For us, the reviled smokers, at least.  Yesterday afternoon I had a call from a group protesting the projected tax hike of 60 cents on a pack of cigarettes, $6 on a carton.  I was asked if I wanted to make my own protest known, to which I answered yes and I was patched to Rep. Schwartzkopf’s office.  His voice mail was full so I was then asked if I wanted to leave my message elsewhere…patched to a clerk’s phone but there was no answer.  Maybe it’s voice mail, too, was full.  So I guess I’ll express my protest here.

So far our habit isn’ as costly as it is in NJ or NY…or Canada or the UK.  In mentioning this increase to my sister she wasn’t overly sympathetic since they pay almost $10 for a pack of twenty cigarettes.  Yeah..but they have to import the tobacco…it’s not grown there like we have here.  The majority of the cost of cigarettes is taxation but why, in the name of all that’s holy can anyone justify slinging more taxes on the plant-based habit while encouraging the populace to verbally picket those who smoke, at every opportunity…using every effort and ploy they can to leper-ize them?  Anti-smokers justify their position, frequently, by complaining they don’t want to have to keep paying increased health care costs for such as we who enjoy this nefarious habit but, for some reason, don’t seem to mind slamming tax upon tax on us to help provide the amenities they, themselves, want or think they need.  You know, we always hear complaints about  government aid to the impoverished, those who won’t work…or can’t, public housing, illegal aliens because “this is OUR tax dollars at work”!  Well, there something a little strange about a reviled segment of the population being required to pay more taxes to provide for the State coffers while, along with that comes the ”privilege” of being abused.  An it IS abuse.  No…I do NOT want my representative to agree to this in any shape or form.  

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 27th, 2007 at 3:14 pm and is filed under Delaware, Health, Local Politics, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.