Federal tax increases on cigarettes to pay for children’s health insurance shows politicians’ willingness to exploit children while creating more holes in their own operating budgets due to less revenues collected from cigarette smokers( “Cigarette Taxes Lag, Sending Revenues Up In Smoke”, September 19, Times Record).
To avoid aggressive taxes, smokers will quit smoking, purchase cigarettes online or on the black market. This trend was established in Maine and other states where tobacco taxes have increased.
Ralph W. Conner ([email protected]) is local legislation manager for The Heartland Institute.
