Connect These Dots ... Because They Won't

Just two dots, it's very easy. Dot 1 courtesy of The Heritage Foundation:

The Senate Finance Committee generally has agreed to reauthorize SCHIP for five years with a $35 billion expansion funded by an increase in the federal tobacco tax by 61 cents per pack.

Dot 2 from today's New York Times. Why didn't they run this before the S-CHIP debate?

The Smoking Scourge Among Urban Blacks

Out-of-package sales are common in the poor areas of many cities, an adaptation to meager, erratic incomes and rising cigarette taxes. But researchers say they are just one facet of a high smoking rate among low-income urban blacks.

Even as antismoking campaigns have sharply reduced tobacco use in society at large, smoking has remained far more common among the poor of all races.

Comments

[Fred Beloit]

The genius and compassion of the Left: "We love and protect the poor, except we have to tax the living crap out of them to finance our charitable and health enhancing programs like Social Security, smoking cessation, and SCHIP. Today, to pay for these efforts, we need to significantly increase taxes on tobacco products. We have to do it in a big hurry too because we are also interested in using taxes to control the behavior of the population. That is why we are forbidding smoking in every location possible. These programs will have beneficial results:

1. The poor will find almost no legal places to smoke.
2. The poor won't be able to afford tobacco products.
3. Those who will continue to want tobacco products will be forced into the black market.
4. The funds to support our programs will dry up.

The poor will be screwed four ways.

[Lala]

From today's New York Post.

"New York City lost about $40 million to tax-evading smokers, according to a study released yesterday."

What's interesting is that fake Marlboro cigarettes, and others, are being smuggled in from China and sold in Chinatown. People can't tell the difference from the real thing and some agency even said that the fake cigarettes have less toxins in them.

[Fred Beloit]

"...fake Marlboro cigarettes, and others, are being smuggled in from China and sold in Chinatown." And the funds from these sales may be being given to Hillery to finance her campaign, who knows, lala?

[Lala]

Could be. Cigarette sales have been known to finance terrorism.

[Purple Avenger]

Democrats love regressive taxes when it comes to sin taxes on the poor. FDR did the same thing during WWII. His tax increases hit the lower 50% harder than the upper.

[LOL]

someone's paying for all those uninsureds. Thats what I don't get about you wingers in this debate. 10 million uninsured children is putting a burden on Americans, but it could be cheaper, if you would only let it.

[Fred Beloit]

All medical costs could be be cheaper if you democratics would only allow it. What do you think would happen to the cost of car insurance if the government would pay for it or to the cost of having your oil changed and tires rotated? Would you shop around to ensure you were getting the best deal? You would commo canta el culo mio en el radio.

[LOL]

the comparisons aren't apt. Car insurance costs haven't gone up 60% in the past 5 years

[Fred Beloit]

Duh. That's what I said. Car insurance isn't paid for by employers or the government. If it were, its cost would skyrocket too. Attention must be paid.

[Fred Beloit]

BTW, LOL, aren't you the least curious about the meaning of this: commo canta el culo mio en el radio?

[Purple Avenger]

"10 million uninsured children is putting a burden on Americans"

We could send maybe half of them back to Mexico

[Bilby]

Those pushing this know the tobacco tax won't cover what's outlined in the bill Bush vetoed. It calls for an outreach/enrollment campaign to get as many enrolled as possible. Then they'll say the revenue from the cig tax isn't enough to cover all the new people signed up. They'd then campaign for funding from other sources...and if you don't agree that means you want to deny health care to all those using the program!

Here's the bill: http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h110-976

[Math_Mage]

LOL writes: "someone's paying for all those uninsureds. Thats what I don't get about you wingers in this debate. 10 million uninsured children is putting a burden on Americans, but it could be cheaper, if you would only let it."

You mean, by distributing the cost around the country we would somehow reduce it? Where is your logic?

Also, please don't tell me you're using this argument to support SCHIP. for one thing, the claim is that they'd insure 3.8 million new kids, not 10 million, and (I wish I still had the source for this) it's said that 72% of the kids covered by the expansion would be kids that otherwise would have private insurance. So you and the other million can go off and play.

Also, how is taxing cigarettes (hits the poor hardest) to provide healthcare to the middle justified?

More from LOL: "the comparisons aren't apt. Car insurance costs haven't gone up 60% in the past 5 years."

You mean, the way insurance costs have risen because insurance companies (and the gov't) have factored preventative care (which shouldn't be insured) into their healthcare plans solely to screw the American consumer? Then why don't we do something about that, instead of offering more public healthcare at the higher price and paying for it by taxing the poor?

[Cindi]

Free health care sucks. I work my ass off, sometimes 65 hours a week. Why? Health insurance is why. Not just mine,three kids in college. Of course we do without to afford the insurance. Big freaking deal. The way I look at it, we give up things to make life better for our children.

[bobInStamford]

Failed War = $500 Billion

Healthcare for Children= $35 Billion

Mission Accomplished!!

[LOL]

my logic is that emergency care is more expensive than preventive care, and anyone who's lived in this world would know that. Those w/o insurance only get emergency care... which could have been prevented! But I forgot, helping others is not the wingnut way

[jj]

"Those w/o insurance only get emergency care..."

Another liberal lie. Almost every state and county in the US makes routine visits to a doctor or nurse practicioner available through a variety of programs from County and Rural Health Centers to state/matching programs that pay for routine care. The fact that you continue to lie about this just shows your complete a)ignorance, b)stupidity, c)lack of character, d)all of the above.

After reading your comments for several months now, "d" is the correct answer.

[LOL]

states and counties make routine visits to doctors? You can't even write a coherent paragraph, please try again.

[Bilby]

states and counties make routine visits to doctors? You can't even write a coherent paragraph, please try again.

Posted by: LOL | Monday, October 22, 2007 at 01:20 AM

So nice of LOL to demonstrate the Think Progress method of reading and quoting.

[Lala]

"states and counties make routine visits to doctors?"

Wow, talk about taking things out of context. It just proves liberals can't read more than eight words at a time.

[jj]

LOL, I know "available" is a tough word, but give it a try next time before you offer criticism. And by the way, you proved "d)all of the above" with your comment.

[Fred Beloit]

jj, by now you must know LOL is reading-challenged.

[John]

I'm betting LOL didn't do to well on her SAT. She must have missed the world ALMOST. Poor child.

[Joseph Livesay]

From: Mr. Joseph Livesay
Avenue PLot 5, 172 Cocody
Quarters Cotonou, Benin Rep.

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Best Regards
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