A public health organization suggested that tobacco smokers should be required to apply and pay for a “smoker’s license” in order to continue buying cigarettes.
I’m sure the idea will be championed by the same people who oppose voter ID.
A public health organization suggested that tobacco smokers should be required to apply and pay for a “smoker’s license” in order to continue buying cigarettes.
I’m sure the idea will be championed by the same people who oppose voter ID.
Don’t forget to include a law allowing police to stop smokers and ask to see their license and ID
…And then, we non-smokers will have to pay more taxes to make up for the loss of revenue when they finally get more people to stop smoking.
The local, state, and federal goverment budgets are already set with an anticipated income from the tax on cigarettes. What will happen if a majority of smokers DO quit? This is exactly what “our representatives” say they put the taxes in place to encourage. Lawmakers will never lower their spending because less people are smoking…They will just find other taxes which they can claim need to be implemented to offset the cost of healthcare, etc. I believe this is why they want to legalize “medical marijuana”. Knowing that it has already been proven rampant abuse of the “medically neccessary” clause already exsists wherever “medical” marijauana is available, lawmakers are looking ahead to when the cigarette tax no longer funds enough of their “pork projects” to get them re-elected. They have tested the theory in a few states, and have seen that it works. People don’t object to the tax if it gets them something they want. That’s how “vice taxes” always go to the head of the line for increases when income is needed. Once Obamacare “kicks in” tax on “medical marijuana” will not a “vice tax” paid by the person with the vice, but a tax we ALL pay as part of the “equal healthcare for everyone in need”. Maybe I will support Obamacare, too, if I can convience them that Jack Daniel’s “medically neccessary” and covered by my insurance because it eases pain!
In Sept, I was commanded to get a “physical'” by my doctor in order to get my happy pills refilled, I had no choice. When I got there, they said there was no co-pay ($25) They said, no, it’s “free”. I was like wow, this must be what it’s like to be on welfare. Other than him doing the usual, he said I ‘needed’ an EKG, blood tests etc. I asked for none of this. He also lectured me for at least 30 or 40 seconds about smoking, blah blah blah. All of which I assumed was actually PART of this “free physical”. 2 months later, I get the following BILL:
Preventive something or other 259.00
Office/outpatient blah blah 216.00
ECG 50.00
Smoke and tobacco cessation 33.00
$558 total, insurance paid them $237.28 and there was an “adjustment” of $295.72 that I guess the insurance screwed them out of. (the government would have paid half at least) and then a Co-Pay of $25!
I called them and was like…WTF is this $33 for??? She said, you had an “extended visit” and this bill was seperate and said the $33 was for him to talk to me about not smoking….So I said , well, I’m not paying someone $33 to tell me not to smoke, and then I asked: So, do you charge FAT people $33 to tell them not to eat so much??
Dead silence for 5 seconds…EXCUSSSSSE ME??? (I assume she was a big fat load) and she said, no we don’t. So I said, OK, I’m NOT paying the $33 or the $25, you owe ME $8. She then said in a typical liberal idiot tone, what’s the difference, the insurance pays for it!.
After informing her that I pay $6000/year for insurance so no, in fact I PAID FOR FOR IT, she put me on hold.
When she came back, she said they’d review it and hung up on me.
PS: for my $33 lecture he didn’t say I needed a chest x-ray to see if I have lung cancer but he DID insist I needed a colonoscopy…since I don’t smoke with my ass, I told them where to stick their camera. Some things are better left unknown.
This ends the Obama care preview.
As I sit here on a cold Alaska evening, sipping my Victory Gin, I realize why I’ve learned to love Big Brother so much…he’s always looking out for our best interests ’cause after all, we’re such children in need of constant guidance.
You know something, zz? I’m starting to think most people are.
NoMoBama:
This stuff even hits those of us in the non-smoker realm.
As a “government contractor” sort of…with the rules on new NRC licenses, we have to do drug urinalysis. Well, guess who was the first up…me, the guy that has never done a drug in his life. Well, after a breathalyzer and two hours and 2 gallons of water later, I pee into a cup to meet these requirements.
And my new insurance requires a “promise” that I don’t use any tobacco.
Then, I have to pee into another cup to prove I don’t have any uranium in my system.
Moral of the story…don’t get a job with any ties to the government.
And don’t get close to any smokers…any nicotine in the past 6 months will pop ya.