Republican pollster Bob Moore's survey found an identical 71 percent of Idahoans support raising cigarette taxes and alcohol taxes to help reduce a $340 million state budget shortfall.
Moore's poll found support was more intense for a tobacco tax hike, with 50 percent strongly favoring such an increase, with 42 percent strongly favoring higher alcohol taxes. Those who somewhat favor tobacco tax hikes comprised 22 percent of those polled; while 29 percent somewhat favor boosting alcohol taxes.
The poll was released Thursday at a news conference in Boise. Moore, the pollster for GOP Gov. Butch Otter and U.S. Rep.-elect Raul Labrador, conducted the survey Oct. 17-18. With a random sample of 500 registered voters, the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.
The poll also found strong opposition to cutting education funding and to raising sales and income taxes.
Respondents supported an increase of $1.50 per pack of cigarettes by a 73 percent to 26 percent margin. A $1 per pack increase received 72 percent to 26 percent support.
"Now is the time for legislators to listen to the 73 percent of Idaho voters who want to raise the tobacco tax instead of cutting critical programs," said Heidi Low, Idaho Director of Government Relations fore American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network. "These results show that, voters across Idaho understand raising the tobacco tax is a smart way to protect Medicaid funding and support programs that help smokers quit.
Raising the tax from the current 57 cents a pack to $2.07 would raise an estimated $52 million. Advocates of higher taxes say it would prevent 15,000 kids from smoking and encourage 9,300 adults to quit, saving $350 million in long-term health care costs.
Nationally, the average tax is $1.45 per pack.
The survey was conducted on behalf of a coalition including the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, American Heart Association, American Lung Association in Idaho, the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Moore also asked voters about other deficit reduction measures, finding solid opposition to other solutions.
Cutting education spending was the least popular, opposed by 82 percent of respondents. Raising the gas tax was opposed by 78 percent; cutting Medicaid health services was opposed by 76 percent; cutting health care funding was opposed by 70 percent; raising sales and income taxes were both opposed by 65 percent of respondents; and cutting highway spending was opposed by 60 percent.
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Of course they do.
Now let's see a poll of the smokers and drinkers on the same subject.
Polls are hated by Germans, yada bing cheese whiz
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You must remove your post before it will be posted.
As a drinker
I have to admit, I'd be willing to pay a bit more in taxes than see giant cuts in the budget.
I can live without a beer or I can pay a little extra when I do have one.
Just stay somewhere about Hamm's Big Bear, you're A-OK.
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Buy Pass.
More and more and more and more taxes.
It's people like you that think a 'little tax' here or there is ok. Eventually that little tax (which never goes away!) becomes a big tax. Then, you, start complaining about high taxes. You know what, NO MORE TAXES - on anything. Lets try something new, cut waist, cut government over-spending and get rid of politians that think our solutions are wrapped in new taxes...
I've tried to cut waist for years...
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Lost 99 pounds at one point.
OK Mateo, you're on Buddy.
I smoke and drink, don't smoke in the house and don't drink and drive. Don't smoke in public or throw my butts out the truck window. I have my own health insurance so taxpayers don't have to pay any of my medical expenses. And Heidi Low (weird name) is wrong in stating that "73% Of Idaho voters" want to raise these taxes. 73% of the 500 people surveyed want to raise these taxes. I think a better solution would be to remove tax exemptions on churches and tithing, and anyone with more than 3 kids has to pay for the excess kid's educations. OK everybody, you can start ripping me now....Sunny...
Heidi Low is Heidi High's cousin.
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The Name Game!
Any relation
to Heidi Hole?
Sunny, you are on the right track
I completely agree with you. The only way to state that 73% support anything is to have a sufficiently large enough pool of people asked. 500 is nowhere near a representative sample size. Still, it is better than nothing.
I have long felt that churches should be willing to pay sales taxes on everything they purchase and to pay a reasonable amount of property taxes on their church buildings and grounds. To me, this is just part of being a good citizen in the community. So when are the churches -- and church related private schools -- going to start paying their fair share of sales, and, possibly, property taxes?
I also agree with the poll results concerning the cigarette and alcoholic beverage taxes. All of them are woefully too low and need to be raised. Only I suggest we go one step further and redefine them as what they are -- user fees. Then the sate can set these fees as high as they need to in order to soften budget downturns.
81% of Idahoans don't smoke
So these numbers sound accurate to me.
They fume though
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I'm hearin' a smoke alarm, I'm telling you...
I agree
with you Sunny. I wish at least SOME of the exemptions for churches, especially the land taxes, would be eliminated.
But we have to be realistic about our approach here and you and I both know that'll never happen. No politician has the pair to even mention it much less push it through.
And even, if somehow it did go through, it'd be challenged in court for years. Some judge would issue an injunction baring the state from collecting the taxes until it'd been settled through the courts. The state would end up spending loads of cash on a law suit that they might not actually win. In the long run it'd probably cost the taxpayers more than we'd gain.
It's far more likely that the state will change the law and bar ranchers from grazing cattle on public land outright. (And we both know that's a LONG shot.
Exactly my point Sunny.
You can make any point on any poll by selectively selecting (there's a mouthful) you're pollsters.
Right on Sunny!
Very well put!
best suggestion I've seen in
best suggestion I've seen in a long time. Technically, isn't the government supporting religion by giving them the tax breaks?? That makes it unconstitutional. Where's the clammor for "seperation of church and state" on this point??
EXACTLY
Keep the GOVERNMENT out of the CHURCH!
You would see a lot of social services disappear if you add that expense. Guarantee, it is cheaper in the long run to leave it the way it is.
Also, if they were required to pay taxes they would have the RIGHT to have a VOICE in GOVERNMENT.
Look at all avenues before you think things are a MAAAvelous idea.
Communists
It saddened Ma'una to see that the creatures with free mind were the lowest and weakest of all creatures, so he set out to bring some balance to the cadenza of his creation. Ma'una created a special plant which he gave to the two-legged walkers in order that they might obtains blessings through it. This plant was tobacco. Because of the odor of the smoke of this plant, Ma'una instilled in all other creatures a desire for it. He said to all the spirits, "Whenever the two-legged walkers offer you so much as a pipe full of tobacco, you are going to grant their wishes even before you have taken in the smell of its incense. You must bless them with what they request even before you receive their offering. Neither shall you have the power to take the tobacco from him, no matter what forces lie at your disposal. I, Ma'una, cannot take this gift from them. This is my promise.
Oh L@@K!
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The pot smokers dropped by for a chat.
Maybe I should take up POT.
Rather pay to the other Cartel.
Macrame
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Rebel Knitting!
Time to start growing my own leaf and brewing.
Enough with these thieves. Of course the majority whats a minority to pay their taxes.
I wonder if ol' Bob is related to my old friend Kenny?
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KEN MOORE
I say we legalize it ............
......... then tax the heck out of it !
Okay
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How do you promote a revenue stream if they all go to jail stealing to get it?
As a land owner and 5 digit tax payer.
It's time to buy seed. It's legal and many suppliers on the net. Might even play Johnny Apple Seed and plant it along the Green Belt for the distraught.
Tobacco seed smokers
Plant your own, increase the deficit.
Eu não tenho nenhum indício
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Noch I.
Sin Tax
I think raising sin taxes is the less of many evils. If you smoke or drink that should be a luxury, therefore in times like this it is better to tax this than cutting back on education, roads and other things that are needed.
I don't smoke but I do like to have a drink every now and then so this would affect me. If you want to smoke or drink and you can afford it then go ahead. If you HAVE to have a smoke or drink, maybe it is time to quit the habit.
Listen to the posters ............
........ these are the same people that chose money over educating their kids . Do you actually think they would pay a few cents more for their beloved 6 pack ? Last year this same thing was purposed to fund addiction treatment ----- you would of thought the government wanted to sell their mothers into slavery . So ..... we just arrest the drunks - throw them into prison and pay that way . LOL ...... gotta love it .
I don't have children.
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Nor have I had much of the problem that creates them though.
Tax the other guy!
Everybody's OK with more taxes on someone else. You don't drink? You don't smoke? What do you do? Whatever it is, when they tax that, the drinkers and smokers won't care. One group at a time they'll get us all - that's how it's done.
Exactly! Tax the other guy.
60% of the population does not go to church regularly. So, let's put sales tax and property tax on churches and see how much that generates. 25% of private property gets some kind of church exemption. Let's get them to ante up!
Or
We could just cut some of the exorbitant public salaries i.e. commissioners, PD, FD, city managers...Any one ever utilized the FOI Act to see what these crooks make- it's ridiculous!
Now, you much be wrong...
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Don't they say "Crime Doesn't Pay"?
Will our Overlords require 1099's to be issued during happy hour
?
taxes are worked into the price of each bottle
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taxes are on the rocks
Tax minivans and frozen yogurt instead
I suspect many of the people who favor taxing alcohol and cigarettes don't consume them for religious reasons. So this is about taxing the other guy and looking down on "sinners."
Therefore I propose we tax minivans and frozen yogurt instead.
minivan
I would second that, but instead of it being called a sin tax it would be a hazard tax. Seems like every time I pass a minivan the driver is on the cell phone, eating or turned around yelling at the kids.
Polls never lie.
New headline idea:
Idahoans do not back higher tobacco and alcohol taxes in poll commissioned by smoking groups
How about this...
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Anarchy offered by previously mundane citizens after kegger
FACT
Long term health care do NOT cost as much for smokers, they don't live as long. This was a national study done in a European Country a couple of years ago. It was shoved under the carpet and went mum before the Lawyers wanted to do a Class Action Law Suit on behalf of smokers.
FACT
If that were even remotely true, the tobacco companies would have used it in their legal defenses.
Long term costs are much higher even if they don't live as long. The health care costs for a cancer patient are extremely high. Ten's of thousands of dollars per month in many cases. They may not live long, but while they are alive they cost substantially more than the average non-smoker's health care costs.
You are talking about Associated Cost due to smoking.
This study is vary recent, Long Term Health Care are the most expensive care there is and we all die more hard than easy. Some go sooner. I'm sure this study is being evaluated more closely and the tobacco companies won't say anything if it is proven to shorten someones life thus costing the public less in benefits and health care (long term).
If these pigs want to help
If these pigs want to help out they should give up their salaries.
It is "public service," isn't it?
Obama and his disgusting cronies passed the PACT Act a few months ago - this prohibits people from receiving tobacco shipments in the mail. Now that they've closed that loophole, the Federal government and the states will try to tax tobacco even more.
This website:
www.azcigs.com
claims to still be able to get shipments through.
I encourage everyone to order from them (Camels are $30/carton, shipped) instead of paying more taxes.
NOVEL IDEA
Every Pig must pay their fair share of taxes, including churchs and no deductions for children.
Our children
are paying your flippin' Social Security check, Medicare, etc., or they soon will be. What did you pay for kids? Shush now and go buy more Kool Aid.
Freakin' Nowegian-Canadians anyway...
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You must remove your post before it will be posted.
Your children may be paying
Your children may be paying for your benefits/handouts, but unfortunately, they are not keeping up with their own costs. Therfore, for each kid that you have it will take even more grand kids to pay for those kids.
It is a losing battle. Stealing from Peter to pay for Paul!
They were both executed after the Crucifixion. Dead, b'bye, ciao
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It's hard to be a saint in the city (of Jerusalem)