Smoking in the Name of Kids

I’m not gonna dive into this issue much but this is where I part ways with Liberals of the Left. I’m not against taxes. I’m just against unfair taxes. Slapping another “Tax for Children’s Health Care” is just such a tax. It seems whenever we Lefties want to get tax money, the easiest way is go after the smokers. Who really likes cigarettes anyway? I know I don’t (although IrishSpacemonk may be seen with a cigarette but that’s because he’s an entertainer.)

Here’s where I get confused. Hear me out. A cigarette tax is a regressive tax, in that it taxes harder the poor in society. The poor in society are often the very people that need health care assistance for their kids. Cigarettes are addictive and getting off the addiction isn’t easy, nor free. We want to have a society free of smokers. But a society free of smokers will not fix the problem that uninsured kids that still need health care. And where does the money come from then? I was reminded of this a month or so back when Hillary Clinton was asked about a ban on cigarettes. There’s no way a lefty could be for such a ban when you think of all the tax revenue that would disappear. That’s the bind.

So here’s my three points against with slapping smokers with another cigarette tax to pay for kid’s health care.

1. The tax is regressive, taxing the poor more heavily than the rich
2. The tax takes advantage of an addiction that we are trying to fight, and when the fight is successful, tax revenue declines, despite the remaining need for health care of kids
3. Increased prices for cigarettes will not make the use of cigarettes go down - look at illegal drugs for a perfect example

In Oregon, this tax attempt is called, the “Healthy Kids Initiative” (Measure 50). I’m not for big tobacco. In fact why not cap the price of cigarettes and tax the tobacco companies instead? Make it come from their bottom line. What I’m against is an $0.85 per pack tax on the poor, to pay the health case expenses of the poor….what do you think? Give me an argument to the contrary and I might change my mind.

Grown-up White Denial at Heart of Jena 6 Case

When I originally started research for this story, my intent was to write a much different post. However, the more I read, the more complete a picture of the story emerged, and I realized this was a different story.

The Jena 6 case, where 6 black youth are being charged for serious crimes stemming from a series of racist incidents, is not about a series of unconnected events, like the District Attorney, Reed Walters, would like to have the media believe. No, it’s about grown-up adults condoning circumstances that encouraged racism to seethe and grown.

It all begins with a tree. This tree was widely known to provide “white-only” shade. When the Vice President of the School was asked during a school assembly by a group of black students if they could sit beneath that tree, the answer was “sure, sit wherever.” The next day three nooses were hanging from the tree. The incident was considered a prank and the students who committed the “prank” were suspended for 3 days. That’s it. I’m sure you know the rest of the story. I’m not going to go there. If you don’t you can start at CNN.com but that will only provide a smidgen of the details.

Where I am going to go is into the microcosm of society known as high school. The blame for this situation rest squarely on the school officials, the DA, and on the adults who send their kids to this school. They’re the ones that allowed this situation to incubate and chose to do nothing.

Good Fences and Good Neighbors by the Doze…n

If you live in the suburbs of Portland like I do, you know that Measure 37 is bad policy. Just this week, on my way to work, convoy of 8 dump trucks barreled by on the way to some field that’s being cleared for development. It’s crazy! And what’s bad - this was on a narrow, 2-lane road - testament to the fact that home development is far out pacing the development of new roads and infrastructure.

And so this Friday’s Drawing for a Reader comes at the request of Measure37watch.com. Check out who’s really behind Measure 37 claims (as if it’s any big surprise).

Measure 37 Media Darling Dorothy English Continues Quest for Millions

A few years back, when Oregon’s Measure 37 was being pushed through, I remember feeling a tinge of sympathy for poor Dorothy English, an old lady in her 90’s who just wanted to build on her land.

Well, Measure 37 passed, and Dorothy can build her houses, but she’s not satisfied. She’s still suing for $1.5 million. And she’s not the only one wanting huge amounts of money for land with commercial viability only in their dreams. Check out these other Measure 37 claims.

By the way, if you’re from California, and you have a state issue you’d like to see in a cartoon, email me at drawmesomething@pixelmarx.com. Every Tuesday I’m going to be working my way around the States, starting at my hottest markets (most visitors) and moving to areas that seem to have yet found the internet.

Hello…North Dakota?

Oh well, perhaps ND is just too red for my blog.

Credit Crunch on Middle American Dreams

Ah, if only the American Dream purchased on easy credit were so simple to leave behind.

With the previous tightening of the bankruptcy laws (aimed to protect big banks and their questionable lending practices) many American’s won’t find it so easy to excuse themselves of debt this time around.

The cycle of easy credit with an easy escape (either by refinancing an appreciated property or Chapter 7 bankruptcy that previously allowed many to walk away from unsecured debt for only a few hundred bucks) is no longer an option. It’s also a situation the economy hasn’t faced before and any recession caused by the current housing market slowdown, could be prolonged by the difficulty the middle class will have getting back on stable financial feet.

Of course, in a country where welfare is viewed negatively by capital idealists, there’s pretty much a guarantee that any trouble by the big corporations will find some sort of corporate welfare so they survive.

Free Market Emergency? Yes, I’d Like to Compare Prices…

In this Friday’s Drawing for a Reader, I was prompted to tackle the issue of health care. I’m surprised I’d not tried health care, considering it’s such a big issue. I guess that’s why I invite topic suggestions, so I don’t get into any set grove.

So here you have it.

Free market health care, as explained in an article by Jay Bookman (August 23, 2007), would encourage health care consumers (meaning you) to be more proactive in seeking the best possible price for your health care solutions. Some advocates of Free Market Theory have used laser eye surgery as an excellent example of how non-covered medical expenses within the free market economy, become cheaper over time.

Yes, this may sound rosy when you no longer need your tinted glasses. But come on. Do we really think our health care costs keep going up because of minor cosmetic surgeries? Let’s try, $2000 for a 10 minute emergency room visit for starters. And it only goes up from there.

U.S. Officials May Be Reconsidering Democracy in Iraq

Just when I’m thinking every idea has been sopped out of my brain, I read the news.

Today, CNN reported that US Officials are no longer considering democracy to be necessary in Iraq, and would be willing to have a leader (read US installed dictator) that would provide security and a functional government.

Now isn’t that starting to sounds a lot like the government before occupation?

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