Higher Cigar Tax Passes in House

[LouDog]

Got this off Cigar Aficionado.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted yesterday to approve an additional $35 billion in funding for the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The funding would come from higher taxes on cigarettes and cigars. The legislation has been vigorously fought by members of the cigar industry, including cigarmakers such as Rocky Patel and Christian Eiroa and prominent retailers such as Jeff Borysiewicz of Corona Cigar Co., as well as the Cigar Association of America and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association.
The original measure called for a substantial increase in the cigar tax, from 20.7 percent of the manufacturer's selling price with a five-cent cap to 53.3 percent with a $10 cap, and also called for a floor tax to be levied on companies with inventories of cigars and tobacco. A compromise was worked out earlier this week eliminating the floor tax from the legislation, but the proposed increase in the federal excise tax was kept largely intact, to 52.988 percent of the manufacturer's selling price, with a cap of $3.
The increase is considerable. A perusal of the 12 corona gordas rated in the June 2007 issue of Cigar Aficionado shows that each now carries a federal excise tax of five cents. Under the bill passed by the House, three of the cigars would fall under the $3 maximum tax, and the least expensive would have a federal excise tax of $1.19.
The Senate is expected to vote on SCHIP later this week.
President Bush has said he would veto the legislation. The House vote was 265 to 159, not large enough to overturn a presidential veto.

[BarneyBandMan]

Veto is coming, but if a taxer gets the White House in 08, we'll see it again.

[ezthefix]

Originally Posted by BarneyBandMan

Veto is coming, but if a taxer gets the White House in 08, we'll see it again.

Yep, that's exactly what's going to happen... anyone feel like running for president??

[Papichulo]

It is not a bad bill, but it should only focus on the poor and take out the pork of sticking it to the cigar and cig smokers. Bastages!!!

[dennis569]

I would have to disagree. The entire concept is bad.
This is social medicine on the installment plan.
Socialized medicine does not work. Socializm does not work.
Give people free food, housing, medical care and whatever else and
they will come to depend on it. Then they will despise you for giving it to
them. Then they will riot if you take it away.
Why not tax only the poor? The lower your income the higher your tax rate.
Now you have real incentive to to get off your ass and amount to something.
Trying to appease these people is like pissing your pants to keep warm.
It only works as long as you keep pissing.

[BarneyBandMan]

Originally Posted by dennis569

I would have to disagree. The entire concept is bad.
This is social medicine on the installment plan.
Socialized medicine does not work. Socializm does not work.
Give people free food, housing, medical care and whatever else and
they will come to depend on it. Then they will despise you for giving it to
them. Then they will riot if you take it away.
Why not tax only the poor? The lower your income the higher your tax rate.
Now you have real incentive to to get off your ass and amount to something.
Trying to appease these people is like pissing your pants to keep warm.
It only works as long as you keep pissing.

No Dennis, come now, how do you really feel? You are a man after my own WIC check!

[KnightKrusher]

I think that any time the government says we have found away to help the people, the people are in for it. It is a sad thing when they(the government) thinks of ways to punish(cigar and pipe smokers) the people who smoke with a tax. Why not a tax on milk or maybe movies, I know better yet water somthing that every one must pay taxes on, You see where this is going, it is such .

[dennis569]

Wait a min.
If I go on welfare I can get everything I need to be comfortable and
happy.
Wait, wait,
We need to start a CS cigar welfare administration.
Since I will now be on relief and can no longer buy my own
( and I am surely entitled to) ( I'm partial to Padrons) ( no more Cremosas
for me)
If we get no volunteers we will have to draft one of you rich cigar smoking
jerks.
I think a one stick per post tax is a good place to start.
I will be expecting my first shipment by the end of the month. That's about the same time I'll be getting my welfare check and food stamps.
Is this a great country or what?

[urthshu]

Originally Posted by dennis569

If we get no volunteers we will have to draft one of you rich cigar smoking
jerks.
I think a one stick per post tax is a good place to start.
I will be expecting my first shipment by the end of the month.

See? He's already getting dependent, demanding, and resentful.