Once again some of the fools that we elect to represent us in Washington are proposing a tax increase. This one is on that wicked weed, tobacco. Would you care to guess what this tax increase benefits, if you said for the CHILDREN you would be right, more to the point, healthcare for uninsured CHILDREN.

It is not enough that a pack of cigarettes already has a $.39 per pack federal tax, now it could be as high as $1.00 per pack.

Not only is this tax irresponsible, the stated reason, CHILDRENS healthcare, is not the responsibility of the government, but of the parents. If you can not afford medical care for your children, don't have any.

Another point to consider about this proposed theft of taxpayers earnings is what will the government use as a revenue source when the cost spiral out of control for this program and revenue does not meet projections. According to research smoking is declining in the U.S., if they raise taxes it is sure to lower the number of people smoking even farther. Once this tax source is found to be insufficient what do you think will happen, the insurance program for the children will go away, we all know better than that. The politicians will decide that they have no choice but to raise yet another tax and confiscate more of the taxpayers hard earned money to sustain another unneeded government program.

Washington is out of control and it is up to us, the citizens of the United States, to get back in control. The only way to do this is to elect fiscally conservative people to represent us in Washington. The size of government is growing ever faster and unless we the people do something about it and make ourselves heard we will sooner, rather than later, be living in a socialist country.

Just for the record, I do not smoke. I do have health insurance for my family  and do not live off of the taxpayers teat.