Deanna L. Jeffries – 2/22/09

This page was last updated on February 22, 2009.

Smokers must pay for everything; Deanna L. Jeffries; Beaver County Times; February 22, 2009.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“I think that the upcoming cigarette tax on April 1 is totally ridiculous.

“Because of the last few tax hikes, we’ve had to go to rolling our own cigarettes. But on April 1, a pound of tobacco that usually costs me $8 will cost $30.

“Come on, now. That is just stinking ridiculous.

“I understand that the revenue is to go to the State Children’s Health Insurance Program to fund health care for children, but why did they have to target just smokers? Non-smokers have children, too.

“I think Congress and President Barack Obama should have found a fairer way to bring in revenue for the health care for children.”

[RWC] Ms. Jeffries likely doesn’t know it, but this is the source of the problem. I could be wrong, but it appears Ms. Jeffries has no problem with taxpayers paying “for the health care for children” and I suspect we wouldn’t have heard from Ms. Jeffries had someone else’s ox been gored. Where in either the U.S. or Pennsylvania constitutions does it say taxpayers should pay “for the health care for children?”

Ms. Jeffries will eventually get her wish, however. As soon as the tobacco taxes cause tobacco consumption to drop enough to have a negative impact on tobacco tax revenue, the government will look for other oxen to gore.

“I’m really getting sick and tired of having to pay for everything just because I’m a smoker.”