Okay. Stop and think about this

[Freeper]

Stinky The Clown (46,445 posts)

 
Okay. Stop and think about this . . . . .

Maddow just reported that the California smokes tax was at 67% approval a few months ago, but lost yesterday by 50/49.

The tobacco company owners spent $50 million to defeat it. And they succeeded.

So what's to think about?

Why Citizens United and all the other sorts of unlimited money pouring into politics. Here's the deal, using the tobacco boys as an example. They have a goal. They have a shitload of money. They can spend money. And they do.

They spend the money with other .01%ers! The ones that own the media. Some of whom also own tobacco. And so it goes. Around and around and around.

All that money.

And they don't even lose ownership of it!

Fifty ****ing Million Dollars In Just One State.

Ya think maybe that kind of money could ease the burdens of Sans Diego and Jose?

And that's just one ballot initiative.

The laws allow money to circulate through the hands of the .01% and we serfs never get a moldy crust of their bread.

Wow.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002778919

First of all believing any poll you hear from a liberal is total BS, secondly why shouldn't corporations have a say? Most legislation today directly affects them, should they not have the right to try to protect themselves from an over reaching government just like anyone else?

And why is it fine and dandy for unions to go out and convince people to vote for dims?

Sekhmets Daughter (73 posts)
2. I was horrified by her

reportage on this issue. I wish she had shown some of the ads. I have been saying for years that there is no other electorate in the industrial world as stupid and easily influenced as the American electorate.

Yep, an empty suit with a slogan won the White House after all.

DearAbby (11,303 posts)
9. That is why we need a UNION

of the people,
by the people,
for the people.

That way the unions can hold all the power and wealth. 

[Ballygrl]

Maybe people in the State of California are getting fed-up and figured the State was lying about what they'd actually do with that money?

[ChuckJ]

Them damn .01%ers!!! Wait, shouldn't that be 1%ers? Or is the .01%ers like the 1%ers of the 1%ers? Does that even make sense? Regardless, I've come up with a solution that is simply brilliant.

The 1%ers supposedly get (or got) rich off of the blood, sweat and tears of the 99%ers and control the entire world. Why don't all of the 99%ers that are pissed at the 1%ers find a spot somewhere that is away from the 1%ers and go there. I'm sure there's a place somewhere like parts of Mexico or parts of the Mojave Desert that is free of the 1%ers. The pissed off 99%ers could go there and set up a socialist utopia that is completely free of the 1%ers. There would be rainbows and sunshine and butterflies and flowers and the lambs would lay peacefully with the coyotes. That would show the 1%ers exactly who is boss and who is important.

I'll chip in a quarter to get the ball rolling. You can use it to start your paradise or to call someone who cares.

[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29ebiwO4O70[/youtube]

[USA4ME]

Stinky The Clown

Fifty ****ing Million Dollars In Just One State.

Ya think maybe that kind of money could ease the burdens of Sans Diego and Jose?

Here's where husb2 lack of ability to think really comes into play.

If tobacco companies spent $50MM to avoid a tobacco tax increase, then they must have factored in that they would replace that money spent by keeping cigarette prices low enough to continue their income stream.  What's the solution?  By strongly encouraging smokers to quit, husb2 and his ilk could prompt the citizens of CA to rather spend that money that the tobacco companies were receiving in ways that would, in turn, increase the tax coffers of San Diego and San Jose, thus easing the burdens.

But that would require effort instead of complaining, so that's off the table.

.

[thundley4]

Taxes from tobacco are never spent on what the government says they will be.  Look at the windfall of cash that states got from the Big Tobacco lawsuit, very little of it went where they said it would.

[ChuckJ]

Taxes from tobacco are never spent on what the government says they will be.  Look at the windfall of cash that states got from the Big Tobacco lawsuit, very little of it went where they said it would.

Does the government ever spend are taxes where they claim they are going to spend them? Maybe that's a crunchy story that nads needs to look into. With her sharp reporter's wit, her knowledge of everything under the sun (and moon), and the good rig she could write a story that would put Woodward and Bernstein's Watergate reporting to shame.

[Big Don]

Even the ****ing LA TIMES said it was a shitty law...

[diesel driver]

Even the ****ing LA TIMES said it was a shitty law...

Then that settles it.

If the ****ing LA TIMES says it, then it must be TRUE!      

$50 mil in one state.  How long would that fund Kalifornia?  1 day?  2 days, maybe?   

Besides, the law would only effect the tobacco companies if people who smoked decided enough is enough and quit smoking.  ANY increase in taxes on corporations OR the products they produce is passed straight on to the consumer.

The biggest and best lie liberals have told is "corporate taxes". 

(Hint to DUmbass Stinky:  Corporations DON'T pay taxes, moron!)

[dixierose]

Cigarette taxes affect the poor more than anyone....so why does that DUmmie want to hurt the 99%?

[Karin]

That's very true, Dixie.  NY has huge cig taxes.  Poor people still scrape up just enough to buy a pack, and they grouse at the checkout clerk.   

[JohnnyReb]

That's very true, Dixie.  NY has huge cig taxes.  Poor people still scrape up just enough to buy a pack, and they grouse at the checkout clerk.   

....and that makes a big tax free business oppurtunity for muslim terrorist.

....and soon they can haul large sugary drinks as another business.

[Wineslob]

We want to tax BIG TOBACCO into oblivion,


BUT, we need thier money and smokers,


Why, it must be the Circle of Life Jerk.

[jukin]

The problem with these propositions is that they actually authorize spending. The same thing happened with the cigarette taxes in kalifornia in the 90s. The state issued billions in bonds on the anticipated revenue from the new taxes. The new taxes didn't come through like anticipated and now those bonds are being paid off from the general fund. Which is really OK because the bond money didn't go strictly where it was supposed to and found it's way into public union pockets by increasing government employees and their wage, and benefits.  There were a few ad blitzes of how bad smoking was but that was about the extent of it.

[Kyle Ricky]

Gas tax, Cigarette tax, it is all the same. The government is trying to raise tax on both of them. If they succeed with the raise in gas tax, it will push the price up by almost a dollar more a gallon.

A cigarette tax would hurt the poor, you are right, Dixie. If you look at the statistics you will find that the majority of people who smoke are on welfare, or in poverty. They don't have enough money to buy diapers or food, but damn, they do have enough to spend on that $5.00 pack of smokes (And $100.00 a month cell phone bill, And $20.00 weekly case of beer, etc. etc.).

[JohnnyReb]

I stopped, I thought and then I lit up a ciggie...and thought about how Obama when he first came to office had added a 2 1/2 cent per smoke in taxes with the stroke of a pen on an excutive order.

I guess that was his way of paying for his TEE fee's and Moochelles vacations.

[jukin]

I stopped, I thought and then I lit up a ciggie...and thought about how Obama when he first came to office had added a 2 1/2 cent per smoke in taxes with the stroke of a pen on an excutive order.

I guess that was his way of paying for his TEE fee's and Moochelles vacations.

The new pay to play.

We pay for the 0bamas to play.

[thundley4]

Illinois is going to raise taxes by $1/pack very soon, and rumor has it that Phillip Morris is going to tack on another $.89 at the same time.  The store where I buy cigarettes is taking orders for people that want to buy multiple cartons before the increase.

[Karin]

After the various voracious governments got done with extortionate taxes, they then passed a bill making it illegal for the Indians to send their cigarettes in the mail.  Put a lot of businesses out of business.  It was in the courts for the longest time here.  We thought there might be another Mohawk powderkeg.