515 Crew

[DaVo]

Well, now that I'm paying over $7 a pack and fear that if I quit the state will have to cut such effective programs as the JEL Ads. Oh and that state universal health care program that last years $1 per pack increase is funding. Funny how I haven't heard anything about this program since the tax went into effect. I think it's high time that we add a few more sin taxes and here are my suggests:

1.) Trans fat and candy. Both will lead to long term health problems, missed work and are a burden on the state.

2.) Vehicles, equipment and activities fees for dangerous sport activities. This would include football, skateboarding, Motorcycle, water skiing, boating, BMX, Hockey, Mountain Biking, roller blading and any sport with a risk of lon term health problems. Since most sports injuries cause long term health problems starting at a young age, the cost of treating these people must be huge. That doesn't even take into account their reduce employment options.

3.) Dangerous jobs. Those that work in high risk areas like Police, Drug Councilors. Firemen, Gas station clerk, security guard, and countless others. Most of those employed in such jobs tend to develope long term injuries and metal health problems. Which lead to higher health care costs and work hours loss.

4.) I know this is a stretch but items commonly used in suicide. Razorblades, hand guns, shotguns, rope, garden hoses, etc... The cost of suicide is long reaching especially in those with large families. Think of the cost of metal heath professionals working with either those that have failed or those that have lost a love one. In fact, think of the work hour lost to attending funerals.

Anyone have any other sins taxes?

[joseph]

your cigarettes went up again? mine went up over a month ago. and the new tax isnt supposed to happen until tomorrow.

[DaVo]

your cigarettes went up again? mine went up over a month ago. and the new tax isnt supposed to happen until tomorrow.

The cigarette companies raised the price a couple of weeks ago. Yeah I'm paying $7.36 for Pal mall non-filter. That is almost 4 times the price I was paying when I started. It's confusing and I'm sure the state wants to keep it that way but from what I can gather. The cigarettes are Federal taxed $1 per pack. Then when they enter Iowa it's 6% at the distributor and then 8% at the retailer. Works out to about $3.00 to 4.00 on brand cigarettes and about $2.00 on off brand. Iowa is still 17th but I'll keep smoking and maybe even stop bitching as soon as I become a member of this state wide universal health care program.

[joseph]

7.36 for pall malls?! ouch.

i bought old golds at red star on ingersoll today for 6.24. they were 4.97 in january. theyre supposed to go up at least another buck tomorrow. if i get them at smokeshops theyre usually much cheaper.

[kylervk]

metal health problems

[joseph]

metal health problems

good call

[DaVo]

metal health problems

lol

Yeah there should be a tax on Metal.

[Big Fat Retard]

There's no tax on weed.

[joseph]

There's no tax on weed.

yes there is. its called hippies

[Crumpty Williams]

drug stamp tax, yo.
http://www.state.ia.us/tax/taxlaw/taxtypes.html#drug

[Joe]

FUCK THE FUCKING SALES TAX.

-Joe.

[elliot]

I personally am fine with the government giving smokers a permanent wedgie. If you smoke, you deserve it. I'm not saying smokers are bad people, but you are knowingly hurting yourself and people around you. There is no justification.

Yes, trans fats and junk food and the things you mentioned are harmful. But only to the person who is consuming them. Smoking hurts everyone within breathing range. That's the difference.

So stop crying and try to man up and quit cigarettes. Any further argument is wasted breath from people who are short on it to begin with.

[TooManyHumyns]

brutal response...i am fairly indifferent, its better than raising property taxes which is usually the first thing they go after when raising taxes...it really makes no difference to me since i quit over 6 months ago and plan to keep it that way...although , i wish we knew where exactly the money was going, i think the tax system is completely flawed in that way...it would be nice at tax time for people to be able to check a series of boxes on where they want their tax dollars to go...whether it be social security or towards renewable energy or to the military...idk...the whole thing is a mess...when it goes to special interests like JEL i think its a crock of shit....everybody knows smoking is bad...its not rocket science...its enjoyable, and addicting....everybody has their crutch or whatever...taxing junkfood is a little rediculous, i think that providing incentives(sp) for people who purchase healthier food or whatever would be a better way to handle that area...although that would be next to impossible to regulate...idk, i don't really purchase that much junk food, so i guess it doesn't really effect me much...people probably should eat less bullshit, but i don't think its the government's job to punish them for not doing so...i'm very conflicted on these issues of big government, tax dollars, and social programs...its definately not a black and white issue.

[Bullet Tooth]

who the hell pays that much for cigs?

come to the smoke shop on se 14th and hartford.

shits cheap.

as of today, marlboros are 5.50 a pack.

pall malls are 3.85

pall mall non-filters are 6ish.

monster drinks are 2 for 4 bucks.


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[servo]

is that the place with the glass?

[DaVo]

I personally am fine with the government giving smokers a permanent wedgie. If you smoke, you deserve it. I'm not saying smokers are bad people, but you are knowingly hurting yourself and people around you. There is no justification.

Yes, trans fats and junk food and the things you mentioned are harmful. But only to the person who is consuming them. Smoking hurts everyone within breathing range. That's the difference.

So stop crying and try to man up and quit cigarettes. Any further argument is wasted breath from people who are short on it to begin with.

Let's not get into how much the second hand smoke research is flawed at best. The smoker has chosen to put their health at risk and in this state unless you are in a smokers home, just where the hell is this smoke being forced on you? I'm standing outside smoking year around now, so shut the fuck up about second hand smoke.

The truth is that cigarette and alcohol taxes tend to only effect the poor and low income. The majority of those that smoke make under $24,000 a year. This idea of targeting a section of the population based on habit is unfair regardless. A sad truth about this country is those that traditional vote the least are taxed the most and in this case it is the poor. Just because it doesn't effect you, doesn't make it right.

[Bullet Tooth]

is that the place with the glass?

if you mean "tobacco" pipes then yes.

[DaVo]

who the hell pays that much for cigs?

come to the smoke shop on se 14th and hartford.

shits cheap.

as of today, marlboros are 5.50 a pack.

pall malls are 3.85

pall mall non-filters are 6ish.

monster drinks are 2 for 4 bucks.


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The last time I went to one of those outlets it was the same price as HyVee. I know I'm paying a little more like everything else is at QT. Then again the new tax goes into effect tomorrow so maybe they haven't adjusted their prices.

I've been thinking about ordering on-line. There is no tax on the reservations and I'd be happy to give them my money.

[Bullet Tooth]

thats why you dont go to outlets. they are the same price.

the smoke shop is independent.

you can pay more if you want, no care.

[servo]

for real though, order cigarettes online from a state where they are cheap.
hell, i'm thinking about ordering a couple cartons and just selling packs off to friends for $5 a pop!

and i totally meant tobacco pipes.

is it one of those places where you throw people out if they say the word "bong"

[Bullet Tooth]

for real though, order cigarettes online from a state where they are cheap.
hell, i'm thinking about ordering a couple cartons and just selling packs off to friends for $5 a pop!

and i totally meant tobacco pipes.

is it one of those places where you throw people out if they say the word "bong"

we generally let bong go cause we have a bunch of hookahs but saying weed or anything like that will get you kicked.

[elliot]

Let's not get into how much the second hand smoke research is flawed at best. The smoker has chosen to put their health at risk and in this state unless you are in a smokers home, just where the hell is this smoke being forced on you? I'm standing outside smoking year around now, so shut the fuck up about second hand smoke.

Please. Flawed research? I know when I'm inhaling poison, and I don't like it. Smoke is still forced on me when I walk past anyone smoking, or am at the home of anyone doing it. Simple.

The truth is that cigarette and alcohol taxes tend to only effect the poor and low income. The majority of those that smoke make under $24,000 a year. This idea of targeting a section of the population based on habit is unfair regardless. A sad truth about this country is those that traditional vote the least are taxed the most and in this case it is the poor. Just because it doesn't effect you, doesn't make it right.

I do understand that many lower class people smoke and are hurt by it. But honestly, it's their dumb fault for smoking in the first place. If your financial situation is so bad that cigarettes cause a problem, and you can't put two and two together and decide to stop funneling poison down your throat, then you have officially lost at the game of Life, and you deserve to be behind the rest of us, coughing and hacking as you try to catch up. Yes, addiction is tough. But logic isn't.

[Hank Fist]

how about "dumbass tax". even though i just quit smoking a year and a half ago, i am now an elitist. I see someone smoking and i think "wow, people still do that?" It kind of goes up there with these things that make as much sense and have as much benefit:
-being bled for health reasons
-female circumcision
-snorting gunpowder
-smoking banana peels
-post hitting (although this allows a person to accept and deliver powerful blows, the resulting blood clots greatly reduce life expectancy)
-other stupid shit

[Joe]

Oh boy do I love to smoke. Tastes so good. Mm-mmm.

-Joe.

[elliot]

[DaVo]

Let's not get into how much the second hand smoke research is flawed at best. The smoker has chosen to put their health at risk and in this state unless you are in a smokers home, just where the hell is this smoke being forced on you? I'm standing outside smoking year around now, so shut the fuck up about second hand smoke.

Please. Flawed research? I know when I'm inhaling poison, and I don't like it. Smoke is still forced on me when I walk past anyone smoking, or am at the home of anyone doing it. Simple.

The truth is that cigarette and alcohol taxes tend to only effect the poor and low income. The majority of those that smoke make under $24,000 a year. This idea of targeting a section of the population based on habit is unfair regardless. A sad truth about this country is those that traditional vote the least are taxed the most and in this case it is the poor. Just because it doesn't effect you, doesn't make it right.

I do understand that many lower class people smoke and are hurt by it. But honestly, it's their dumb fault for smoking in the first place. If your financial situation is so bad that cigarettes cause a problem, and you can't put two and two together and decide to stop funneling poison down your throat, then you have officially lost at the game of Life, and you deserve to be behind the rest of us, coughing and hacking as you try to catch up. Yes, addiction is tough. But logic isn't.

Well, why do you stop going to places where you don't have to walk past it? It's your choice.

The study on the harms of second hand smoke that is the bases of the fears was study done on non-smokers that live with smokers that smoked in the house. Many of the non-smokers were in fact ex smokers. The results were released long before the study was finished and in effect not conclusive. At best they can say with some level of truth is that there is a possibility that second hand smoke can cause health problems. Kind of like living in your parent's basement could give you cancer.

Take all the health risks out of it. It is the majority over taxing the minority. Let's say that the majority decides that listening to recorded music is bad for the community's well being. So the decide to raise the tax on music from 6% of the product price to 20% of the project price. Is that fair? Just because a majority of citizens feel that music is bad for you? Or because it doesn't effect them cause they don't listen to music? Ever heard of an entertainment tax? Don't think that they are going to stop at taxing alcohol and cigarettes.

[elliot]

Well, why do you stop going to places where you don't have to walk past it? It's your choice.

Oh, okay. I'll just stop going to school, any music venue, or countless public places. Why didn't I think of that?

Take all the health risks out of it. It is the majority over taxing the minority. Let's say that the majority decides that listening to recorded music is bad for the community's well being. So the decide to raise the tax on music from 6% of the product price to 20% of the project price. Is that fair? Just because a majority of citizens feel that music is bad for you? Or because it doesn't effect them cause they don't listen to music? Ever heard of an entertainment tax? Don't think that they are going to stop at taxing alcohol and cigarettes.

If music started being taxed, that would indeed be ridiculous. However, if someone could provide me with a good reason for that to happen, I wouldn't be able to say anything.

But that would not be possible.

A smoker, on the other hand, has no legitimate justification for smoking. It's not smart on any level, and I don't care what studies have been "proven wrong," it harms people. Therefore, laws discouraging its use are perfectly reasonable.

[Joe]

Mmmmm, oh yeah.... feels good when I smoke.

-Joe.

[ilikehorses]

listening to music doesn't kill everyone around you. smoking, on the other hand, does. and no, the research is not flawed. just because you say it is, doesn't make it so. the only fuzziness between cigarette smoke and painful, untimely death is your (and other smokers, business men's) denial.

davo, if you want to cause yourself years of suffering, do it to yourself. i feel bad for your kid(s). because he is suffering too.

[jjjsXe]

The truth is that cigarette and alcohol taxes tend to only effect the poor and low income. The majority of those that smoke make under $24,000 a year. This idea of targeting a section of the population based on habit is unfair regardless. A sad truth about this country is those that traditional vote the least are taxed the most and in this case it is the poor. Just because it doesn't effect you, doesn't make it right.

If you are so poor that you can't afford to buy cigarettes, then I think you need to rethink your spending budget and spend your money on NECESSITIES for your family rather than stupid shit like cigarettes. Smokers have THE worst arguments about why they feel they need to smoke.