Smokers Said This Would Happen

People stood by and pointed and laughed as smokers had to pay higher and higher taxes on their cigarettes, until the taxes were higher than the price of the product itself. Now they are planning on coming after the beer. Then the liquor and the wine.

From MercuryNews here, with thanks to JawaReport:

The San Jose Democrat Jim Beall on Thursday proposed raising the beer tax by $1.80 per six-pack, or 30 cents per can or bottle. The current tax is 2 cents per can. That’s an increase of about 1,500 percent.

Beall said the tax would generate $2 billion a year to fund health care services, crime prevention and programs to prevent underage drinking and addiction.

“The people who use alcohol should pay for part of the cost to society, just like we’ve accepted that concept with tobacco,” Beall said.

They used to tar and feather politicians for crap like this. That sounds like a great custom that should make a comeback. I’m all for eliminating all taxes on cigarettes above a sales tax and for eliminating taxes on gasoline sales too. And while I’m wishing, I want a pony. A tan one with a reddish mane. And it smells like lilacs.