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Is it Hillarious that Dems are Making Poor Smokers Pay for the Child Healthcare Program?

Dems want to give more free healthcare out by slapping a large tax increase on cigarettes. I don't disagree with the idea of discouraging smoking even it it is done by raising cigarette taxes. That could be done without having to set the money aside for a kids program that the poor supposedly should not have to pay for. But, an enormous number of poor people smoke. Don't the Dems have the courage to ask average Americans to pay for this "free healthcare"? Isn't it immoral to raise taxes on poor people to pay for this program? Why don't the Dems have the courage to raise taxes on working Americans to pay for this program? Most of the smokers that I know are disabled and don't have high educations. Of course, they should smoke. But, people on SSI and SSD should not be the ones standing up to pay for free healthcare for kids. mistake: should say "Of course they should NOT smoke." No one in my house smokes.

Public Comments

1. It's all part of the liberal agenda to strip people of self-autonomy.
2. You contradicted yourself so many times its hard to know where to start.
3. Not Funny!~!
4. It beats the Republicans buying kids ciggarette.
5. As cruel as it sounds I think that smokers should be stricken from the health care roles. Poor or rich they now have information on hand that they are killing themselves why should I or any one else pay for their suicide As to weather the increase in cigarette tax should go to health care I think it is a great idea, poor people would then give up smoking because they could not afford it. We should do the same with gas to discourage Americans from buying useless tax guzzlers like Hummers.
6. Awwwwww sounds like that wonderful compassionate conservatism we all know and love. I think cigs should cost 15 bucks a pack and we should use that money to help as many kids as possible. If you don't like paying taxes on your cigs...don't smoke. While we're at it a Big Mac should cost 15 bucks and so should a bottle of booze. Don't take away a persons right to do what they want to their body but it should cost them. It's a privilege to live in the greatest country in the world....
7. I think the government should pass a law where the employers should be allowed to test for nicotine and not hire the smokers. If u are going to be so stupid as to smoke, you should pay the price for polluting.
8. Taxes are supposed to be to raise revenue not Socially engineer society!! Dems never meet a tax they didn't like!!
9. This is a chicken or the egg question. Are people poor because they smoke OR does smoking make them poor? Smoking is a choice. Most children in poor families are and will continue to be the recipients of the benefits of the Child Healthcare Program.
10. The Democrats should say that they will legalize recreational drugs and tax them to provide for health care. Half the population of California smokes pot which would be an enormous source of revenue. Rehab centers would be a growth industry.
11. Being that smokers contribute greatly to the rise in health care costs for ALL Americans, I think this is a fair bill to make them pay more if it ultimately benefits children. When it comes to "privilege" versus a "right", smoking should be a "privilege" and health care should be a "right", not the other way around as you are clearly implying.
12. It has been shown quite unquestionably that cigarette taxes are regressive in nature.
13. The tobacco industry should be taxed more to provide healthcare to the children and the adults who are addicted to their products. It is the tobacco industry that has purposely added addicting additives to keep people addicted to cigarettes so they should be held accountable for their inhumane practices. Forget capitalism, this is corrupt practices that should be abolished. The FDA should regulate these companies products better, however, above all else these companies should practice morality when creating their products to begin with.