The National ID wedge...

[tw]

Originally Posted by cowhead

nifty little way to boulster the states lagging economy other than slapping another fifty-fucking-cents per pack of cigarettes.. and here's the thing about that! the damn state legislature SWEARS!! the want us to quit smoking! but if every smoker in Kansas QUIT!! the schools would be even broker than they are now, the roads would be even shittier the school lunch program would be out the window! GRRR!!!!

One other fact so often lost in the hype and propaganda. In most states over the many decades, the actual tax on cigarettes was actually down. With inflation, the cigarette tax actually was slightly lower.

But the industry knows how to make you tow the party line. With each tax increase came a large price increase for cigarettes. Whereas most industries obtain an 8% profit margin on sales, the cigarette industry has one of the highest profit margins estimated at about 40%. They increase the price and you get to believe it was all in tax increases.

You tell me. How big was the actual tax increase on cigarettes over the past 30 years. Do you know the number - or just how much more cigarettes cost?

Most cigarette price increases are really found in industry profit margins that are said to be phenomenal and are some of the highest for any industry. They increase your costs - and then get you to blame government. Amazing what a good propaganda campaign can do to a drug addicted society.