Dave Heny belly aches today about smokers having to pay taxes. As most people tend to do no solution to this “unfair” taxation problem is offered with the only hint to a solution is simply:
“Texas, as do many states, cities and communities, continues to restrict and prohibit places where people can smoke, but at the same time doesn’t hesitate to slap hefty tariffs on smokers in order to pay the bills. In a strange way, Texas depends heavily on tobacco taxes, but yet publicly proclaims it doesn’t want people to smoke.”
As you may recall Amarillo put a smoking ban on the ballot in 2005, I think it was. The ban failed and rightly so. I don’t think restricting property owner’s rights is the right thing to do. If people want to boycott an entire restaurant where a small smoking section is that is their choice. Business owners should not be forced to conform to government’s demands when patrons have a choice when deciding on their nightly entertainment. Enough opining on that.
Now then, I might be biased when it comes to this issue because I don’t smoke and will never have to pay these taxes. However, I will agree that paying an increasing amount of taxes is not a favorable predicament for some people. Given that people choose to smoke, though, I am less inclined to care if smokers have to pay more taxes than I do.
Dave makes the point that Texas depends on tobacco taxes a great deal and that because of this dependence and when people quit purchasing cigarettes tax revenues will go down. As far as this point goes I think that is a good thing. Thanks to Texas’ balanced budget laws decreased revenues will mean decreases in government spending. I guess the only reservation I have about this is what programs the legislature might have to cut. We’ll have to wait until this happens to debate about that because I have no idea what could be on the table should this arise.
So if taxes are bad and forcing people only to smoke in their own homes (potentially, that actually happened in on California town) is bad what is the solution? I am fine with taxes because I don’t smoke. I am not fine with forcing business owners to capitulate because that’s unconscionable. I say the best option is put it to a vote and see what the people want. If the majority wants to tell business owners what to do that’s them, but I won’t live there.
Tobacco is like alcohol and drugs. The government and many capitalistic entities on one hand (and silently) supports it, on the other hand (and very vocally) fights it. As long as there is money, and when a large portion of the population is addicted there is billions, to be made and politicians paid off by lawyers, who are paid off by those said entities, it will never end.