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Nathan Deal says he’d sign tobacco tax hike

9:59 am November 19, 2009, by jgalloway

The no-tax philosophy that many think will be a key part of the Republican primary for governor is about to collide with state budget realities. This from Larry Peterson and the Savannah Morning News:

U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal says he’d sign a bill raising the state cigarette tax $1 a pack if he’s elected governor next year.

Campaigning this week in Savannah, Deal said the bill deserves consideration, but added he probably wouldn’t push for its passage.

The Gainesville lawmaker’s comments are the closest any GOP candidate for governor has come to backing the proposal.

The proposal by state Rep. Ron Stephens, R-Savannah, has been opposed by the GOP majorities in the House and Senate.

But some experts say it may get another look when the legislature reconvenes Jan. 11 and tries to grapple with a worsening budget crisis.

A tobacco tax is one of those “sin” taxes considered the easiest way to raise revenue. Gov. Sonny Perdue used a tobacco tax hike to close a budget gap in 2003, his first year in office — prompting criticism from fellow Republicans.

Stephens has argued that the tax increase, by reducing the number of smokers in Georgia, would also create a hidden savings by reducing health care costs.

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17 comments Add your comment

The Snark

November 19th, 2009
10:55 am

It would sure be nice to see the Republican “all taxes bad” ideology tempered with a little dose of practicality. Through the Medicaid program, the taxpayers pay a fortune to treat smoking related illnesses. Our cigarette taxes are among the lowest in the nation. This is an obvious imbalance that needs to be fixed.

Ken

November 19th, 2009
11:01 am

How about a hefty tax on bullets? IF we can’t keep kids from bringing guns to schools, can’t we at least make bullets hard to get except for law enforcement? Even then, they don’t use bullets that often. My life ought to be worth the couple of bucks it should take to buy a bullet. Target practice can be done with paintballs.

Pdawg

November 19th, 2009
11:08 am

Make it $10 a pack!

On a related note I am appalled at the “electronic cigarette” ads the AJC.COM is allowing. Disgusting to see them excepting $$ for that. I’m sure there are kids who read the AJC online.

Jim Glasgow

November 19th, 2009
11:20 am

85% of smokers are in the 65,000 and lower and you want to put another tax on them? I think they are paying their fair share already why dont you tax something that the rich people of the U.S. enjoy instead of putting the burden on the backs of the people who makes the less money. I DONT SEE LIQUOR WITH ANY LARGE TAXES ON IT. You people in politics dont think you just find the quickest way to balance the budget that you people over spent on to start with.

devildawg

November 19th, 2009
11:21 am

Please oh, please with sugar on top force your morals on to other people financially and justify it as a necessary tax because of the state budget issues. This is absurd, what if we put a huge tax on all caffeine products? Coffee, soda, energy drinks. How far is all of this going to go before we are just like Europe and pay out of our a$$e$ for everything. Personally, I think a flat tax is awesome, but we live in the ignorant bible belt and getting the hillbillies to do the math is asking to much I guess.

John Galt

November 19th, 2009
11:23 am

I question the judgement of any politician that would hammer a group of people least able to afford it with new taxes – just because he can get away with it. The political-correctness of slamming smokers ignores the fact that this is a group of addicts. Almost all of them want to quit. They can’t. They are addicted. They will spend whatever they have to for another cigarette. They will skip that gallon of milk for their babies if it means they can’t afford cigarettes.
This is not the group to hammer for a few more tax dollars. They have enough problems already.

And it’s a lame politician that can’t come up with anything better for additional revenue.

SteveSC

November 19th, 2009
11:30 am

Nathan Deal is an idiot. First of all, you want people to stop smoking. BUT, yet you want (rather NEED) the revenue? Tobacco taxes encourage out of state buying, on the internet. People in Georgia can order cigars and tobacco from companies like JR Cigar, Cigars International, Thompson Cigar….all TAX FREE. These companies are not required to report, collect nor pay GA tobacco taxes. Close that loophole. South Dakota did. If you raise taxes, require tobacco sales be a face to face transaction. Better yet…why keep hiking taxes on a declining customer product base? Put a 2 cent a gallon excise tax on milk, a 2 cent excise tax on diapers, baby food, toilet paper…..the state coffers would fill up! You can’t keep taxing a product out of existence.

Reality

November 19th, 2009
11:52 am

Being poor does not exempt you from knowing that smoking is dangerous to your health. People who drive recklessly and are ticketed see their auto insurance premiums rise. Smokers should help defray the cost of thier healthcare through taxes on products that damage their health. Those costs(since most of the poor don’t have healthcare) are passed on to us, and we are paying for their foolish decision to smoke.

Taxes

November 19th, 2009
12:19 pm

YES..more taxes, that is the ticket. More taxes will cure everything. It isn’t the cigarettes you good two shoes and it isn’t the bullets either. Stay home with your kid and take him fishing or hunting. Or just eat a burger someone else killed for you…bunch of whiners! The bad thing is, I do not recall voting for any tax increase on so many things…taxation without representation….oh, if you haven’t noticed, there is a Socialist Party on Boulevard Avenue now near I-20…drop by and say hi…for me, I will stand on the capitalist side and honor the dwindling freedoms I have left!

BehindEnemyLines

November 19th, 2009
12:24 pm

Thanks Nathan, for eliminating yourself from consideration for my vote for any office, ever.
Buh-bye, and thanks for playing.

td

November 19th, 2009
12:54 pm

Deal just lost my conservative vote just because he is thinking like a RINO and we do not need another RINO governor.

Now if you want to raise money and win the water war at the same time, set up some lanes on 75 around Macon and charge anyone going to Florida $5 per car. We will then be able to either pay for our additional reservoirs for drinking water or get Florida to drop their law suit due to the decrease in people wanting to pay the additional money to vacation in the state.

BD

November 19th, 2009
1:22 pm

Right on td. Only problem is it would take GA legislature about 3 years to pass a bill to build the toll booth. Once passed it would take another 3 years for the Highway Engineers to design it, 3 years to decide who would build it and judging on the work habits of contruction people I see while traveling our great State, I suspect it would take another 3 years to actually construct the booth and a year or so to hire people to man and manage it. Chances are the way our state agencies spend our money, the $5.00/car would not even pay for the construction much less the annual salaries and benefits paid to state workers.

GoOx

November 19th, 2009
2:18 pm

My man Ox will not raise your taxes. He will make sure that the Fair Tax gets implemented.

Government Rev

November 19th, 2009
2:28 pm

The government is broke and needs a lot more money. Jacking up taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products is a great idea to raise tons more money, since smokers will buy the stuff anyway!! They should double the price of cigarettes and get that money coming into the government for more projects!!!

bulldog

November 19th, 2009
8:50 pm

Deal won’t get my vote either and his stance on this is telling about how he would govern. Does not mean Oxendine is the best choice either. I believe Eric Johnson is the most competent candidate in this race.

Mark

November 20th, 2009
10:41 am

He is talking out of both sides of his mouth. You can’t say “it’ll raise revenue!” and then at the same time “it’ll reduce smoking!”

Moved on up

February 12th, 2010
7:49 pm

Well Nathan you are a PUTZ like all the other no imagination politicians out there that taxes cigarettes the minute they need some extra money for flamboyant projects going on in the crooked state politics. Theres a great campaign out for people, even smokers who are sick of being taxed to the neck. People are sending a weeks worth of cigarette butts to the governor to protest, it seems like things like this is the only way to get their attention.