Do you support tax increase on Cigarette, Alcohol and Gasoline?

[Trien Chieu]

Cigarette?
I think the price of cigarette should be at least $10/pack
Alcohol? 1.5 times the current price.
Gas? Should be $1.50-$2.00/liter($5.50-$7.50/gallon)

I personally support tax increase on those three items. Decreasing consumption on cigarette and alcohol would be the good thing. People will live a healthier live. Increase gas price would encourage people to drive smaller cars which reduce pollution.

What other taxes do you support to increase???

[Ken Cheng]

Alcohol and tobacco definitely. These items aren't essential and aren't good for people anyway, so taxing them might have the side benefit of encouraging less consumption of these things.

Gasoline, I'm torn on. Unlike alcohol and tobacco, gasoline is essential in modern life. It's a commodity whose demand is inelastic (unlike alcohol and tobacco). Increasing taxes would encourage people to drive fuel-efficient cars, which is a good idea in the long run, but I don't know if the faltering economy can take that hit right now.

[Banh Mi]

People should be smart enough to make their own health choices. Taxes shouldn't be heralded under fake altruism.

[Exodus]

People should be smart enough to make their own health choices. Taxes shouldn't be heralded under fake altruism.

totally agree with you. Just another way for the Government to make some more money!

[Trien Chieu]

totally agree with you. Just another way for the Government to make some more money!

It's not that I love the tax, but if the government needs the money then taxing the tobacco and alcohol products is the best alternative.

[PJ]

People should be smart enough to make their own health choices. Taxes shouldn't be heralded under fake altruism.

While I don't think most people are "smart" enough to make wise decisions, they should have the freedom to make whatever choice as their heart desires, as long as it doesn't impede others' health/rights, which cigarettes do, so for me cigarettes should be highly restricted, and taxing is one way to do it.

[Dirt]

Gas, no. Make the car/truck manufacturers create more fuel efficient cars.

[Exodus]

It's not that I love the tax, but if the government needs the money then taxing the tobacco and alcohol products is the best alternative.

they should increase the gas price in america as well because of the co2 emissions. US is pretty much ****ed up just a matter of time before it goes under

[Bei Rongkun]

it's not the smart ways to prevent tobacco and alcohol at all, it's only like "hey, i am rich, I can smoke and drink much than you."

[Banh Mi]

While I don't think most people are "smart" enough to make wise decisions, they should have the freedom to make whatever choice as their heart desires, as long as it doesn't impede others' health/rights, which cigarettes do, so for me cigarettes should be highly restricted, and taxing is one way to do it.

If people should be smart enough to make their own decisions, but aren't. Then the problem lies elsewhere, not solved by a tax.

There already are many steps taken to reduce the occurance of unwanted passive smoking.

Why single out smoking? Obesity is a leading cause of death. Fast food, processed meat, oil, butter cheese etc should also be taxed to be fair then.

Driving releases more harmful gas than smoking ever will. There is plenty of other things that have a much higher impact. I think the stance on smoking is just a bunch of self righteous PC prudes who want to impose their world view on others.
I don't particularly like smokers but I leave them alone. Just as I think people who watching Big Brother or men who wear skinny jeans should be erased from the gene pool, but I leave them alone too, most of the time.

[JamesG]

No more money for Governments! They waste money on fraud ridden programs which they never fix....in spite of all the promises to the contrary...and stupidly fund frivolous or downright stupid ones. The prime US example is the ongoing subsidies for corn ethanol. Environmental groups like, Friends of the Earth, finally went from supporting it, to advocating the end of corn ethanol, because they finally did a complete study of what it took to create it. From the production of the corn, to the distillation of the ethanol, it had a worse environmental impact than using gasoline. The folks in government, elected or appointed, mistake their egos and arrogance for intelligence.

[PJ]

If people should be smart enough to make their own decisions, but aren't. Then the problem lies elsewhere, not solved by a tax.

True the problem is elsewhere, namely education and prevention. Still, tax might help reduce smoking.

Why single out smoking? Obesity is a leading cause of death. Fast food, processed meat, oil, butter cheese etc should also be taxed to be fair then.

Obesity and a host of other "bad things" don't directly harm other people around you like smoking does.

I don't particularly like smokers but I leave them alone. Just as I think people who watching Big Brother or men who wear skinny jeans should be erased from the gene pool, but I leave them alone too, most of the time.

Men who wear skinny jeans don't cause second hand smoke.

[Banh Mi]

True the problem is elsewhere, namely education and prevention. Still, tax might help reduce smoking.

Putting cyanide in cigarettes might help too.

Obesity and a host of other "bad things" don't directly harm other people around you like smoking does.

Cars and carbon monoxide does. It harms everyone even more for what it does to the ozone layer.

Men who wear skinny jeans don't cause second hand smoke.

Isn't it enough that there are a bunch of steps taken to prevent the occurance of passive smoking? People have to smoke outside of a venue. I'm sure people inhale more carbon monoxide from passing vehicles than they do passive smoke.

[Trien Chieu]

No more money for Governments! They waste money on fraud ridden programs which they never fix....in spite of all the promises to the contrary...and stupidly fund frivolous or downright stupid ones. The prime US example is the ongoing subsidies for corn ethanol. Environmental groups like, Friends of the Earth, finally went from supporting it, to advocating the end of corn ethanol, because they finally did a complete study of what it took to create it. From the production of the corn, to the distillation of the ethanol, it had a worse environmental impact than using gasoline. The folks in government, elected or appointed, mistake their egos and arrogance for intelligence.

No one wants more money for the government, but if the government needs money then it must come from somewhere somehow. There is no magic wand to solve the problem. Taxing tobacco, alcohol and gas is the best alternative.

Banh Mi, driving is a need while smoking and drinking is not. So don't put them in the same category. I am driving a lot but don't mind if the government increases tax on gas either.

[Banh Mi]

Banh Mi, driving is a need while smoking and drinking is not. So don't put them in the same category. I am driving a lot but don't mind if the government increases tax on gas either.

The issue is about moral concerns. Just because we are dependent on something doesn't make it any more moral.

[JamesG]

No one wants more money for the government, but if the government needs money then it must come from somewhere somehow.

The solution is simple. What Governments need to do is spend less and spend what they have, wisely. When they get more, they just spend it. They're hopeless spendaholics.
Term limits anyone?

[mind_wander]

Cigarette?
I think the price of cigarette should be at least $10/pack
Alcohol? 1.5 times the current price.
Gas? Should be $1.50-$2.00/liter($5.50-$7.50/gallon)

I personally support tax increase on those three items. Decreasing consumption on cigarette and alcohol would be the good thing. People will live a healthier live. Increase gas price would encourage people to drive smaller cars which reduce pollution.

What other taxes do you support to increase???

During the past summer at Taiwan,I can see the difference of prices between cigarette and gasoline.I think the cigarette per pack price was between $55-60NT[$1.25USD],as for the gasoline I forgot if it was per liter or gallon but it was $90NT[$3USD].I was thinking to myself wow the cigarette prices is much cheaper than the Indian resorts.

I do believe the cigarette tax and Alcohol tax is ok,but gas is way too much on the consumer.Although,the gas company could afford due to the inelastic demand.