Oregon Governor screws Oregon

[Holden McGroin]

Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski also blamed money after voters opted not to raise the cigarette tax by 84.5 cents a pack to $2.02 to fund health insurance for about 100,000 children lacking coverage.

Tobacco companies opposing the measure outspent supporters by a 4-1 margin, contributing nearly $12 million.

"What happened was, the tobacco industry bought the election," the Democratic governor told The Associated Press.

"What happened was, the tobacco industry bought the election,"  is Kulongoski speak for "These hicks are too stupid to think for themselves so they just vote for the heavist advertizer."

[lazs2]

are you saying that people are stupid if they don't vote to raise taxes on an industry?

Or are you saying they are stupid if they don't pay for health care for other peoples kids?

lazs

[VWE]

Yes...

[SOB]

Those stupid No on 50 ads were the only thing that made me want to vote Yes on it.  Even so, there was no compelling explanation as to why stinky smokers should be made to pay for childrens' health care.

[Charon]

Most sin taxes fail to deliver. If you raise the taxes high enough people go to a neighboring state, indian reservation, the black market or find a workaround on the internet and stock up.  That has been the experience in New York. Of course, geography plays a role, and in some states there are fewer easy alternatives.

Charon

[Engine]

I used to order my smokes online from an upstate reservation and have them delivered to my home in NYC, but Bloomberg cracked down several years ago and it's become more difficult.

$8.00 a pack here...

[lazs2]

so who pays for all these wonderful socialist programs when people quit smoking because of the cost?

Oh.. I know.. some other sinner.   the guy who eats fast food or drinks coffee or booze or shoots guns or fills his tank with gas...

no matter what... someone who works and pays for his kids health care.

lazs

[Suave]

Aint socialism grand.

I switched to a pipe. Should've done it years ago, not only is it healther and much cheaper, but it's very tastey and relaxing and smells much more agreable.

[SteffK]

Over here it cost £5.50 a pack ($11)!!!! and Petrol is now at £1 a litre or about £4.40 ($8.80) a Gallon, just remember how lucky you lot are that your government is not scre**ng you as much as they are over here!!!!

*Wishing he still only paid £0.50 for a packet of Ciggies and £1 for a Gallon of petrol*

[Chairboy]

The idea of a "Sin tax" is to divide and conquer.  Instead of proposing a tax that affects everyone and that everyone might vote no on, you pick one small group and get the rest to gang up on them because it doesn't affect the 'righteous'.

Then you simply choose a different sin to tax that encompasses another group, and repeat the process.

Group psychology at work, amazing stuff.  Good to see it failed here.

[Trell]

Looks like the A state finally made a good choice.

[Holden McGroin]

Originally posted by lazs2
are you saying that people are stupid if they don't vote to raise taxes on an industry?

Or are you saying they are stupid if they don't pay for health care for other peoples kids?

lazs

I'm saying that our Governor doesn't believe that the electorate is intellegent enough to make the choice.

I voted no on Measure 50 because raising taxes on smokers was an effort to curb smoking.  If that part of the measure were successful, fewer people would smoke, and fewer dollars would be raised through the tobacco tax.

The other part was an enhancement of a children's health insurance program.  The cost of which would naturally rise.

Paying for a increasing liability with a shrinking resource seems inherently flawed.  

But what do I know?  My Governor is obviously smarter than I am.

[rpm]

I can see why people would not want to tax themselves. They were playing the "think of the children" card and it failed to work this time. Now they won't be able to redirect that extra cash after it get approved for kids insurance.
It's not just democrats that pull that.

[crockett]

I think taxes like that are stupid.. However people that claim giving healthcare to everyone = socialism are pretty retarded.

9 times out of 10 those very people never say a word when the govt gives big business tax breaks and bails them out when they screw up. If health care for everyone = Socialism  shouldn't  Tax breaks, subsidies and bail outs for big business also = socialism?

[lasersailor184]

Originally posted by crockett
I think taxes like that are stupid.. However people that claim giving healthcare to everyone = socialism are pretty retarded.

9 times out of 10 those very people never say a word when the govt gives big business tax breaks and bails them out when they screw up. If health care for everyone = Socialism  shouldn't  Tax breaks, subsidies and bail outs for big business also = socialism?

Bail outs and subsidies are.  Tax Breaks aren't.  Health Care is.



Here, because you're not bright enough to figure it out, I'll clearly explain socialism.

If you take other people's money with out their choice, to spend on other people, this is Socialism.  I.E. A Bail Out or Subsidy is when the government spends money it STOLE from me to save a company that SHOULD have failed in the free market.

A tax break is not socialism.  The government isn't GIVING money to the company, they are stealing LESS.