Californians back hiking cigarette tax by $2: poll

Californians back hiking cigarette tax by $2: poll US News Reuters.com: “SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - California voters by nearly a 2-to-1 majority would support increasing their state’s cigarette tax by $2 per pack to help raise cash for a state effort to provide health-care insurance to the uninsured, according to the latest Field Poll released on Friday.”

The Majority who do not smoke are putting an unfair tax burden on a minority just because they can. It is like those who hate turnips taxing turnips to pay for their mental health costs. If I were a smoker and I lived in California I would consider this tax to be illegal and I would have no qualms about buying bootleg cigarettes that circumvent these illegal taxes. I think that is exactly what will happen in California. These laws will just bring in more organized crime. Then they will have to enforce the laws and imprison people and the taxpayers will have to pay for it. The poor will get their cigarettes one way or another and it might mean illegal activity or that their kids will do without. Thus the money you think you raise in taxes by passing this law will not bring in the revenue that you expect, and it will often impact the innocent.