Lauri Ann's New Life

As I said in my previous post, I'm pretty upset about the (outrageous)raise of taxes on cigarettes. I (told you so) that we were just the first, but wouldn't be the last. Now they're hitting me in another vice. Below is what I received in my email from my subscription to Nightclub & Bar Magazine.

SAVE JOBS – STOP TAX HIKES! Join Us In The Fight To Protect Hardworking Americans

As a Nightclub & Bar partner, you need to know about a serious threat facing our industry. With the economy suffering, both state and federal government are considering huge tax increases on alcohol products. This will cost jobs in our industry— including those of small business owners, servers and bartenders like you who are the lifeblood of our economy. We need your personal involvement and help.
There's a real price to pay when elected officials misguidedly try to replenish state budgets with regressive taxes that will hit us at a time when we are already being hit hard economically. These taxes will cause folks who work hard every day to lose their jobs. In fact, the last time they raised taxes on alcohol, $1.3 billion in wages were lost, while 98,000 people found themselves out of work.
Hardly sounds fair, does it?
It's time to SAY NO to higher taxes that will put jobs at risk and raise prices on the people who can afford it the least. Taking action is easy and won't take much of your time, but it will make a giant difference: CLICK HERE to join the fight against irresponsible and regressive taxes.
Also, and very importantly, it is vital to our industry and our effort to protect jobs that everyone in the industry make their voice heard. I urge you to forward this link, http://corp.questexmediagroup.com/t/499706/7342787/33101/0/, to your friends, colleagues, and family members who share our conviction that these misguided taxes will harm our industry and cause severe job cuts. You can also send them an e-mail asking for their help on this issue by CLICKING HERE and providing their names and email addresses on our Send to a Friend form. The more voices our government representatives hear the more likely they are to listen and prevent these ill-advised tax increases. Thanks very much for your help on this important matter.
Together, we can protect our jobs, our livelihoods, and the right to responsibly enjoy a drink.
Cheers!
Donna Hood CreccaEditorial DirectorNightclub & Bar Please drink responsibly.

I'm in the process of looking for a new place to live. This campaign to stamp out smoking has made smokers a complete outcast. It's easier to find a place to live with pets than if you smoke. What happens when they say if you're obese you can't rent because it causes wear and tear, like in the days when they made the rules against waterbeds? It sounds crazy, but then again, that's what they said when the anti-smoking laws were just coming into being.

As of March 31, 2009 tax on cigarettes in California jump from $.39 a pack to $1.01. That raised the price of a carton by $10.00 ea. after each agency adds their share. In New York, cigarettes under the guise of "being good for our health" are going up to $9.00 a pack. That's ludicrous! While no one likes our smoke they sure like spending the money it provides. Don't they get it that they're just killing the Golden Goose? With this tax hike they surely will get more people to quit. What do they think happens when all the smokers quit or buy off the black market, or in another state where it is cheaper? Down go the very revenues they're trying to raise.

Ok, I admit it. I am a smoker. I know I should quit. I know it's a "filthy habit". I know it stinks, but I really don't want to quit. I really don't want to be forced to. Whether you are a smoker or not, I'm sure that you'll agree it's not right to discriminate against any particular sector of society for any reason. It starts with us smokers, but whose next? Will it be obese people and snack foods, or white bread, or white sugar? Will it be old people who have pets because the government knows they won't give them up. It would be like giving up one of the family. Will they start upping the taxes on alcohol or prescription drugs? Where else can they milk the American people for more money?

Don't even tell me about the health care cost to the public. It can't be any more than it is for the alcoholics that are homeless and never sober up, or the people with diabetes due to obesity, or heart conditions or many other diseases caused by things we do (or whatever they're looking to blame it on this week). The people I know that have died from smoking all had insurance that paid for their care and it didn't cost "the public" anything.