By Jason Kratzwald
A trend that began under the Clinton administration will continue under the Bushadministration because of very different circumstances. Beginning in 1995,under theleadership of democratic socialists in this country, a undeclared war began against thepoor and uneducated. Through the use of frivolous lawsuits against cigarettemanufacturers, liberal scare tactics, and brazen ego laden media types, the public saw thefirst shot fired from these three liberal institutions. It was an assault on America??(tm)sintelligence. The modern day prohibition on Kentucky??(tm)s cash crop, the forbidden tobacco leaf, iscontinuing into the present day with special interest groups as well as many members ofthe legislature telling you that by raising taxes by 70 cents on cigarettes, the tax will savethe lives of millions of children. The current propaganda campaign being waged against the tobacco industry and theAmerican intelligence amounts to extortion by the US government, insurance companies,and many others in the health related professions. They are simply coercing your opinionthrough the spreading of fear and in some cases lying to you in exchange for higher taxes,huge legal fees, higher insurance premiums, and higher medical fees. Make no mistakeabout it, money is the foundational issue. Take money out of the equation andthesebleeding heart liberals will tuck their tails and abandon your children.American Tobacco companies have paid multi-billions of dollars to state and nationaltobacco settlements, money that was proliferated and settled upon forcastedMedicaidcosts and to curb teenage smoking. These were just complaints ruled in court, and themoney was allocated to states for the use in paying healthcare costs and to curb smokingamong the youth. But instead of the states using the money in this fashion,the billions ofdollars were instead spent on road repairs, libraries, social programs and
everything elseimaginable under the sun. The federal excise tax is already 39 cents per pack, with a state excise and
sales tax beingapplied thereafter. In Kentucky, the state excise tax on cigarettes is a mere 3 cents, with6% sales tax being then applied. If legislators pass the additional 70 cent excise tax ontothe already present 39 cents, that would put the cumulative excise tax at $1.09. Thefederal government is selectively increasing taxes onto a legal product and crop wherethe manufacturers have already paid their dues in a court of law. Anyfurther increase oftaxes on cigarettes and tobacco is no more than a tax onto a selective population and anassault on the intelligence of every American. Increased federal excise taxes are afantastic way to generate taxed revenue the United States Federal Government will use tocontinue to fund social programs and increased fat cat legislature wages ofall policymakers. If this extortion is not bad enough alone, mind you it is all donebehind the guiseof ???saving the children???.
The current administration will continue the racketeering and extortion practices begunby Clinton, only this time to fund a war and to keep our head above the water in theocean of recession. Selective taxes harm only those they seek to protect, and any furtherincrease is only a disguised attempt to pay back the social security fund from which Bushhas stole to finance the war in Afghanistan. God Bless the USA.
Jason Kratzwald is a senior communication major and a columnist for The
Louisville
Cardinal.
