The Ponderings of a Big Foot Buddha

2003-05-17 - 6:19 a.m.

Smoking, the Government & your Tax Dollars at work

Ever notice those anti smoking commercials on TV?

Ever notice the agency that claims the spot as their own? (There is more than one.)

Ever look up the agency to see you owns/runs it?

Would you be surprised to learn it was the government that ran/owned some of these?

Would you be surprised to learn the government spends you tax dollars convincing people not to smoke?

Would you be surprised to learn the government gives the tobacco industries a heft bunch of tax breaks and other monetary incentives? Essentially handing the companies free money.

So our all wise and knowing government uses out tax money to convince people to stop smoking thereby lowering the income of the tobacco companies who in turn put pressure on the government to help them stay in business and keep people employed, the government then gives the companies increasing sums of money or tax breaks.

So in short the government takes money from us to give to the tobacco industry, then they take more of our money and try to put the tobacco industries out of business, then in order to keep employment up they give the tobacco industry more money to stay afloat. Then to offset declining profits and rising costs the tobacco industry raises the price on smoking merchandise increasing the amount of tax the government collects from the sale of cigarettes. Then in turn they spend more money on advertising to convince the public to stop smoking.

Ouch my head hurts. Bet if there was a way for the government to make money because we didn’t wear seatbelts or motorcycle helmets we wouldn’t have laws forcing people to wear them.

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