Kentucky Votes Forum

There are several things that are wrong and unconstitutional about this bill, First off this bill is claiming that the State knows what is best health wise for every citizen in the state, which is against the Kentucky Constitution Section 1 in regards to us having the freedom of safety and happiness... secondly if there is a deficit in the budget hasn't anyone informed these coward officials that more taxing is the worst and most oppressive way to make up the difference, what they need to do is figure out what is costing so much in the first place they just don't have the guts or brain power to cut spending or get rid of wasteful departments and pointless cabinets.

I will start buying the kind of tobacco that isn't "taxed" and rolling my own before I will pay an additional tax to benefit this crooked state. 

 NO MORE TAXES, why can't the so-called representatives  in Frankfort understand that you can't spend more than you take in, lets cut some fat from the budget

 This the worst kind of discrimination. This is one of the goals of the Tobacco Control groups funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation which was created by Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals Company. They fund Tax increases and Smoking Bans as a Marketing Plan to increase sales of their Smoking Cessation products. Ther is no proof that SHS/ETS has killed anyone. SHS is supposed to be the reason for bans. Bans have nevr been about Health. They have always been about Profit.

 I just recieved this today and I see no reason to re-write it.
I was not alone when I watched the televised presidential debates.
One common comment during them by President-elect Barack Obama was the pledge, “no tax increases on the middle class.” The seats were not even warm for the sitting of the 111th Congress when the pledge was broken. 
The economy is weak, people are losing jobs and times in general are hard, and the first thing from this new Congress is a tax increase? Who in the world is more out of touch than these people? Historically low poll numbers for Congress shout loudly about actions like this. Will the new president be a man of his word and veto this proposal?
The U.S. Senate will debate a revamp of the SCHIP Federal Insurance plan for children and the poor soon.  But, in some cases, being poor can mean making up to $82,000 a year and still have coverage. Partially paying for this all is a proposed 61-cent-per-pack federal excise tax increase on cigarettes. This means a $6.10 per carton increase on all cigarettes. In some areas, a carton already is close to $80.00! Insanity!
Here we go again.
It is beginning to look like government has taken on the tactics of the very people they love to hate and put in prison: drug dealers.
Isn’t it the nature of drug dealers to keep raising the price of their product — after their consumer has gained an “appreciation” of it — to insane levels? Welcome to America in the new millennium, a nanny, scolding state that treats the freedom to smoke and smokers like toxic waste. Smokers should be among the most celebrated groups around because they are paying a higher percentage of YOUR bills!
Prisons are built to protect good people from the bad, as it should be. But what happens when the policymakers act like criminals and tax at a criminal level? Where are the prisons for them and who will put them there?
This behavior is wrong on so many levels. But who will slam on the brakes? What happens when the poor, the ones who struggle to put food on the table and a roof over their heads, get smacked by every taxing authority above them by neverending “feel good” and healthful excise tax increases on tobacco? Too much of this kind of health is a hazard to it. Shall we just quit playing with words and tell it like it is? This is a “QUIT SMOKING DAMN IT!” tax proposal. Where is free will in all of this?
Every July 4 we as a nation celebrate Independence day, a day to remember the freedoms America affords, if you can afford them. Freedom means very little if lawmakers on all levels say you’re free but pass laws and levy taxes that squeeze you until you have little choice but to live their version of your life.
Government spends fast and loose, and if things get tight, they hit up smokers first. And if you don’t like it, quit!
A government for the people? Smokers say, with friends like this, who needs enemies?
Your U.S. senator needs to hear from you soon!

Dave Pickrell
President and founder
Smokers Fighting Discrimination, Inc.

 I have some real bad news for you. The Feds and the State are both planning to raise the Tax on all tobacco products except maybe large Cigars. Hope you can handle them.

I'm sending this to our Legislators. We all need to send them some factual information. 

There is no justification for raising taxes on Smokers.  99% of the information about the harmful effects of Tobacco comes from the 1993 EPA report, which has been vacated as a fraud by Federal Judge Osteen, an anti-tobacco judge. Two Congressional Committees agreed with Judge Osteen. See link below

http://www.pipes.org/Articles/Bliley.html

The ACS, ALA and Big-Pharma (RWJF) spread lies for the sole purpose of profit . All large studies agree that there is no connection of Second Hand Smoke to lung cancer or heart disease. See link below.

http://www.geocities.com/madmaxmcgarrity/TENCAUSESofDEATH.htm

We will never see this in our Major Media. This link is an eye opener.

http://www.pnc.com.au/~cafmr/online/research/cancer.html

Taxing only smokers is not only unjust and prejudiced but is also a tax that will never be able to fully fund revenue shortfalls. Smoking has decreased to less than 24% of our population while every disease supposedly caused by Tobacco is on the increase. Clearly, Tobacco is not the problem, but is only a supposed cause that returns the tremendous profits to Big-Pharma and our Alphabet agencies funded by Big-Pharma. 

 President Reagan and President Bush have said:
"The taxing power...must not be used to regulate the economy or bring about social change."
Ronald Reagan - 1981

The only fair way to fund anything is a tax on all, which does not single out any particular segment of our society.  An increase in sales tax is more reliable and does not discriminate.

It is time to stop taxing Smokers because of lies being spread by our Health agencies for their own profit. I have been researching this unjust treatment since 1998 and have indisputable proof, it is not about Health, and it’s about profit.