New $1 cigarette tax has Florida smokers fuming

Steve Hoffman, of Lighthouse Point , feels a bit bullied these days. He's a smoker, a shrinking class of Floridians that's feeling overtaxed since a $1 hike on a pack of cigarettes hit convenience stores across the state.

[clean air]

Smokers are fuming? Great if I had my way every smoker that smoked in public for others to breath the stench would be shot like a dog. These crybabies complain about the taxes when they have to go into a hospital at the expense of others to treat the disease caused by their smoking. Line em all up against the wall and shoot them all and we can stop this smoking epidemic because the gutless pukes havent got the desire or the will power to stop and if they don't like it thats just great now we need to find some more things they dont like like banning all liquor in bars and restaurants..

[Colonist]

Clean Air is an oxymoron.

[Mr Voter]

....ha....they should raise it ten dollars after all we will have to flip his med bills as dies from cancer with no insurance!

[Confederate1989]

with floridas long coastline..........its a bootleggers paradise.you smoke fre nazis just endorsed a total blackmarket in tobacco from south america.........you idiots. SECOND HAND SMOKE IS A JOKE ...JUST LIKE YOU NAZIS

[teeje63]

Confederate1989 wrote:

with floridas long coastline..........its a bootleggers paradise.you smoke fre nazis just endorsed a total blackmarket in tobacco from south america.........you idiots. SECOND HAND SMOKE IS A JOKE ...JUST LIKE YOU NAZIS

Your post is right on the money. I can hardly wait until the retailers are screaming mad because business is down and they're being robbed daily of their cigarette inventory. I will gladly buy from the black market. And for those of you screaming about your "air" quality, you don't even hesitate to fire up the oversized SUV you drive. What the hell do you think that is doing to your air quality? Not every smoker is uninsured, and the funniest part of all of this is, the new tax is NOT to pay for smokers healthcare you idiots, it's to feed the welfare coffers to pay the medical expenses of all these breeders who spew one child after another to keep inflating their welfare checks. You non-smokers want to start screaming about smokers health everytime something like this comes up, and it's BS. I think since smokers are having to pick up the tab for the breeders, we should get our rights back and be allowed to smoke anywhere we darn well choose. And for those of you who like to make your smartass comments to smokers on the street, be prepared. I for one am sick of it, but I'm usually respectful to your opinion and don't say much. Now, you will get an ear full and you'll walk away looking like a moron. I think we need to add a $1 a can/bottle tax on beer. Hell, we could insure everyone in this state if we did that. You people want to complain about smoking, but there is absolutely nothing more agravating than a loud mouthed drunk in a restaurant, or screaming, bratty kids. Start minding your own business, my health is my business.

[Confederate1989]

lETS ADD A POLL TAX FOR VOTING DEMOCRAT too.....

[Gatorsmomma]

OFF TOPIC

Please take a moment to show your appreciation to our soldiers....sorry to invade your thread ; )

http://www.topix.net/forum/state/fl/TF6K3J4EQ...

[Confederate1989]

duh worth

[Gatorsmomma]

Confederate1989 wrote:

<quoted text>I am retired veteran......how about my smoking rights be reinstated.......thats wirth celebrating not the black hilters ASSension to power....

Thank you so much for you service Confederate1989!

[Choices]

This was a tax increase pure and simple, it doesn't matter if it was levied on cigarettes or milk. Your Republican governor promised not to raise taxes as did most currently serving in the Florida legislature. This tax increase may backfire eventually producing less tax revenue rather than more.

Cigarettes can be purchased on line, on established Native American reservations in Florida and of course across the GA and AL borders. The new prices will encourage many to explore these options. The real kicker is that cigarettes manufactured on Native American reservations are completely exempt from ALL taxes under current laws, already Phillip Morris is testing these waters with a couple of brands.

Has anyone ever seen the numbers regarding the amount of Federal and State taxes generated by the sale of cigarettes?

[fredee]

Make it $5 a pack, they want to kill themselves, let them pay while they can.

[Stiffed]

It's simple..You just order them on line now.Then the State gets ZIP! LOL

[greg]

Confederate1989 wrote:

<quoted text>I am retired veteran......how about my smoking rights be reinstated.......thats wirth celebrating not the black hilters ASSension to power....

smoking right my a/s/s/!! you're a tobacco junkie that needs a fix. you got yourself in that mess thats your problem

[Colonist]

Happy 4th of July!

Everyone fire up the grill - except for 'clean air'- grilling is a nanny-no-no - steamed hot dogs and hamburgers for you 'clean air'

[Xzivikus]

Confederate1989 wrote:

duh worth

This is America despite the Confederacy's attempt at destroying the Union, so you certainly have the right to call people Nazis just as I have the exact same right to label you a traitor.

What is the deal with the Confederacy? Oh you know rebels, get it? Rebellion. And I have family members who support that – the Confederacy. They glorify it. They wave the flag. They put the flag stickers on everything. They brag about family members who fought on the side of the south. And you wanna know what I say about that? Why do you want to fly the loser flag? You all lost. Why do you want to fly the loser flag? First of all, it is the traitor flag because you all seceded from America, which basically if there is any grander statement than we hate America. You can say I hate America by leaving America, right? I hate America so much that I am leaving it. What's worse than that? I hate America so much I am taking part of it with me! I'm leaving America and taking a chunk of it with me! I don't want to be a part of America anymore, and to do that on an institutional level. And I know all the reasons! Please don't bore me with all of that. State's rights, my ass – as if! First of all, it's the traitor flag. Second of all, you all lost; why do you want to be proud of that? It's the flag of a people who turned their back on America, didn't want to be a part of America anymore, didn't want to be a part of the system, didn't want to do things according to the system, didn't want to work it out in Congress like you are supposed to do, just took their ball and ran off – WaH!

[ASAP]

Well, you can bet your sweet a-- taxes won't stop here. Every red blooded american will pay higher taxes on everything they buy, but for now we smokers will cross the state line like Alabamans did before July 1. Just wait your time for gripeing is coming, you'll see! You soda drinkers will also pay higher taxes because your so obese your health insurance will be taxed. Democrats will see to that, so think about it before you vote.

[calibrat]

fredee wrote:

Make it $5 a pack, they want to kill themselves, let them pay while they can.

Yeah but the smokers are killing NON-SMOKERS too make them 20.00 a pack to pay for all the health care needed for people breathing in the smoke.

[azmac]

Black market gets bigger and the kids can buy all the cigarettes they want.China is making a mint furnishing the illegal cigarettes.

[PLL]

I'm just going to wait around for all the suits that will be filed for dangerous expensive meds... and phoney stop smoking gimmicks...or discrimmination suits..just a matter of time...

[teeje63]

greg wrote:

<quoted text>smoking right my a/s/s/!! you're a tobacco junkie that needs a fix. you got yourself in that mess thats your problem

You don't seem to mind exercising your right to free speech, that freedom you have because of the veterans who defended that right for you. You didn't seem to mind their smoking when they were fighting wars to insure your freedoms, did you? You don't seem to mind having Medicaid treating your illegitmate brats, with Medicaid that we smokers are footing the bill for.