Our Heroines Speak
CIGARETTE TAX INCREASE WITHOUT REFORM IS BAD PUBLIC POLICY
By Ashley Landess
The cigarette tax increase passed by both the House and the Senate makes it clear that fiscal conservatism is not the prevailing philosophy in our General Assembly. That became obvious when a majority of lawmakers – even some who call themselves fiscal conservatives - ignored good economic policy and took the easy way out by voting for a popular tax increase.
The vote was a bad idea. That tax increase would have a negative economic impact on the whole state. True fiscal conservatives know that leaving money in the private sector creates jobs and generates income, while putting more money into government just grows government. Therefore, conservatives support cutting taxes and lowering spending. They do not favor raising taxes and expanding government or even cutting one tax but raising another to cover the “cost” to state government.
The Senate plan raised the cigarette tax 50 cents a pack to expand Medicaid. That sends a disturbing message that senators are not paying attention to how fast Medicaid is growing – health care experts have made it clear the program cannot be sustained without substantive reform. But instead of fixing Medicaid, senators voted to make it larger.
The senate plan would offer tax credits to some businesses to purchase employee health coverage. That idea sounds good on paper, but in reality it would create a disincentive for companies to provide coverage on their own, or to expand beyond the number of employees allowed to get the credit. No plan that discourages job growth and creates unfair advantages for some companies over others should ever be considered, much less paid for with public money.
House members tried a couple of times to lower the Senate’s tax increase, but never to eliminate it completely. The House also tried a few different ways to spend the money, including a tax swap that would have lowered income taxes. Straight income tax relief makes sense, but swaps ultimately lead to a higher tax burden – that has already happened in South Carolina.
Legislators have burned through tax dollars at a record pace, creating many new programs without ever evaluating them or asking why they should be paid for with public money. Meanwhile, folks back home are pinching pennies and struggling to pay higher gas prices. But instead of cutting spending substantially and putting dollars back in the private sector with straight tax relief, lawmakers voted for a major tax increase.
Our state’s spending is among the fastest growing in the nation, while our income levels are among the lowest. That makes tax increases even more irresponsible. Fiscal conservatism does not mean expanding a failing government program, nor does it mean swapping one tax for another – it means straight tax cuts and lowered spending, period. Legislators need to get serious about both, and those who call themselves fiscal conservatives should fight tax increases a lot harder than they did this time.
Editor’s Note: The author is president of the S.C. Policy Council …
Comments
By Gillon on May 23rd, 2008 at 6:49 pm
You leave one important element out of your explanation: the thousands of South Carolinians who cannot afford health care and/or rely on Medicaid for a minimum of healthcare services. Many of them are also the same “folks back home (who) are pinching pennies and struggling to pay higher gas prices,” What of them?
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on May 23rd, 2008 at 9:07 pm
sic(k) willie left out something else important. He’s good at ignoring facts that get in the way of his paid political rhetoric.
Cigarettes kill over eleventy Brazillion SC citizens every year.
DEAD.
Many die a painful death.Thanks to butts.That’s their right.But many of them have no insurance. So, Joe Public pays for them. Even those with insurance, we pay for them to suffer and die from tobacco!
That ain’t right.
So, let’s get current. Make the cost of a single cigarette match the cost of a gallon of gas. Seems fair. Push surplus money to medical care.
But, never let the inflated cost of gas come into contact with willie’s inflated ego. That could create a black hole that would suck all the common sense out of the world. What little is left.
By Pay for play on May 24th, 2008 at 7:34 am
Ah, more of the same cookie-cutter philosophical crap. Making good policy takes more than some sort of knee-jerk, one size fits all approach to governing. But that would actually take some thought and hard work, which seems to be missing in everything from the Policy Council. How much money has it taken from Altria, anyway?
By Not only that on May 24th, 2008 at 9:28 am
South Carolina’s backward thinking fiscal tightwads like to talk about how much state government has grown in recent years, but we still rank very close to dead last among the states in spending for roads and prisons. We’ve increased education funding a lot over the past couple decades, but 17 states still spend more (a lot more) than we do per child for schools. We’re spending more money now to do things like improve education because it’s high time.
We do have some of the lowest income levels in the nation, and that means we have some of the greatest needs. Our tax burden isn’t out of line with our income levels compared to other states. And if we really care about dealing with poverty, and education, and health care, and roads and prisons in this state, then we need to do still more.
By Not only that on May 24th, 2008 at 9:30 am
Correction: 33 states spend more for education. Only 17 spend less.
By fitsnews on May 24th, 2008 at 10:36 am
BIN-
We left something out? We didn’t write the article, you mongoloid cut and paster.
-FITSNews
By sid on May 24th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
If 33 states spend more, and 17 spend less, what’s the new state?
By justWondern on May 24th, 2008 at 3:24 pm
BIN….Why in hell would you want to cut and paste mongoloids?
By bird on May 24th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
BIN — I’m still looking forward to your grand finale. What will it take?
By bird*bolded on May 24th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Hillary is inspiring me to not take less than what I am due. Bold me, Baby.
By bird*bolded on May 24th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
BIN, Step up to the plate.
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on May 24th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
An emergency meeting of the BIN News Editorial Board was held this afternoon to determine if sic(k) willie was trying to insult us when he childishly called us a “…mongoloid cut and paster.”
We had to do some research because “mongoloid” is a complex word.
The sic(k) one’s choice of “mongoloid” using a lower case “m” clearly indicates he was suggesting our staff has Down Syndrome.
BIN News has a staffer with Down Syndrome who was asked for her reaction to sic(k) willie’s comment. We can’t include her comment because we promised our stock holders we’d never use the phrase “thoughtless bastard” in our comments. You understand.
BIN News
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on May 24th, 2008 at 8:24 pm
BTW, sic(k) willie is so cute when he calls us names.
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on May 24th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
Our “grand finale” ? Three days after sic(k) willie’s.
By Liz on May 25th, 2008 at 6:03 am
Who here knows one person who has died from second hand smoke?
I’m a former RN with over twenty years of bedside experience and I’ve never once seen a case of second hand smoke KILLING anyone. Yes it bothers people, not the same as killing. Yes it is bad for kids, again not the same as killing. Smokers are few in number due to programs getting everyone to quit.
Alcohol is the tax ,people. Many more people consume alcholic beverages on a regular basis…. so let’s go with the above thread…. do you know anyone that has been injured, mamed or killed from someone else’s drinking…. O YEAH HUH> how bout kids and alcohol…. everyone agrees that it shouldn’t be available to them right?
So I say, why are we not using the brains God gave us and doing the right thing and taxing something that will provide more revenue and more healthcare to unpriviledged in this state?
Then I say…. o yeah I remember…. no one has critical thinking skills anymore………And obviously the alcohol companies have mucho grando lobbyists….. touche!
By Not only that on May 25th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Well, ok. 32 states and the District of Columbia.
By Believe It Not (a.k.a. Sic Willie's Stalker) on May 25th, 2008 at 10:50 am
sic(k) willie would have Ashley’s baby if she paid him enough to post her paid political rhetoric. It could happen! What would they name it?
Jake, or Rod or Rodiee? We prefer Rodiee. It’s so very generic.
And, how long would it take sic(k) willie to get his bloated figure back in shape after having Ashley’s child? About eleventy Brazillion Years!
BIN News Editorial Staff - Does Not Stalk
By Monkeydarts on May 26th, 2008 at 2:55 pm
“If 33 states spend more, and 17 spend less, what’s the new state?’
Barry O’Bama sez that there are 57 staes anyway.
BTW, there is NO correlation between money spent per student and education quality.
By Reader on May 26th, 2008 at 4:03 pm
BIN, well then take the stalker part out of your name. Because it sets me off every time I see it. Stalking is a serious problem. Seriously.
BTW. I was tele-polled last week and asked if I was “against” the cigarette tax. I said no. How could any smoker, in good conscience, be against it? I feel like I am contributing to charity with every pull.
By Not only that on May 27th, 2008 at 5:44 am
“BTW, there is NO correlation between money spent per student and education quality.”
THAT is the most ridiculous statement ever written.