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  • Sin taxes

    http://www.starbulletin.com/news/200...t_options.html

    The legislature is back to work. Today there was discussion on a "sin" tax to raise more money for the state budget.

    Options include "Increasing "sin" taxes on cigarettes and alcohol. Charging another penny on every cigarette or 20 cents for every pack would raise $10.8 million".


    What do you think about "sin" taxes?
    • Is it OK to target a select group of consumers and tax them higher, in order to raise funds for the masses?
    • Should someone who can afford to buy non-essential things like cigarettes and liquor then be assumed to be able to afford to pay higher taxes?
    • What if, for example, I consider watching TV to be a sin (because it is wasteful of precious time), maybe TV watching should be charged a sin tax?
    Your thoughts?
    Now run along and play, but don’t get into trouble.

  • #2
    Re: Sin taxes

    ha! ha! ha! @ "sin" tax - they ran out of names?

    no thoughts - they'll eventually increase it regardless



    what next "infidelity" tax? or "fag" tax? or does that fall under sin too?

    stay forever young

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    • #3
      Re: Sin taxes

      I say tax anyone who eats anything from the sea that doesn't have fins or scales. The Bible (Leviticus) says it is an "abomination."
      Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

      People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

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      • #4
        Re: Sin taxes

        It'd be funny if the state budget some day became so reliant on sin taxes, that they couldn't afford for people to stop sinning. The state might need to create sin incentives. Oh wait. Isn't that consumerism?

        Oh, and let's not forget the cousin of sin taxes: stupidity tax (i.e. lotteries)
        Last edited by MyopicJoe; January 23, 2009, 03:55 AM.
        "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
        "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
        "
        Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

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        • #5
          Re: Sin taxes

          "Bad Habits" like drinkin and smokin do produce costs to the state so taxing those "sins" helps to discourage the behavior and pay for the costs. But I have also heard reasonable sounding arguments that smoking benefits the social security fund because the beneficiaries decease before they can collect. Talk about harsh economics!

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Sin taxes

            "Sin" taxes are just another way to raise revenue for governments in times of economic crisis. They are also called "vice" taxes. For now I think those are only the tip of the iceberg. Within the next few years I think both the State and Federal governments will need to raise taxes on non-essential items like fuel, entertainment and probably even cellular phones. If you were watching the news last night, the state is going to initiate driving taxes to pay for the H1 freeway upgrade. The report said that it would cost the average person an extra $170 per year in taxes. Contrary to popular belief, driving is a privilege and not a right.
            You can take the boy out of Hilo but you can't take the Hilo out of the boy!

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            • #7
              Re: Sin taxes

              Originally posted by Kory K View Post
              Contrary to popular belief, driving is a privilege and not a right.
              I disagree. You won't get far in life without a car. For starters here in Kona you need a vehicle to drive back and forth to work and to get to town (There is very limited public transportation here).
              Check out my blog on Kona issues :
              The Kona Blog

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              • #8
                Re: Sin taxes

                Originally posted by Kory K View Post
                Contrary to popular belief, driving is a privilege and not a right.
                Though I agree driving is a luxury, it can also become a necessity, based on our environment (as Konaguy alluded to).

                One problem is when we develop our cities around cars, over many decades. If we give up cars, maybe we need to give up suburbs and the idea of personal home / land ownership. We'd all need to live in high rises located close to our work places. If you change companies, or maybe even job position, you might have to move to a different high rise.

                Corporations might run their own on-site schools, hospitals, and entertainment centers; so their workers don't need to travel far. Instead of America spreading out flat, it bunches up into cubes. This is an old idea. I think they're called Arcologies. Not so much that things are centered around corporations, but rather all the necessary institutions are located very close together.

                Our cities would need to look more like NYC and Hong Kong, instead of LA.
                "By concealing your desires, you may trick people into being cruel about the wrong thing." --Steven Aylett, Fain the Sorcerer
                "You gotta get me to the tall corn." --David Mamet, Spartan
                "
                Amateurs talk technology, professionals talk conditions." --(unknown)

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                • #9
                  Re: Sin taxes

                  Sin taxes? I'm ok with them. A cigarette tax wouldn't affect me but a liquor tax would. If it becomes financially problematic then I stop enjoying a glass of wine. I've long believed that taxing unhealthful habits is not a bad thing.

                  During the early 1980s, I wrote my then state representative about my thoughts on this subject. I also included legalizing pot and prostitution, regulating and taxing the heck out of 'em!

                  And, yes, I'd like to see a lottery that would benefit our school system.

                  Now...'scuse me while I don by asbestos suit!

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: Sin taxes

                    Originally posted by matapule View Post
                    I say tax anyone who eats anything from the sea that doesn't have fins or scales. The Bible (Leviticus) says it is an "abomination."
                    What's wrong with opihi and ogo?
                    Beijing 8-08-08 to 8-24-08

                    Tiananmen Square 4-15-89 to 6-04-89

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                    • #11
                      Re: Sin taxes

                      Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                      Sin taxes? I'm ok with them. A cigarette tax wouldn't affect me but a liquor tax would. If it becomes financially problematic then I stop enjoying a glass of wine. I've long believed that taxing unhealthful habits is not a bad thing.

                      During the early 1980s, I wrote my then state representative about my thoughts on this subject. I also included legalizing pot and prostitution, regulating and taxing the heck out of 'em!

                      And, yes, I'd like to see a lottery that would benefit our school system.

                      Now...'scuse me while I don by asbestos suit!
                      You mean like the lottery benefitted the schools in California? When the lottery started there, I was so excited and bought my tickets every week. Then, I found out from a state legislator that all the lottery profits that were supposed to go to the schools did go there BUT, an equal amount was removed from the state schools budget. So, the schools just kept getting the same amount as before the lottery. Hopefully that has changed by now but when I found out, I stopped buying tickets.

                      You don't need to don the fireproof suit for me - I support legalizing pot & prostitution. It's stupid to make prostitution illegal - it's been going on since the days of Socrates! As for a higher tax on alcohol - I'll just pay it. I refuse to give up my cocktails!
                      "Democracy is the only system that persists in asking the powers that be whether they are the powers that ought to be."
                      – Sydney J. Harris

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                      • #12
                        Re: Sin taxes

                        Originally posted by anapuni808 View Post
                        You mean like the lottery benefitted the schools in California?[...]
                        As for a higher tax on alcohol - I'll just pay it. I refuse to give up my cocktails!
                        I wasn't aware of the problem in California. But you bring up a good point. A lottery would need to be tediously set up to avoid such a thing.

                        I doubt a tax on liquor would become a financial hardship. If I found it to be so then, in reality, there's already a bigger financial hardship...the bottle of wine itself! If the tax was exorbitant and I disagreed with the principle of it then I'd have no problem boycotting booze!

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                        • #13
                          Re: Sin taxes

                          Originally posted by tutusue View Post
                          I also included legalizing pot and prostitution, regulating and taxing the heck out of 'em!
                          Hey, have you been reading my blue papers? I'm behind you 100% SuzieQ. And you can see Japan from your veranda since you're on those upper floors. I'll vote for you. Go gettum' granny! (wink, wink)

                          Hey, they sell a great Pinot Grigio from Italy here at the Cabo Costco. 1 1/2 liters for about US$10. Bottle is tapered 24" tall and dark blue. It is shockingly good for the price. All this talk about more taxes on alcohol is depressing me, and since it is TGIF, I think I'll make myself a cocktail.....smoke (but not inhale) a little wacky tabacky too. But I won't have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky.
                          Last edited by matapule; January 23, 2009, 12:18 PM.
                          Peace, Love, and Local Grindz

                          People who form FIRM opinions with so little knowledge only pretend to be open-minded. They select their facts like food from a buffet. David R. Dow

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Re: Sin taxes

                            Here in NY they want to institute an "obesity" tax. Taxing soda that contains real sugar but not soda that has artificial sweeteners.

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                            • #15
                              Re: Sin taxes

                              Originally posted by acousticlady View Post
                              Here in NY they want to institute an "obesity" tax. Taxing soda that contains real sugar but not soda that has artificial sweeteners.
                              AUS has had a similar tax, I like the idea. In AUS it is the junk food tax, I think is is a good incentive to purchase healthier products. Sure, people willl grip that "Healthier" food is more pricey, but so are the medical costs involved with the hospital stay for years of east eating.
                              flickr

                              An email from God:
                              To: People of Earth
                              From: God
                              Date: 9/04/2007
                              Subject: stop

                              knock it off, all of you

                              seriously, what the hell


                              --
                              God

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