My Local 7-11 has this sign up .......

[MMDad]

Just some quick facts on Maryland tobacco taxes and spending for 2008:

Revenue (taxes and tobacco settlement): $540.8 Million

Tobacco Prevention spending: $18.4 Million

Annual health care costs in Maryland directly caused by smoking $1.96 billion

Portion covered by the state Medicaid program $476 million

Estimated tobacco industry marketing expenditures: $192.7 million

By law, the Cigarette Restitution Fund is used to fund the Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program, the Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment Program, and other State programs that serve health, education, and tobacco prevention purposes.

 

[Thor]

Smoking is bad for you.

If the sign on the side of the pack tells you :USE THIS PRODUCT AS INTENDED AND YOU WILL GET CANCER: doesn't stop you....whats a few more cents...eh?

Lots of people smoke and never ever get cancer. So your statement is false to begin with. Nonetheless, driving is also extremely dangerous so we should stamp another dollar tax on gas then by your logic.Sure you may never get into an accident, but someone out there will and the investigation and medivac and fire fighters cost the rest of us money so I assume you would be just fine with an additional dollar tax on gas.

 

[awpitt]

Lots of people smoke and never ever get cancer. So your statement is false to begin with. Nonetheless, driving is also extremely dangerous so we should stamp another dollar tax on gas then by your logic.Sure you may never get into an accident, but someone out there will and the investigation and medivac and fire fighters cost the rest of us money so I assume you would be just fine with an additional dollar tax on gas.

Driving, when done properly, is safe.
Smoking, when done properly, is harmful.

 

[chernmax]

Actually, the lawsuit focuses on the fact that the State Senate recessed for a period of longer than three days during the special session. The claim is that that's not allowed so anything passed during the special session is void. The siut also claims the MD constitution prohibits finacial issues from being on the ballot. In this case, they claiming that the slots issue is a "financial" issue and is not allowed to be decided by the voters.

I sure hope they succeed, this Governor scuks!!!

 

[Kerad]

Lots of people smoke and never ever get cancer. So your statement is false to begin with. Nonetheless, driving is also extremely dangerous so we should stamp another dollar tax on gas then by your logic.Sure you may never get into an accident, but someone out there will and the investigation and medivac and fire fighters cost the rest of us money so I assume you would be just fine with an additional dollar tax on gas.

:shrug:

Smoke all you want...smoke your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you smokers to have to pay so much for cigarettes, you should be happy that smoking is still legal...thanks to the big tobacco companies.

 

[vegmom]

Just some quick facts on Maryland tobacco taxes and spending for 2008:

Revenue (taxes and tobacco settlement): $540.8 Million
Tobacco Prevention spending: $18.4 Million

Annual health care costs in Maryland directly caused by smoking $1.96 billion

Portion covered by the state Medicaid program $476 million
Estimated tobacco industry marketing expenditures: $192.7 million

By law, the Cigarette Restitution Fund is used to fund the Tobacco Use Prevention and Cessation Program, the Cancer Prevention, Education, Screening, and Treatment Program, and other State programs that serve health, education, and tobacco prevention purposes.

So even with the increase in tax the money collected from the tobacco tax would just cover the expected Medicaid expendetures for tobacco related illnesses.

Glad I quit a long time ago.

 

[NTNG]

So what do you think would happen if EVERY single smoker in MD quit right now? The state would say that the revenue stream from tobacco had been cut off, and they need to increase taxes to make up for the loss in revenue.
Heres an idea, increase the tax on liquer, including beer, using the same formula, or percentage. Tell consumers the increase is going towards DUI erradication and training. Then after a year, show that only a small portion of your increase went towards its intended use, the rest in the "general fund" (read: Baltimore City, and it's residents.) See what happens. While your at it, increase the cost of lottery tickets from $1.00, to $5.00. Use the extra money to fund education. Or Football and Baseball stadiums.

 

[Thor]

Driving, when done properly, is safe.
Smoking, when done properly, is harmful.

Again there are people who smoke their entire lives and never have a problem so your statement is false, and mine still holds water.

 

[Thor]

So what do you think would happen if EVERY single smoker in MD quit right now? The state would say that the revenue stream from tobacco had been cut off, and they need to increase taxes to make up for the loss in revenue.
Heres an idea, increase the tax on liquer, including beer, using the same formula, or percentage. Tell consumers the increase is going towards DUI erradication and training. Then after a year, show that only a small portion of your increase went towards its intended use, the rest in the "general fund" (read: Baltimore City, and it's residents.) See what happens. While your at it, increase the cost of lottery tickets from $1.00, to $5.00. Use the extra money to fund education. Or Football and Baseball stadiums.

They are counting on the poor and uneducated remaining that way since that is where the majority of this "tax base" is.

 

[CandaceMM]

I guess that it's a good thing that I was planning on quitting cold turkey on Jan 1. Now I have a little more incentive to quit ....

 

[awpitt]

Again there are people who smoke their entire lives and never have a problem so your statement is false, and mine still holds water.

Nope. There are oddidies in everything. We don't throw away seat belts because of the one in a billion cases where someone might get trapped under water in a seat belt. Well, the one in a million case where we talk about the person who smoked for 100 years and never had to go to the doctor does not negate the fact the smoking is harmful to the human body.

 

[Novus Collectus]

Again there are people who smoke their entire lives and never have a problem so your statement is false, and mine still holds water.

Jeanne Calment quit smoking too late. She died just five years after she quit.

 

[Go G-Men]

so is SEX, Drinking, Driving, drinnking and driving .....



Life is a Terminal Disease - Nobody gets out alive .......

but I guess your point is I should Quit ......... but where what would you libs do for tax money then in everybody suddenly quit smoking ....... Farmers out of business, companies going under, factory workers out of work

The DEMS in Maryland will find something else to tax... Oh I don't know maybe... a small tax on every post on this forum???

 

[toppick08]

The DEMS in Maryland will find something else to tax... Oh I don't know maybe... a small tax on every post on this forum???

 

[5857dave]

So, what are you doing about it, other than attacking those who use a "legal" product. I don't like Dawn dishwashing detergent cause it makes my hands wrinkly, therefore, I am going to stomp my feet, whine, and cause utter hate and contempt for anyone who uses it!

 

[toppick08]

So, what are you doing about it, other than attacking those who use a "legal" product. I don't like Dawn dishwashing detergent cause it makes my hands wrinkly, therefore, I am going to stomp my feet, whine, and cause utter hate and contempt for anyone who uses it!

You sound like my mother........she hates Dawn.........I love it.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

:shrug:

Smoke all you want...smoke your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you smokers to have to pay so much for cigarettes, you should be happy that smoking is still legal...thanks to the big tobacco companies.

Drink all you want...drink your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you drinkers to have to pay so much for booze, you should be happy that drinking is still legal...thanks to the big alcohol companies.

 

[Kerad]

Drink all you want...drink your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you drinkers to have to pay so much for booze, you should be happy that drinking is still legal...thanks to the big alcohol companies.

Yay...a game!!!

My turn!



Eat all you want...eat your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you eaters to have to pay so much for food, you should be happy that eating is still legal...thanks to the big food companies.






That wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be.
Your game sucks.

 

[cwo_ghwebb]

Yay...a game!!!

My turn!



Eat all you want...eat your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you eaters to have to pay so much for food, you should be happy that eating is still legal...thanks to the big food companies.






That wasn't as much fun as I thought it would be.
Your game sucks.

Screw all you want...screw your brains out for all I care.

While I'm sure it sucks for you screwers to have to pay so much for condoms, you should be happy that screwing is still legal..thanks to the big condom companies.

You have to think outside the box! (or in it)