby anymore to stop it, if they tried to impose such taxes on alcohol, you would have massive backlash from the producers. For cigarettes however, there is no lobby anymore, they have been so demonized that no one is willing to take up the fight, or if they did, no one would listen. I live in Chicago and 5 or so years ago cigarettes were under $5 now they are almost $10, name another item that has had that kind of tax increase laid on it.

I stoped smoking cig. tax to high now smoke pot get high at same time thanks Mitch 4 others are with me gaffney sc 29340

tom @ 10:59 pm:
Just to be the voice of dissent I am a smoker. I have smoked for more than ten years. If it was up to me I would increase the fedral tax on cigarettes by a dollar a year until no one could afford to smoke. if you are concerned about the cost of years in a nursing home I have one piece of advice for you BUY A GUN!!
it is cheaper and then people don't have to hear about how you are " being punished" for doing somthing that you are not being forced to do

YOU DON'T LIKE THE PRICE STOP SMOKING

if the price of gas goes up you drive less, you don't ask the government to stop taxing it.

- you sir are a total fucking jackass. the point is not to let the government control every aspect of you life. smokers are being "punished" and the government should not have the right to raise taxes on cigarettes because they need their raises and their bonuses while the rest of america is struggling with the economic recession. and no we dont need to "drive less" if the decide to tax gas then we need to ask them to stop taxing it, you cant just ignore the problem and think its gonna go away.

Robert Lee wrote:

"Hmmmmmm, now i see that I can buy marlboro's online for 14.90 a carton? I think ill rebel this new tax!"

I seen that also Robert, I'm having the same thoughts.

You made many, and I mean many good points in your post. Everything I have read about Obama's cigarette tax has been negative. Surprisingly from non smokers as well as the smokers. Just because it is a fact that this "great tax plan" is going to loose money for our states and make the poor even more poor. For what? to give health care to ILLEGAL aliens! what!!! I read that and was stunned. Give money to someone who has never even put into the system! Great Idea Obama!

That fucker hasn't been in office 3 months and already I am fed up with his socialist policies. Obama is a lying, conniving motherfucker and all the people who voted for him are suckers. Ha Ha…now they will be broke suckers. By the way, I am completely done with any charitable giving.

OK, LOOKS LIKE WE DO WHAT MY GRANDAD DID….BOOTLEGGIN TIME

Obama isn't a socialist, and, please, stop labeling everything u don't like 'socialist.' Words doesn't matter - actions do. Affordable healthcare for people? Sure! Socialist, capitalist, just let an average Joe, like me, have it. Same with housing. Father-founders, a bunch of slkave owners, lest u don't forget, should have thought better over their stupid Bill of Rights. There must be only three basic Rights - roof above your head; no one goes to sleep hungry, and, finally, easy access to medical aid, if u need one. Everythink else is chicanery and rederick. Trust me u won't care much about freedom of information when u are passing a kidney stone. Hitler, for examplr, was building roads. Does it mean we shouldn't build them too, cause it's 'fashism?' We, back in Soviet Russia, have had free healthcare. Pretty decent, by the way. Each neighborhood had it's own clinic, and a doctor would visit u HOME (sic!) were there a need. Is it 'socialism?' Maybe. But who cares? It worked! Brainwashed by american mass media people don't see woods behind trees. If your child is sick u will go to anyone - socialist, fashist, Hesbollah, Devil himself. By the way, is the Devil 'socialist?'

I for one think that automobiles kill more people yearly than cigarette smokers ! The auto's should be taxed 2200 percent or outlawed. The very arogance of people talking about quitting anything that is legal is absurd ! Obama could die and go to hell today as for as I'm concerned. I have respected every president since old enough to know their responsibility as president. I could care less if'n he was green red blue or whatever. So I am not a racist. over 3 more years is a long time for a fool to be president. If any individual wants to drink, smoke, eat feces, etc….etc…it's legal have at it. I'm 71 years old and have smoked for over 60 years and see the orbit's where 42, 45, 50 year olds die from something. All individuals are not the same. Some overweight, history of ill's from heridity etc….I'm plannning on living as long as George Burns and smoke till death do I part!!!!

[…] this rather sharp decline and the tax hike that Mr Obama has instigated (120% …… two thumbs up my friend ….. kudos …. now all you have to do is […]

What a ridiculous comment. A pompous statement, like yours tom, proves you are sitting on your brains.

[…] Government Killed Ancient Rome Didn't read this, but thought it would fit. I'll get to it later. Obama Signs Federal Cigarette Tax Hike […]

Straight fact Obama is a rookie politician idiot and it's starting to catch up with him. Here is your change now hand it to him. Just another liar politician. A horse of a different color is still a horse.

I really dont understand people who say "Why not tax the hell out of alcohol?" Are you not just passing the bill from one sin tax to another ?
Will this damned country ever stop placing blame on inanimate objects ???????? No one takes responcibility for anything, there is always someone or something else at fault.
RE:chiun99 - You really need to read up on your history and what truly is socialism. By the way, Obama is not offering "Affordable" health care. He is giving it freely to people that should be deported.

Has it actually occurred to the anti-smoking idiots that smokers die at an early age saving the government money? If they quit and live longer they will take back more from the government in social services than they would had they died in a hospital from lung cancer. Taxing tobacco isn't anything new. Studies in European countries proved that smokers save the government money when they DIE. If tobacco is taxed smokers quit smoking they live longer and take more money from the government in benefits!

DAVID JOSEPH KRAMER’S RANT ON OUR CURRENT SITUATION

Types of Taxes
rain-stormwater runoff some places not even allowed to keep rainwater
air-coming with cap and trade
food-all the regs on farmers not to mention farmers paid not to produce
gas-self evident
electric-self evident
heating gas-self evident
heating fuel-self evident
driving-drivers license,registration, etc
car-extra taxes due to it being a luxury
tolls-self evident
cow fart-part of cap and trade-no shittttttttttt
hunting and fishing tax
business licensing tax
fica
state income
city income
federal income
sales and use
medicare
substance control -no shitttttttttttt
air emissions
franchize
non profit franchize
city/county/state/federal conservation fees
deed
property
insurance
lawful gaming
landfill
mortgage registry
petroleum
REa membership
S corporation
hazardous waste
fur clothing
clothing
estate and trust
corporate
e-waste registration fee
mineral
partnership
solid waste management
sports bookmaking
water
water quality
wind energy production
withholding
use tax for individuals
federal production of money-this is the cost of our gov giving money to banks to make loans, this is our government loaning us our own money and giving the proceeds to whomever is behind the fed, ONE OF THE LARGEST SCAMS
gas prices-we sell our oil to other countries so we can buy their oil, i would like someone to explain this one to me, we have enough oil in our country alone to last 200 years but we dont use it, why? this, in the last two years has cost us over 10 trillion dollars and only more to come
HERE IS A FUCKING QUESTION I WANT EVERYONE TO ASK THEIR SUPPOSED "REPRESENTATIVES"
I THOUGHT THE FUCKING CONSTITUTION PREVENTED "INDENTURED SERVITUDE-Refers to a person held by actual force, threats of force, or threats of legal coercion in a condition of slavery – compulsory service or labor against his or her will. This also includes the condition in which people are compelled to work against their will by a "climate of fear" evoked by the use of force, the threat of force, or the threat of legal coercion (i.e., suffer legal consequences unless compliant with demands made upon them) which is sufficient to compel service against a person's will. The first U.S. Supreme Court case to uphold the ban against involuntary servitude was Bailey v. Alabama (1911).
Requiring specific performance as a remedy for breach of personal services contracts has been understood to be a form of involuntary servitude.[13]
Forced Labor[14]
Labor or service obtained by:
by threats of serious harm or physical restraint;
by means of any scheme, plan, or pattern intended to cause a person to believe they would suffer serious harm or physical restraint if they did not perform such labor or services:
by means of the abuse or threatened abuse of law or the legal process.

My share of the debt on January 1 2010 with an estimated debt at 14,000,000,000,000 would be if you believe other estimates is appx. 38,000 dollars. My estimate is slightly different-take into account most bottom feeding fuckers will never really pay any tax except on the money that is given to them-eliminate about 150 million people from the tax roles for them and all the superrich, government employees and an inordinate amount of others too long to list that really don’t pay any taxes-14 trillion/150 million=93,000 dollars.
YOU CAN KISS MY ASS, AS OF RIGHT NOW, I REFUSE AND WILL AVOID ALL POSSIBLE TAXES UNTIL MY AND OTHER FREEDOM LOVING PEOPLE’S REQUEST OUR MET
1 ROLL BACK ALL LAWS TO THE ORIGINAL FOUNDERS INTENTIONS
ELIMINATE ALL ILLEGAL LAWS-YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY ARE
2 INSTITUTE A ELIMINATION OF ALL FED BANKS-ILLEGAL
3 WITHDRAW ALL TROOPS FROM ALL COUNTRIES THAT WE ARE NOT AT DECLARED WAR WITH
4 PASS AN AMENDMENT THAT PREVENTS THE GOVERNMENT FROM RUNNING DEFICITS
5 KEEP THE FUCK OUT OF MY AND EVERYBODY ELSES FUCKING BUSINESS

A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE BILL OF NO RIGHTS

• ARTICLE I — You do not have the right to a new car, big screen TV or any form of wealth.
More power to you if you can legally acquire them, but no one is guaranteeing anything.
• ARTICLE II — You do not have the right to never be offended.
This country is based on freedom, and that means the freedom for everyone, not just you! You may leave the room, turn the channel, express a different opinion, etc., but the world is full of idiots and probably always will be.
• ARTICLE III — You do not have the right to be free from harm.
If you stick a screwdriver in your eye, learn to be more careful. Do not expect the tool manufacturer to make you and all your relatives independently wealthy.
• ARTICLE IV — You do not have the right to free food and housing.
Americans are the most charitable people to be found, and will gladly help anyone in need but we are quickly growing weary of subsidizing generations of professional couch potatoes who achieve nothing more than the creation of another generation of professional couch potatoes.
• ARTICLE V — You do not have the right to free health care.
That would be nice but, from the looks of public housing, we're just not interested in government run health care.
• ARTICLE VI — You do not have the right to physically harm other people.
If you kidnap, rape, intentionally maim or kill someone, don't be surprised if the rest of us want to see you fry in the electric chair.
• ARTICLE VII — You do not have the right to the possessions of others.
If you rob, cheat or coerce away the goods or services of other citizens, don't be surprised if the rest of us get together and lock you away in a place where you still won't have the right to a big screen TV or a life of leisure.
• ARTICLE VIII — You don't have the right to demand that our children risk their lives in foreign wars to soothe your aching conscience.
We hate oppressive governments and won't lift a finger to stop you from going to fight, if you'd like. However, we do not enjoy parenting the entire world and do not want to spend so much of our time battling each and every little tyrant with a military uniform and a funny hat.
• ARTICLE IX — You don't have the right to a job.
All of us sure want all of you to have one, and will gladly help you in hard times, but we expect you to take advantage of the opportunities of education and vocational training laid before you to make yourself useful.
• ARTICLE X — You do not have the right to happiness.
Being an American means that you have the right to pursue happiness — which by the way, is a lot easier if you are unencumbered by an over abundance of idiotic laws created by those of you who were confused by the Bill of Rights.

Its slap in the face for smoker’s rights is being violated. Smokers are being treated as there we’re criminals. There should be capped on cigarettes, tobacco taxes that cannot be raze no more. Say if a carting is $10.00 it cannot go anymore bound that amount.

Salem, NH

I am a smoker, but even if I quit, this is total discrimination! Prohibition didn't work, and neither will this. But what will be next? My husband will not quit smoking because he quit everything else including drugs, but he didit on his own, not because the government is attempting to force him to do so!

Beat The Government At Their Own Game.

Taxing Us Like crazy

SMOKE ELECTRONIC CIGARETTES

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* Patented
* Odorless - No more smoking outside!
* Safe - no carcinogens, tar or other chemicals
* Smoke turns into water vapor
* Smoke at the office,bars ,stores ANYWHERE TOBACCO IS BANNED
* No ash trays or lighters
* $3 a pack - 60% cheaper than brand name cigarettes

VISIT puffpuffpalace.com for details.

Well Well the man has spoke. Well guess what I am a smoker too and that is my business just like my money is my business. I do not agree with everything the gentleman had to say, but I sure do not agree with you. I am not paying for someone to come to my country and get insurance for free when I have been working since I was 15 years of age. I have worked a steady job and usually atleast two part time jobs at one time. Wait so what you are saying is because I enjoy smoking my cigarettes I should be okay with paying more taxes on them. You know if the only way you can quit is to not afford them then you have the problem not the gentleman that wrote the email. I have the willpower to quit I just enjoy it and guess what like he pointed out something is going to kill me. So since you want to help the welfare babies and the illegals immigrants who are bringing gangs to our country and killing peoeple you need to quit smoking and send that money to President Obama for the cost of healthcare for those people. Good Luck on that and please be careful what you eat the chemicals in the food cause cancer too. Just figured you might wanna know!!!!!!! Where are the real American MEN????????????? I guess the women have taken over go Sarah Palin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You know I thought this blog was about the new cigarette tax but I see that it has turned into a battle of the gifted. You know I was born in this country and I know all of our past history and don't need a lesson on it, but let me tell you who said we will see soon what's up soon. I am white, but I don't discriminate against anyone unless you say something like us Americans are going to get what is coming to us then I get a little pissed. If you don't like our country why did you come here. Oh let me answer that for you is it because America is the greatest country of all. Yes I know there are selfish, hateful, down right nasty people here, but you know what everyone is not like that. Take Hitler for example everyone who is a German is not a butthole but he was. He enjoyed killing people and guess who saved those people. AMERICANS. We are always fighting to save others so my thought to you is maybe some country who hates us will harm us, but we will not die in vain. I am an AMERICAN and I am proud and no I don't think it is far that I have worked hard all my life and have to pay extra for cigarettes to pay for people who collect welfare or people who come into my country and pay no taxes and get free healthcare and then have to read bullcrap from people like you who live here in my country and say how we have it coming to us, but God is coming soon and we all have to answer to him and that included me, myself, and I.

HELLO, MR.Obama…did you this send form me?WHAT FOR SAVE $250? FOR ME??JUST I ASKED YOU THAT'S ALL. NEVER MIND.AHEM.SORRY. do you think of me?? I am speak??? NO I CANNOT SPEAK LIKES A TALKS.BUT NOT.I'M DEAF.NOW THANK YOU..FOR SEND FORM–OH NEVER MIND I'M SORRY.OH TALK ABOUT LOOK FOR WORK JOB I WANTED WORK WITH THE ROBOTS..(HUMAN)JUST I NEED NEW ONE THE ROBOTS..FUN LION NAMED "KOVU"WAS MY ideas..showed me robot ITSELF DEAF hand-sign looks like me..robot speak and hand-sign both..good cool! ahem not now..later may ..or june,aug?I WANT SEE THAT THE ROBOTS BETTER 2..I ONLY I LOVES ROBOTS 2 I NEED HELPS.FOR ME..LOOK FOR MY WORK JOB.WHAT DO YOU THINK?.FIRST NEW SCHOOL HERE..I WANTED LEARN HOW TO READ,THINGS..MATH,AND YOU KNOW JAPANESE READ BOOK WHAT SAYS.I LIKE CHINESE I WANTED MOVE JAPANESE,…HONG KONG…IN CHINA I NEED IT..ANY IN CHINA THERE HAVE NEW SCHOOLS,CLASS ARTS I SAW ON COMPUTER SHOWED ME.SEE YOU LATER,YOU CAN TELLS ME.OK..YOU KNOW I'M DEAF.

Obama doesnt know what hes doing!!! My dads the owner of a cigar factory in the Dominican republic. Here A lot of people depend on the tobacco industry and now were fucked!! THANKS OBAMA!!

BTW,OBAMA SMOKES CIGARS(he just wants more money)

What a crock- tobacco farmers get away with growing and selling this crap because they are MORALLY BANKRUPT. No difference between a crack dealer and a tobacco farmer- NONE. They both have blood on their hands, all the way to the bank. The argument that 'my pappy and my grandpappy growed it' is horseshit.

The fools had YEARS to get out of the business- sorry if they can't figure it out. Life is tough, grow up. Tobacco farmers kill more Americans every year than Al Keida EVER could.

No not the alcohol either. It is WRONG to tax one segment of the population. Period. If he believes in this program than everyone should be taxed FAIRLY to pay for it. BTW for all of you RYO people out there Gambler has a great tube cut 3oz bag that I can get about 7 packs out of for $13.95 here in Pa. I had been using a brand that I got at rite aid for $10.81, got a full carton plus but in one week it went from 10.81 to 29.68 thats absurd!

Well all you Obama voting tobacco users. How's that stutterin' fools campaign promise about not seeing your taxes increased by "ONE THIN DIME!" working out for you? It's only been 4 months with 4 YEARS to go. As the Messiah TelePromptered earlier this week in the bankrupt cradle to grave entitlement state of California… "You ain't seen nothin' yet!". Maybe. Just maybe, Americans should have paid more attention in history class. Enjoy the loss of what had made America great! On the bright side. Once the Teleprompter Of The United States is done, we won't have the illegal alien problem any longer. Who the hell in their right mind would consider coming to the US an improvement?

Wrong! Tobacco has never been subsidized by the gov't or one single tax dollar. Th farmers and tobacco companies paid for the price support program themselves. How do I know? I am a life long tobacco farmer.

Tobacco paid for this country dipshit.

[…] Google Nemesis is Live - Order Today | Weycrest Knowledgebase Ramalinga Raju website sinks without trace. Almost. - Play Things Excuse Me, Sir! May I Ask You a Question? | Labelscar: The Retail History BlogJeff Bridges promoting Hyundai bad for American workers « Nit Pick NationObama Signs Federal Cigarette Tax Hike […]

Wow, wow, wow. I have just read this entire page of coments and I wish everyone would come back to keep this going. I only found out today about the increase of tax on RYO tobacco and just as I was thinking that was the way to go!!! OMG, this is just getting too crazy! What the hell is a smoker to do? This is just so unfair. Life is just stressful enough these days and to now do this? People are struggling, losing jobs, etc and God forbide if they smoke cause you need to be RICH now to do that! So if you are NOT RICH then you are suppose to just quit smoking while suffering all the other stresses of a failing economy? A time when most of us are smoking even more? Obama is a screw up and I knew he would be. What has America done by voting for him? Guess we will soon find out and it's not gonna be pretty. God help us all.

Hey,
I like the exchange of ideas and opinions as much as the next guy but I don't think it hurt if we let Mr. Obama know how we feel too.
He can easily be reached at: www.whitehouse.gov/CONTACT/.
Yeah, I know a bunch of desk jockeys read all the stuff and then punch a bunch of numbers into a database somewhere that distills them into pre-defined categorys but I'm fairly sure that the tobacco tax bill is one of them and that Mr. Obama will see the results at some point.

Jesus man, you just told that hard working sob to kill himself.

WHY DID THE GOVERNMENT NOT PUT A TAX ON THE STATES THAT ARE SELLING CHEAP LIQUER AND OTHER COMMODITIES INSTEAD OF CIGARRETTES. GIVE EXAMPLE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, WHY IS IT THE STATE OWNS ALL THE BARS. AND ALL THE PROCEEDS GOES TO THE STATE. THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE THIS, THOSE IDIOTS DO NOT KNOW WHAT THEY ARE DOING. WHY IS IT THAT A MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC COMPANY THAT CLAIMS THEY ARE A PRIVATE ENTITY, WHICH IS FALSE, ARE TAKING HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS FROM ELDERLY PEOPLE AND CLAIM THEY HAD TO INCREASE THE ELECTRIC BILL BY 60% BECAUSE OF A FUEL INCREASE IN PRICE. WHERE IS OBAMA ON THESE ISSUES. WHEN IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOING TO STEP IN AND TEACH THESE STATES A LESSON. I,VE HAD ENOUGH OF HTIS, WHEN IS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GOING TO TAKE CONTROL OF THE STATES I,M WAITING!!!! YOU IDIOTS.

[…] new taxes after taxes raising the price of cigarettes far beyond their true value. The most recent Obama cigarette tax raised the price of a pack of cigarettes to more than a gallon of gasoline. So much for his promise […]

[…] "-Raise the top income tax rates from their current 33 percent and 35 percent rates to 36 percent and 39.6 percent in 2011." "-Raise cigarette tax by 62 cents a pack." "-Raise taxes on beer, wine, liquor, and soda." "-Tax AIG employee bonuses." I wish the could be done but it's illegal so I wouldn't support it. Umm…he did do that… Obama Signs Federal Cigarette Tax Hike […]

My post did not post so I am reposting it, maybe this time it will post…

2nd hand smoke is NO more HARMFULL than not eating your daily fruits/veggys requirements…..Below is the facts from the Harvard Cancer Prevention Center cancer risk test….

2nd hand smoke is not as bad for others as the GOV says…And thats a fact according to the ” Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention “.

Go to this site link listed below and take the LUNG cancer risk test….This test was develope by Harvard Center for Cancer Prevention. It shows second hand smoke is no more hazardous to you than not eating enough fruits and vegetables.

Take the test like you where a nonsmoker living with a smoker. So when you take The Lung Cancer risk test make sure you do the following…
1. when ask if you smoke, check “No, I never smoked cigarettes”
2. when ask Have you lived with a smoker most of your life? say yes
3. Say NO when ask if you smoke cigars
4. when ask “Do you eat 5 or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day” Say NO

When the test is done on the right side you will see two options to show you how you can lessen you lung cancer risk. I listed them below. NOTICE When you check eat more veggys, your cancer risk meter drops….Now uncheck eat more veggys and check avoid smoke….You WILL NOTICE your risk drops the same……THAT TELLS ME ONE THING…..2nd had smoke is no more harmful than NOT eating your fruits and veggys…

1. Eat more fruits and vegetables
2. Avoid smoke from other people’s cigarettes, cigars, and pipes

http://www.yourdiseaserisk.harvard.edu/

when at that link click the ” yourdiseaserisk ” link, then on next page click cancer, then click lung..Then take the test as a non smoker living with a smoker and you don't eat fruits and veggys.

I don't understand that if cigarettes are too bad for health so why they are not permanently banned from all over the world. Answer is their are too many multi billion companies which invests their money in this cigarette factory. So … Now … My both shoes are for Mr. President Obama which don't stop this sale of slow death.

I am with you Arash. This all cigarette industry must be close forever. These cigarette companies really sale the death with attach the beautiful label on it.

Nice post above. I read all the comments but what about the james bond. Which only starts his style with cigarette. lol