Replying to a message of Ross Sauer to Bob Ackley:

 RS> "Bob Ackley -> Ross Cassell"  wrote in
 RS> news:29000$POL_INC{at}JamNNTPd:

 RC>>> I think states that tax the shit out of tobacco to offset health
 BA>>   costs RC> are fiscally stupid, if the tax forces people to quit or  
 BA>> get their RC> tobacco elsewhere, then what they budgetted for the  
 BA>> health programs RC> suffer.

 BA>> Actually when consumption of tobacco products falls, the revenue
 BA>> generated from those sales also falls.  I doubt that the amount spent
 BA>> on those health programs will fall, the shortfall will be made up
 BA>> from general tax revenue.

 RS> It doesn't bother me a bit, the tobacco tax.

 RS> (I never took up smoking.) 

Neither did I.  Gave up drinking after one really bad hangover (in 1966).  I
have lots of other bad habits to make up for those.

--- FleetStreet 1.19+