by Ken King

It took me a while to finalize an article because so much has been happening and at times, whether or not any of you believe it, I am at a loss for words. Well after prodding from Dee Jay to get it done here goes. What I want to talk about is how Maryland is pushing the taxes on cigarettes again.

(WARNING: Residents of Maryland have determined that soon we will be the highest taxed state in the Nation.) 

What is wrong with these people? Do they actually think I, or any other smoker, will quit smoking just because they are going to make it cost more? Well they are wrong. I will quit when I want to quit and not one minute before. It is my choice and one of the few pleasures I indulge in. It hurts no one other then maybe yourself and I still think that is subject to debate. If they really wanted me to quit they would have used that tobacco settlement and bought me off. A couple hundred thousand dollars would do the trick. No, they chose to spend some of it on paying farmers not to grow tobacco, but they could now get a permit to grow hemp, and the rest on stupid ineffective advertising. This new tax is supposed to help schools. Ha, that's throwing more good money after the bad, if it does get there. Money designated for one thing always seems to get redirected to someone's pet pork project. We'll probably end up with another stadium in Baltimore or something. Such moronic behavior. 

(WARNING: It has become obvious that our Governor is one of the biggest tax and spend leaders our state has ever seen.)

Soon our tax will be $1.00 per pack, Virginia's is $.025 a pack. Talk about inviting boot-legging, which will get more people arrested trying to play upon our plight. So we will have to spend more on keeping people locked up. We will have to pay more taxes to take care of some of those families because the bread winner is now in jail. The state Department of Taxation will be too busy prosecuting the activity this tax might lead to instead of getting the bigger corporate and personal thieves that already don't pay their fair share. It just plain stupid.

(WARNING: Continued regulation and taxing impairs the freedoms of a society) 

While they increase the watch on the smuggling, which I figure most of that will be of the roadways interconnecting us to Virginia, it will leave less of their forces for our protection out here where we have real crime. Unless of course they hire more officers and raise other taxes more to pay for them. This is a continuous slippery slope leading to higher and higher taxes. Also I am unsure if the beefed up efforts will do any good. Does anybody have a boat? If you do they probably will only be watching the roads. I know they don't have the support to watch the waterways all the time. You could probably make a quick killing if you thought it out and planned it to the hilt. Hell, talk about entrepreneurial thinking. You're money would be tax free too. 

(WARNING: I do not endorse any illegal activity, these are just free floating thoughts that have found their way to you.) 

Besides my smoking saves money. That's right. Whether you care to believe it or not by me smoking I will spend less time drawing my federal retirement checks and Social Security check when that kicks in. Yep, according to all those scientists here in America trying to convince everyone that smoking is bad, I should die before you non-smoking people. So therefore I should cost everyone less of their tax dollars. You guys should encourage smoking if you believe that it will kill more. That way it would leave more for you guys later. 

(WARNING: Smoking saves tax money for all of you, The State of Maryland has determined that that is not a good idea and wants to insure that it taxes every citizen until it has all of your money)