In regard to Prop 29, as a smoker I”ve been watching the TV ads pro and con.
I got to say the intent of this ballot measure is to stick it to the smokers and get some money to spend anywhere unknown people want.
This measure makes us targets. I”m all for cancer research and doing my fair share but this measure is singling out a specific group of people to fund the measure with a massive tax hike.
This was done a few years ago with a larger tax hike and does anybody really know what”s happening with that money the measure is supposed to be raising for California jobs? How many times are smokers going to have to accept massive tax hikes with these targeted measures?
Of course I could exclude myself by stopping or looking for other options that bypass California taxes. Buying less expensive brands is another option, however this is discrimination on steroids totally.
Why?
Because the measure will be asking non-smokers if they want to fund research with a tax increase that does not affect them in the pocketbook.
That”s an automatic yes with a bonus for most of them and in ways one could say that it makes the election fixed in regard to this measure.
If the true intent of this measure is to indeed fund research that most people support, then why couldn”t it be set up as a small tax increase that affects everybody moneywise and raise even more money for this important research. I would have to say that a lot of those automatic yes votes would have different thoughts if their money was at stake. It”s easy to spend other people”s money. Just look at the support for Governor Brown”s proposed tax increase measures.
Maybe that”s why this one”s just targeted at smokers so he can win at least one. I wish this measure many long court battles and if we really want to raise our taxes for research, make it so nobody”s a target.
Otherwise who”s next? I say next time, put up a measure with a fair, small tax hike, include all voters in the pocketbook & raise even more money. I”m voting no on 29.
William E Bogdanov
Spring Valley
