Okay....we have a proposed 30-cent tax increase on cigarettes going into the 2007 SC Legislative Session. I disagree that the proposed tax should offset income taxes. Income taxes have already been cut and are pretty low compared to other states. The tax revenue generated should go towards funding state health care programs and retain other state revenues to fund important initiatives like better roads, more state troopers and economic development. IF IT IS PASSED.
No one likes to pay more taxes, but there's a pretty good case for not insisting on an offsetting cut if the cigarette tax is increased. South Carolina's cigarette tax is the lowest in the nation at 7 cents per pack vs. a national average of 92 cents. The 30-cents per pack increase being sought, which still leaves our tax well below the national average, would generate $107 million in revenue. That money could come in handy in a state that has 700,000 uninsured residents which really when you 'boil it down' hurts everyone. Cost of health care keep going up and many employers are cutting health benefits....something needs to take place to help this problem why not place a tax on something that causes some of these health problems.
What do you guys think about a 30 cent increase on the tax???
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should be more. should be closer to the national avg. Everybody wants something, but nobody is willing to pay for it. I am ashamed to be a South Carolinian sometimes by the acts of the people we elect in office. We have to have the most backassward state and people need to straighten up and get their crap together. We dont need to offset. Need to use that extra capital to pay for some of these programs that will help everyone. There are so many unisured motorist and people without healthcare that the people who work hard for there money end up gving it all away, paying double or triple what other states pay bc we decide on stupid ways to spend our money. like hey we had extra money this year lets not save it and use it for schools and for healthcare and for other pressing needs lets make all the voters happy and give them a tax break on thanksgiving weekend(the busiest shopping weekend of the year) when we could bring in a lot of revenue. i just dont agree with a lot of the policy.
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