I really wonder sometimes who the pollsters find for these so-called “public opinion polls.” Despite their assurances that it is a demographically equitable distribution, I still maintain my doubts.
Notably in this realm, I must wonder about a poll Elon University conducted in February.
In its findings, the poll showed 73 percent of North Carolinians supported (or strongly supported) an increase in the State’s cigarette tax.
The only thing I can conclude is that 73 percent of North Carolinians approve of maliciously deceptive legislation.
Fundamentally, Gov. Bev Perdue has declared war on one product, not on the colossal tax deficit in this State.
The enormous deficit she helped to create while serving as the state’s chief budget writer and later as lieutenant governor is nothing more than a muse to go after tobacco.
Perdue must feel like a hero right now. She received nearly incontrovertible support on a righteous bill “that will improve both the physical and financial health of North Carolina for generations.”
Now I must wonder if anyone has actually read H640, also known as the Increase Tobacco Products Tax Bill.
When I did I found out the original bill contained an increase on the tax levied upon cigarettes by 1.75 cents per cigarette and other tobacco products by 10 percent.
This version raises those values to 5.5 cents per cigarette and 31 percent respectively. That is not a contrarian effort to close the deficit.
This tax is an outright attack on cigarette smokers and the 65,000 jobs the cigarette companies maintain in this State.
Perhaps the governator will have her eyes set on obesity next and decide that ice cream is the real culprit to this state’s “physical and financial health.”
Calling upon her TarHellnet of loyal legislators, she’ll have them draft a bill that reads like this:
House Bill 666
Short Title: Increase Dairy Damage Awareness Tax
An act to increase the tax for ice cream and other ice cream products and to provide increased funds to meet the cardiovascular health and substance abuse needs of citizens of the State.
In Section 1, it states a tax is levied on the sale or possession for sale in this state, by a distributor, of all ice cream products at the rate of 50 cents per scoop or equivalent.
The United States is a large nation with significant funding requirements throughout all levels of the government. In an attempt to cover these obligations for North Carolina, the governator has turned to the Democrats’ old faithful and decided to tax.
There is a big difference though between raising taxes and attacking a specific product that has been staple of this region for hundreds of years.
The governator’s deceptive attack on North Carolinians seems to have gone under the radar this time. In the future though, the citizens of North Carolina need to be aware and ready to rise up against the machine.
Let Russell know your thoughts at [email protected].
