Yeah, it's okay to raise taxes as long as it's on a product you don't use.  How very big of you. 

How about I put into Loca speak:

'Yeah, it's ok to raise taxes on rich people as long as you aren't rich'

See the hypocrisy and irony in your own comment there Loca?

How big of me... nice shot.  Care to try again?

Too late, they already do in this state.  Taxes on anything and everything they can.  Maybe not directly on hi-speed internet, but on telephone services with labels of 'universal access fee' and similar that are supposed to fund internet for poor people.

Honestly, sin taxes suck FOR THE SINNERS.  It is a fact of life that people that consume alcohol and tobacco products pay taxes for those vices.  I feel for those people for about 2 seconds and then I think about the negative impacts of the consumption of those products and don't feel so sorry any more.

Liver problems, DUI, domestic violence and a bunch of other problems are traceable to alcohol consumption.  Raise the taxes and make the products more expensive for the users and you may cut the consumption of same.  If you don't (cut consumption), at least you are raising more money to pay for other important needs.

Do the politicians make stupid decisions on what to do with the money?  Hell yes.  But quite honestly I'd rather that the Bud drinkers pay more for their products than myself and a bunch of others have to pay 1% more in state sales taxes (which, whether I like it or not is probably coming too).  Same with cigarette smokers.  If they pay $1 more per pack in taxes and it keeps myself and a bunch of others from having to pay 10% for our state sales taxes.

Pointing back a Loca again - what are *you* going to tell the low income workers that will be asked to pay higher state sales taxes if the state doesn't raise these sin taxes??  If the state sales taxes and state income taxes are doubled (which is a possibility, as in the taxes could be raised from 5% to 10% at cash registers, and state income taxes may also be raised in obscene percentages, though the Governor is promising -- yeah, right, I believe that crap -- that he wants to make the taxes progressive and cut the burden on regular Joes while significantly increasing it on those that the state labels as 'well to do') then who gets hit the hardest???

You cry a river about injustices done in the Bush administration, and how the Bush tax cuts sucked and helped the wealthy, and yet you slam me for pointing at consumption taxes and suggesting that they are a good thing because they can and do help curb that consumption, can and will help improve the health of citizens of the state (because some people will quit smoking/drinking, or at least not do it as much and because the state will take a good size chunk of the money raised and spend it on health care for it's citizens).

Yet more examples of liberal hypocrisy.  And hmm, don't I recall a recent exchange between us where I had left a comment on one of your articles pointing out your own hypocrisy before?

Loca - here's a reminder of the discussion of about 6 weeks ago where you set yourself up so nicely for that hypocrite label with your own cries about having to pay more for items *you* use: Liberal until it's inconvenient or costs the liberal money

I am going to disagree with you on this one Terp.  There are no good taxes.  There are punitive taxes, income taxes, and sin taxes. But there are no honest taxes.  This is one.

It has been shown time and again that when you start pumping up the sin tax like this (and like the democrats want to do for SCHIP), the consumption goes down.  IN this case, that is a good thing.  However, with a national tax, people can pony up or quit.  And they will.  But with a state tax, they just go to another state.  Any wonder that bootlegging in NY is so rampant?  And you think MD is going to be different?  No, it is going to be worse since Va is right next door.

Plus, if you want to tax something for a program, be honest.  When the revenues do not materialize (and they will not), cut the program!  But do you think that clown in Annapolis is going to cut anything?  Fat chance!

Here is where the tax is going to get YOU!  Because like all taxes, when the revenue does not materialize, they will then go after you to make up the difference.  And while today you are cheering (or silently applauding)  this tax, you are going to wind up paying it.  not the smokers who will just buy their stuff from Virginia.

That is why I say there are no good taxes.

Please accept my apologies on the mischaracterization of your stance on taxes.  I appreciate the clarification (and your position).

I wish others were more in line with that sort of position, but it seems instead they are more interested in the idea of soak the rich but seemingly never seem to be able to explain who the rich are.

In anycase, I do apologize.  /bow

OIC!  So this is just your sneaky way of increasing the gas tax!  Now I get it!