Great PSA on why Florida should raise our Tobacco tax

A dollar can go a long way:



Share this information with your friends. We need this tax.

Gov. Charlie Crist is cutting off his nose to spite his face

So our state is facing a huge budget shortfall. Major health organizations are pushing to raise the cigarette tax, which one raise our state's budget about $1 billion.

Our state needs this money. It will decrease the smoking rates, and will increase budget. But Crist has said no, no new taxes, or tax increases. Even if there are no negatives to the tax increase. We receive new monies, smokers decrease their smoking rates. Win - Win.

Here is a snippet from the article:

But it's health care advocates who are pushing the bill (SB 2790), arguing that raising the tax would cause people, especially cash-strapped kids, to stop smoking. The American Cancer Society estimates that 123,000 people might stop smoking as a result of a $1 increase.

The bill's sponsor, Sen. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton, knows the strong opposition to tax increases, especially in an election year. So, Deutch's bill also changes the word "tax" in the cigarette tax law, making it a "user fee" instead.

Win Win. Anyone who can't see that is a fool.

**************************UPDATE**************************************

The Bill passed out of its Senate Committee today, the only Senator to vote "NO" was Senator Charles Dean. I called Senator Dean's office to encourage him to reconsider his vote next time it is before him. The Aide that answered the phone state that the Governor called the Senator and specifically asked him to vote no. The aide said that it was a long conversation, and the Governor state that if it makes it to his desk he will Veto it.

This is unacceptable. Over 2/3's of the state would like to see the cost of cigarettes go up in our state. We all would like to see fewer smokers. And we need the revenue. If this bill can make it through both chambers to his desk the Governor needs to sign it.

The Governor should actively support this bill, or passively ignore it. This stance he is taking is against the people of Florida. He is playing party politics, working against all taxes, while our state suffers. Putting the party above our state's health and well being is in excusable.

Governor Crist needs to reconsider his stance on Cigarette taxes.

Check out the Buzz today

Check out the Buzz Blog post today:

http://blogs.tampabay.com/buzz/2008/04/poll-voters-lik.html?cid=110183680#comment-110183680

The important part of this blog posting is this:

"During a bleak budget year, the poll revealed one slam dunk money maker: A $1 per pack increase in the cigarette tax. It got 69 percent approval. But Republican lawmakers have already resisted the idea, afraid of raising any tax in an election year."

This blog is read by every opinion maker in Tallahassee, and hopefully they are hearing what it says. The people want a cigarette tax. Let's give it to them!

I encourage you to get on the Buzz Blog and voice your support for Cigarette Taxes. Florida is ranked almost last with our $.35 per pack tax. Every household in Florida has to spend over $500 on tobacco related illness every year.

The best way to reduce tobacco use, is to raise the cost. We are in a budget crisis. Why wouldn't we raise the tax? Because the Republicans refuse to do what is needed for our state.

Tax Hike in the Air for Smokers!!

A great article in the Orlando paper today about raising the taxes on cigarettes here in Florida. I think this is a great idea, and something that the state should do. The Young Democrats of Florida are fully behind any effort to raise the taxes on cigarettes.

The cost of smoking is high on the tax payer, and helping to raise the cost allows the state to move towards breaking even, and will allow the state to allocate funds to serve other areas of need.

For the full article click on the title bar, but for the start just read below:

TALLAHASSEE - For nearly two decades, while almost every state has raised its tax on cigarettes, Florida's has remained the same: 34 cents a pack.

Now there's a renewed effort, spearheaded by South Florida Democrats and health-care advocates, to boost Florida's cigarette tax by $1 a pack, to $1.34. The national average for state cigarette taxes is $1.12.

Supporters have retooled their pitch in a tight budget year, arguing the tax increase would not only reduce teen smoking but also generate an estimated $1 billion annually to offset some looming cuts in state health-care expenditures.

Amend This

Changing the rules

(Friday,01/06/2006 © Orlando Sentinel)

The clock is ticking for groups that want ballot amendments.

Jason Garcia
Tallahassee Bureau

January 6, 2006

TALLAHASSEE --

A group that would force the Legislature to spend more money fighting smoking among young people and another that would change the way political districts are drawn both said Thursday they have collected enough signatures to get their proposals on the November ballot.

But the leader of a third high-profile petition drive, which aims to close many of the state's corporate-friendly sales-tax loopholes, said his group would likely fall short.

A fourth group sponsoring an amendment to ban same-sex marriage remains well short of the 611,009 signatures needed to put measures to a vote in a statewide referendum.

The news comes as a state-imposed deadline for citizen initiatives is bearing down. Groups must collect all the necessary signatures -- and have them certified by local elections offices -- by Feb. 1.

"I don't think we're going to make it by that deadline," said former Senate President John McKay, the chairman of the group sponsoring amendments that would force state lawmakers to justify sales-tax breaks for everything from skyboxes in sports stadiums to limousine rides. "I think it'll be very difficult based on the last report we have."

McKay and other supporters have been fighting for several years to eliminate many of the hundreds of exemptions and loopholes that dot Florida's sales tax, breaks they say mostly benefit narrow special interests but which drain more than $20 billion from the state budget. Opponents argue that it could upset the state's economy and hurt efforts to recruit more businesses.

But McKay said Thursday that his group, Floridians Against Inequities in Rates, has nearly abandoned hope of getting the amendments on this year's ballot. Instead, he said, supporters would likely soon shift their focus to the 2008 elections.

"Anyone that offers the opinion that it's too easy to amend the constitution has never tried to do it," McKay said, though he added, "I've still got folks out there working on it."

Anti-smoking activists, however, were buoyant Thursday, as the group Floridians for Youth Tobacco Education Inc. announced that it had submitted more than 830,000 signatures. The roughly 220,000 extra signatures mean backers should have enough wiggle room if election officials are unable to verify some during the next few weeks.

The amendment would require that the state spend 15 percent of the annual payment Florida receives from cigarette companies as part of a 1997 lawsuit settlement on its youth tobacco-control program.

Supporters say the amendment would have generated $56 million this year for the program -- once a national model which has been cut back to $1 million annually. Opponents point out that smoking rates in Florida have continued to drop despite the cuts.

"We will immediately begin a broad, statewide effort to educate voters about this amendment and build on the public support we've already garnered," said Cheryl Forchilli, the group's campaign manager.

The Committee for Fair Elections, meanwhile, said it has turned in even more signatures -- close to 870,000 so far, said campaign manager Paul Dunn. That group is sponsoring an amendment that would strip the power to draw to political districts from lawmakers and give it to an independent commission appointed by lawmakers from both political parties and the chief justice of the Florida Supreme Court.

Amendment backers contend that self-interested lawmakers, using sophisticated computer and voter databases, tailor districts to favor incumbents and the party in power. Opponents counter that drawing district maps is better left to elected officials who answer to voters and that creating a commission would not make the process less partisan.

But Dunn said his group has decided to set aside a second amendment for which it had also been collecting signatures. That measure would have forced the state to draw new maps almost immediately, instead of waiting until the next regularly scheduled round of redistricting after the 2010 census.

Dunn said supporters don't want to risk allowing opponents to seize on that amendment as evidence that redistricting changes are merely an attempted power grab by Florida Democrats, who currently hold far fewer seats in the Legislature and the state's congressional delegation.

"I think we decided, at the end of the day, that we didn't want any distractions," Dunn said.

Perhaps the highest-profile petition drive is racing the clock.

Supporters of the amendment to prohibit same-sex marriages remain short of the required signatures, said John Stemberger, chairman of florida4 marriage.org, which is sponsoring the measure. Dubbed the Florida Marriage Protection Amendment, the proposal would also ban civil unions that offer identical rights and benefits to those of marriage.

Supporters say the amendment is necessary in case a court strikes down an existing state law that already bars gay marriage. But opponents warn that it could cut off other rights for gay couples, such as health-care benefits.

Stemberger estimated his group has collected between 200,000 and 250,000 signatures so far. But he also said the total is growing by tens of thousands of signatures each day.

Backers have ramped up their efforts, he said, making frequent appearances on local talk-radio shows and sending word to churches that they have only three Sundays remaining to gather petitions.

"It's a tough goal," Stemberger said. "But it's a goal that we think we're going to be able to make."

Collecting the necessary signatures does not guarantee any amendment will appear on the ballot. Each must still survive scrutiny from the state Supreme Court, which evaluates proposed amendments to ensure that they are limited to a single subject and that the ballot summaries are clear and accurate. Those hearings begin next month.

Claudia Zequeira of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report. Jason Garcia can be reached at jrgarcia@orlandosentinel.com or 850-222-5564.

Floridians for Youth Tobacco Education Inc

Floridians for Youth Tobacco Education Inc, a fun title for a fun new non-profit....

This is an issue that I think might be close to the heart of the LCYDs. Several of our LCYD members cut their teeth in the anti-tobacco world, fighting corporate Big Tobacco. Our local president, Alan Brock, got brought into the world of Democratic Politics as a teen spokesperson for Governor Chiles' anti-tobacco efforts.

The state of Florida gets almost $900 million a year from tobacco revenue between settlement and tax dollars, but our legislature in its infinite wisdom has seen fit to only allocate 1 million dollars to tobacco prevention, cessation and education. After years of lobbying or legislature the Tri-agencies (American Heart, American Lung, and the Cancer Society) working with Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids have decided to take the issue to the people of Florida.

That is right another ballot initiative. The Tobacco Lobby is very strong in our state, Big tobacco spends more money advertising their products in Florida then any other state in the Union, there were several parties this past legislative session sponsored by Altria including the much anticipated annual AIF Party that kicks off session.

It goes against Big Tobacco to have a strong anti-tobacco program. Florida's program, which was once the model for the world, and which the national 'truth' campaign was based off of, has been effectively left for dead. Governor Bush, although often publicly stating his support for a well funded anti-tobacco program, has done nothing to help make this program the priority that he says that it should be. Our state does not lack the funds for a program. The ballot initiative will state that 15% of the settlement dollars go to and prevention program. This solution is one that the people of Florida full heartedly endorse.

The citizen initiativeprocess is there to help the people combat special interest. I look forward to discussing this issue further at one of our upcoming LCYD meetings.

Legislature Tries to Unfairly Tax Small Businesses

From Alan Brock:

The Republican lead Legislature is attempting to raise taxes!!!

In 1997 the State of Florida settled with the five major tobacco companies for over 13 Billion dollars to be paid out in increments over the next twenty five years. We are in year eight of the tobacco settlement. This year the state of Florida will collect over 400 Million dollars in settlement dollars from the companies that are commonly called Big Tobacco. The State of Florida will also collect an additional 400 Million dollars in existing tobacco excise taxes.

Because Florida is one of four states that are independent of the Master Tobacco Settlement that the USA settled with Big Tobacco (after Florida's settlement), we have different rules here than in other states. We also have very low tobacco taxes. This has caused many new cigarette companies to sprout up and start selling cheap cigarettes in our state. Our tobacco taxes are so low that certain packs of cigarettes are selling for as little as $1.50 (compared to over $5 in the state of New York for cheap cigarettes).

Currently Legislators, of both parties, are trying to raise taxes on the non-settlement tobacco brands. The argument being made is that this tax will make them more competitive with Big Tobacco's brands. This will also have them contribute more money to the high cost of the tobacco related illness that our state has to cover each year. The legislators are also saying that this will help fund an anti-tobacco program.

These are all good ideas, but this is where I start to become frustrated with the legislative process. Our state already brings in over $800 million dollars a year from tobacco. If the state allocated 10% of that current money to an anti-tobacco program we would meet the minimum CDC recommend funding for anti-tobacco programs for the State of Florida. Our state currently cringes at funding an anti-tobacco program with $1 million dollars. Why would this change with a new tax? Taxes are always raised for a specific reason, but too often the reason the tax was raised is forgotten and the money is transferred to other state accounts where it can be used to add more pork barrel projects for legislators to give to their constituents back home. There is no excuse for not fully funding an anti-tobacco program in our state.

These small tobacco companies have found a loop hole, a place where they can make a profit selling an addictive product cheaper than their competition. Big Tobacco denied for 100 years that tobacco was addictive or that it had any long term health affects. They went so far that in 1994, the 5 major tobacco companies CEOs went before a congressional hearing and stated that they didn't believe that tobacco was addictive or harmful. During the settlement it was found through their confidential documents that they knew that tobacco was harmful and addictive. However, they did research ways to make smoking healthier (which they chose not to do, because that would be admitting that it wasn't healthy) and more addictive (which they did do). The anti-tobacco Truth campaign was started to help raise awareness about these deceptions. It is this history that caused them to be faced with such a large punitive settlement. They had lied for a hundred years. They are still manipulating the facts. By taxing the small tobacco companies (these small businesses) the state will help increase Big Tobacco's market share and help decrease the weight of the message that the tobacco settlement, and the accompaning implied guilt, sends to our young citizens.

Don't misconstrue this posting as anti-tobacco taxes either. The only proven way to decrease tobacco consumption is to raise taxes. I just strongly feel that it is wrong to single out the small businesses without the long history of intentional deceit and abuse for the tobacco tax increase. I feel that we should raise tobacco excise taxes across the board for all tobacco products and brands. This will decrease the number of smokers, and particularly the number of poor smokers who won't be able to afford the high medical cost associated with a lifetime of smoking. The higher taxes, if used appropriately, can discourage more people from starting to smoke and help cover the high medical cost for the smokers in the future.

I hope that our Legislators take a hard look at this legislation and all of its ramifications before voting in its favor.