Gas Taxes

[Waldo]

Originally Posted by gayla

I rarely bitch about the amount of taxes I pay. I do get irritated when it seems like every other day someone is talking about raising yet another tax. We just got hit with another dollar a pack cigarette tax and I think it was last week they added sales tax to candy, gum and bottled water.

I don't mind paying them (hell I'm paying more then $60 a carton for cigarettes right now) but it's not like we're getting anything extra out of the deal. Right now, they're raising local taxes on things just to keep the state and local governments running. So raising taxes but shutting down services is where my problem comes in.

I'd gladly pay Canadian level taxes for Canadian level services but I'm kind of a Socialist at heart like that.

So you're happy to pay huge "sin taxes" in order to slowly kill yourself but you balk at raising taxes for keeping the government machine running?

I ask, specifically of you, because I am always amused when I hear people B**** up a storm around me about taxes each time they get a paycheck but just as soon as they cash that check they get in their car and drive five blocks to buy a carton of cigs.

My mother was the same way - of course back then the taxes on her cigarettes were brand new and only jacked the prices a little - to about $30/carton.

I guess it's all a matter of what's important to the individual.