Will Obama's Cigarette Tax Hurt the Middle Class?

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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

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 12:07PM June 27, 2009

As I type this comment, Congress is putting a 233% tax increase on beer, pop and sports drinks. Congress is debating on a cap and trade program to triple our electricity bills by extablishing an auctino for power plants to purchase emission allowances on a trading market by Wall Street (and we know how good they are!!). So the question about whether or not higher taxes on cigs are hurting the middle class are just a start, isn't it? A start to finish off the middle class....but the rich man's cigars are going down and are not part of the smoking laws being changed. Disgusting.

Nancy Houser of NE 10:26AM May 30, 2009

lung cancer costs just as much in medical expenses as any other type of cancer, you will all die of something and you will try to go to the hospital to save yourselves. I would personally rather die around 65 than live to be 80 in a nursing home shitting myself and not remembering what i did the day before. I hope when you are sick and can't afford your treatment you remember your views on how smokers cause a strain on health care and just decide to go home and die.

smoker 3272872871 of IN 5:13PM April 14, 2009

It's not one or the other side of the issue... and it's not really about tobacco.
It's about micro managing the lives of United States of America's citizens.
Seems to me many people are "buying into" the idea of classes of people - Elite upper class, overloaded middle class, downtrodden under-recognized lower class, throwaway good-for-nothing worthless bottom class...
In the United States of America we have a form of government that guarantees we are equal and have the opportunities that class distinctions of other types of government do not give the freedom to allow.
The American reality (not dream) has always been an appreciation that anyone can accomplish a rags to riches scenario, given the circumstances and events work out that way. Categories and classes, when implemented as law by a government, serve to inhibit and limit the expression of life our country was founded to uphold at all costs.

Mart of KS 4:03AM April 13, 2009

All I know is this is just another back door Tax to scam the workingclass into more financial depravity.But then again was it i heard No more Fed. Taxes on the people making 125 G's a year???Never mentioned exceptions in fact i seen the video where Obama made this claim.We been Punked America.Wake Up.

Joe Nolan of PA 11:57AM April 07, 2009

It doesn't matter that smoking MAY BE a health hazard. It is our constitutional right to pursue happiness. If an American citizen wants to smoke, they smoke. End of story.
Why not tax drunk drivers and if they kill someone they lose their house and the house can be sold for whatever THING Obama wants to fund with the cigarette tax.
Funny how ex-smokers are the biggest hypocrites. And to the non-smokers: he'll be coming for you too - video games, haircuts, gyms, etc, etc.
One good thing - maybe the illegals won't be able to afford cigarettes and they'll leave - oh, how stupid of me - they have the jobs to pay for the cigarettes.

Jose of NY 3:07PM April 03, 2009

raising taxes on cigarettes is definitely wrong! why not raise taxes on alcohol? that actually messes with how people act and is harmful to peoples health.Maybe if alcohol was more expensive less people would drink it and there would be less DUI's. More rich people drink their precious wines and such.Makes more since to raise taxes on that.
This is ridiculous and unfair. Since there's more non smokers than smokers no one cares if taxes keep rising on tobacco.I even heard talk of them eventually wanting to band smoking all together. How American... Obama truly sucks! I didnt want him to be president in the first place. All he is doing now is putting this country in more damn debt.

Amp of AZ 7:11AM April 03, 2009