Sin taxes pay for medical benefits

Just be satisfied that you are neither smokers or heavy drinkers.  All levels of government levy what are referred to as "sin taxes" making both extremely expensive, for example a pack of the 20 pack of little filtered cigars I uses\d to smoke used to cost between $2 and $2.50 in Florida, and I paid up to $14.00 per pack here.  Beer is around $20 a dozen, versus $5 to $10.  But yes Terry, it is comforting to know that every Canadian has access to free health care, even if some times it takes a while to schedule a visit.
BUT PLEASE LET'S NOT START A DISCUSSION THAT WOULD TAKE OVER THIS STRING ON THE DIFFERENCES ON HOW OUR 2 GREAT COUNTRIES CARE TO ALLOCATE TAX DOLLARS!

BUT PLEASE LET'S NOT START A DISCUSSION .... ON THE DIFFERENCES ON HOW OUR 2 GREAT COUNTRIES CARE TO ALLOCATE TAX DOLLARS!

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You already did Ed  ;D although I realize you were responding to Terry's comment regarding high sales taxes and medical benefits  here.

We have a "sin tax" here, too. When I quit smoking in 1981, a pack of cigarettes was less than 50-cents. Now that same pack is over $5 and most of that is tax.

Wendy

The UK has huge taxes on cigarettes and liquor. Used to be (probably is still true) that, when the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced his annual budget for the country on "budget day", it was never a question of 'if' sin taxes would be increased, but by how much. When I made visits to the US, it felt like they were giving cigarettes away with corn flakes (free, or nearly so).

When I first started smoking, my Dad said "as long as you smoke, you'll never have money in your pocket", and he was right. I gave myself a huge pay raise and helped prolong my life when I quit smoking 32 years ago.

UK social medicine? I'll let Paul and the other current UK residents comment, but I think the UK government spends the sin taxes on other things.

      Whilst on the subject of Taxes, I acknowledge that we have much higher sales taxes than anywhere in the US, at over double.  However, our business taxes are the opposite, almost half.  The economists are claiming that is a major rason that we did not slide into a resession this year even though our major trading partner, the US did and stopped buying a lot of our manufacturered goods.
    As for "sin taxes" paying for medical coverage, NOT BY a long shot.

Ed, I agree.. I keep telling people we need to dump all business taxes on US operations,  If it's made in the USA it's made tax free, and then increase inport duties to cover the government's loss of income.

This would encourage US companies to make stuff HERE IN THE US.. Thus creating jobs and reducing our trade deficet.

in addition it is a matter of national secuirty... Just how many computers does our military use???? And how many of 'em are made in the USA

I`m so glad i don`t drink or smoke, I do buy fuel however ;D ;D ;D

    Well, as for oil, the much maligned NAFTA makes us sell the US oil at the same price that we charge domestically.  So, there is no difference to our raw fuel costs it is only the taxes that makes ours higher.

Hfx_Cdn said:

      Whilst on the subject of Taxes, I acknowledge that we have much higher sales taxes than anywhere in the US, at over double.  However, our business taxes are the opposite, almost half.  The economists are claiming that is a major rason that we did not slide into a resession this year even though our major trading partner, the US did and stopped buying a lot of our manufacturered goods.
     As for "sin taxes" paying for medical coverage, NOT BY a long shot.

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Ed:

I though your GST was a great way for YOU to pay for health care UNTIL they stopped refunding GST to visitors. ;D ;D

    Jeff,

Considering that we are celebrating 250 years of elected government this month (another first for the Maritimes), we have had a long time to learn how to fool the voting public, now the occasional tourist. 
I don't know what guise was used in the US, but Income Taxes were introduced as a temporary measure to pay for WWI, almost 100 years later, and billions (trillions?) of dollars later there still there. 
I guess it could be worse, I could be sitting in Galveston this morning trying to deal with that mess, and I do have personal experience with a category 3 coming up Halifax Harbour a few years ago, and they have all my sympathy, it isn't fun!!!!

Ed

All US smokers get ready to up your ante again...Our all-seeing Federal Govt. Congress members passed the S-CHIP legislation last week...this bill, if passed by the Senate, will most likely be signed by our new Pres...will add another DOLLAR to each pack of Cigarettes AND one DOLLAR to each cigar!  All this in the name of providing additional health funding for children...

I don't really think the increase in tobacco 'sin' taxes will gain that much additional income over time...with less tobacco usage as time goes by, the tax funds will be reduced, causing our 'learned' law makers to turn to some other product to keep their coffers 'flush'...it's indeed another one of those 'slippery slopes' we've had imposed on us all...

There are all kinds of arguments out there referring to tobacco users causing increased costs in health care, and they should have to pay more through these 'sin' taxes....However, I read an interesting, and rather unsettling statistic saying that due to smoker's average lifespan being 8-10 years shorter than non-smokers, they were actually SAVING us more money in SSA, and Medicare payments by dying sooner than most...

Remember a few years ago when our all-knowing law makers passed laws imposing excise taxes on motorhomes and large yachts...the thinking was to just add these taxes to stuff the 'rich' would be buying...yeah, sure, so what happened...the 'rich' sent their yacht business overseas, many of our domestic boat builders went belly up, causing many lost jobs, right on down the 'labor' chain, etc...these guys back in DC just don't get it!
Lucky for us, after a few years, they descended that law, and much of that industry returned to our shores...till the big 'E'conomy  went in the dumper, that is...



I'm going to outside, 100 feet away from the entrance of the building (per Calif law), and light up a Stogie...one of life's small pleasures, while I try to forget about all the money wasted at the govt. 'trough'....

However, I read an interesting, and rather unsettling statistic saying that due to smoker's average lifespan being 8-10 years shorter than non-smokers, they were actually SAVING us more money in SSA, and Medicare payments by dying sooner than most...

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Never thought about that side effect of smoking.  Maybe we should start PAYING smokers a dollar a pack????

That sounds like a statistic the tobacco companies would publish.

I think Gary has something;  rather than raising medicare deductions each year (I realize they didn't do that this year) We should begin giving smokers some sort of incentive to continue smoking, thus they would not be drawing down Social Security and Medicare as long. 

RV Roamer said:

Never thought about that side effect of smoking.  Maybe we should start PAYING smokers a dollar a pack????

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That would also increase the number of non-smokers that are negatively affected by the second hand smoke.  I think they should take another look at it and increase the taxes 5 bucks each pack and 25 buck for each cigar.

Imagine how much tax they could collect if they slapped a $50 an ounce tax on marijuana. Wipe out the national debt in a few years.

This thread only renforces my belief that there is inly one fair tax.  ONE THAT YOU PAY AND I DON'T.


Tony

seilerbird said:

Imagine how much tax they could collect if they slapped a $50 an ounce tax on marijuana. Wipe out the national debt in a few years.

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Here, here.  People are going to use it...might as well create some legitimate farm jobs and a huge tax base.  Better that than to see billions in U.S. dollars heading south across the border to fund the terrorism and murder of so many of our neighbors to the south.

Mc2guy said:

People are going to use it...might as well create some legitimate farm jobs and a huge tax base.  Better that than to see billions in U.S. dollars heading south across the border to fund the terrorism and murder of so many of our neighbors to the south.

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I firmly believe that legalizing pot is getting to be an idea that should seriously be considered.  For one thing, ending the prohibition on pot ends the illegal trade (taking staggering amounts of cash out of the coffers of certain south-of-the-border gentlemen as you mentioned), saving tons of money spent on investigations, and bringing in even more money via a tax.

Of course the logistics of such a law are staggering.  Who would grow it?  Who would package it?  Who would collect the taxes paid?  Who would advertise the products?  There would of course be competing brands but ads would have to be tasteful, much like alcohol ads that don't show drunks.  Legalized marijuana would create a huge new industry with the accompanying influx of jobs.  It is an economic move as well as a method of tuning down some of the crime involved with smuggling this drug. 

This is just my opinion; I do not wish to engage in any sort of pro-pot/anti-pot discussion.  I'm not endorsing the use of any illegal drug, but I am suggesting an economically focused alternative to a law that is NOT working. 

Steve

tswms said:

This thread only renforces my belief that there is inly one fair tax.  ONE THAT YOU PAY AND I DON'T.

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Not quite.  The old political jingle sums it up better....

Don't tax me. 
Don't tax thee.
Tax that feller,
Over there behind the tree.