Will Obama's Cigarette Tax Hurt the Middle Class?

By U.S. News Staff

April 2, 2009 RSS Feed Print

Today we welcome a new blogger, Peter Roff, to the Thomas Jefferson Street blog. Reacting to the federal cigarette tax implemented yesterday, Roff writes that Obama's new cigarette tax will hurt the poor and the middle class the most, contradicting Obama's early pledges to raise taxes only on the rich. This latest Gallup poll seems to substantiate Roff's claims: "34% of the lowest-income Americans smoke, compared with only 13% of those earning $90,000 or more per year." Is the Obama administ ra tion wrong to raise taxes on cigarettes? Is Obama breaking his pledge not to raise taxes on the middle class and the poor?

Post your thoughts.

Previously: Is the G-20 a Waste of Time?

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Stop smoking. That seems like an extremely simple answer. If you're so poor that this extra cigarette tax is going to hurt you, than quit. I don't see why smokers should feel discriminated against, because in this case, they have done it to themselves.

John of MD 11:10PM September 14, 2009

Any other ciggarette smokers feel they're being discriminated against, This isn't even a tobacco tax it doesn't apply to Cigars or Snuff or loose tobacco, looks like its time to go back to rolling my own.

Disgruntled Smoker of FL 11:51AM July 07, 2009

Taxes get higher, utilities get higher, groceries get higher, who does this impact the most?...the lower class, the middle class and most of all the poor. Who does this not impact?...the rich, the politicians, (read rich). Are we in the foregrounds of what may well become the ruination of America? Obama has now exposed his first lie to the American people when he promised no new taxes. What is the next of his lies to be exposed? Does he care if the poor do not eat? If the poor cannot pay their utility bills? If because of the previous they cannot afford good healthcare? Evidently not!!!! Oh yes, Change you can believe in. But you will not like the changes he will bring about. Did I hear someone say Anti-Christ? My prediction is the next step, take away the guns, then the people cannot affect change through violent means. People should not fear their governments, Governments should fear their people.

Darrell Dunn of AR 12:09PM June 27, 2009

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