Comments on: What the Heck is a Sin Tax? http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/ Thoughts on Money, Investing and Life Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:41:13 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Roger http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/#comment-917 Roger Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:11:03 +0000 http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/?p=1559#comment-917 @Monevator: Welcome to the blog! Ring-fencing sin taxes is one possible idea, but the problem rises again when you try to figure out where to put the ring. If you use cigarette taxes to fund health care, for example, (as with the SCHIP program mentioned by sahmCFO), then you find yourself in the odd position of promoting smoking to help people stay healthy. If you attempt to more narrowly limit the use of the money (for example, using taxes on alcohol to pay for drunk driving check points), you can avoid this kind of catch-22, but then funding for other programs needs to come from other, less politically palatable sources (the general public). I'm not sure there is a simple, easy to implement solution; if there was, I'm hoping that even the politicians we currently have would be able to cooperate and use it. @Monevator: Welcome to the blog! Ring-fencing sin taxes is one possible idea, but the problem rises again when you try to figure out where to put the ring. If you use cigarette taxes to fund health care, for example, (as with the SCHIP program mentioned by sahmCFO), then you find yourself in the odd position of promoting smoking to help people stay healthy. If you attempt to more narrowly limit the use of the money (for example, using taxes on alcohol to pay for drunk driving check points), you can avoid this kind of catch-22, but then funding for other programs needs to come from other, less politically palatable sources (the general public). I’m not sure there is a simple, easy to implement solution; if there was, I’m hoping that even the politicians we currently have would be able to cooperate and use it.

]]> By: Monevator http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/#comment-914 Monevator Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:27:29 +0000 http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/?p=1559#comment-914 Perhaps sin taxes should be ring-fenced, so that money raised from cigarettes say can only be spent on healthcare, as at least an attempt to get around the Catch 22. .-= Monevator´s last blog ..<a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Monevatorcom/~3/42FcuqaYR8w/" rel="nofollow">Weekend reading: Can money buy freedom?</a> =-. Perhaps sin taxes should be ring-fenced, so that money raised from cigarettes say can only be spent on healthcare, as at least an attempt to get around the Catch 22.
.-= Monevator´s last blog ..Weekend reading: Can money buy freedom? =-.

]]> By: uberVU - social comments http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/#comment-909 uberVU - social comments Tue, 09 Feb 2010 01:49:10 +0000 http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/?p=1559#comment-909 <strong>Social comments and analytics for this post...</strong> This post was mentioned on Twitter by thesilverbar: What the Heck is a Sin Tax? http://bte.tc/awpb #RTW... Social comments and analytics for this post…

This post was mentioned on Twitter by thesilverbar: What the Heck is a Sin Tax? http://bte.tc/awpb #RTW…

]]> By: sahmCFO http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/#comment-907 sahmCFO Mon, 08 Feb 2010 20:28:59 +0000 http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/?p=1559#comment-907 Yeah - the irony is mind-boggling. .-= sahmCFO´s last blog ..<a href="http://sahmcfo.wordpress.com/2010/02/08/debt-reduction-slow-and-steady-wins-the-race/" rel="nofollow">Debt Reduction: Slow and Steady wins the Race</a> =-. Yeah – the irony is mind-boggling.
.-= sahmCFO´s last blog ..Debt Reduction: Slow and Steady wins the Race =-.

]]> By: Roger http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/#comment-902 Roger Mon, 08 Feb 2010 00:02:19 +0000 http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/?p=1559#comment-902 @sahmCFO: It is a tempting trade-off; certainly, as I mentioned, many politicians LOVE being able to fund programs and projects and pinning the costs on a relatively small group of the voters. I just worry that depending on people to keep sinning in order to fund vital projects (like children's health-care) is not the best approach. It seems like a slippery slope to 'If you want to keep your health insurance, kiddies, you have to get your parents to smoke more.' @sahmCFO: It is a tempting trade-off; certainly, as I mentioned, many politicians LOVE being able to fund programs and projects and pinning the costs on a relatively small group of the voters. I just worry that depending on people to keep sinning in order to fund vital projects (like children’s health-care) is not the best approach. It seems like a slippery slope to ‘If you want to keep your health insurance, kiddies, you have to get your parents to smoke more.’

]]> By: sahmCFO http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/what-the-heck-is-a-sin-tax/#comment-901 sahmCFO Sun, 07 Feb 2010 20:38:56 +0000 http://www.theamateurfinancier.com/blog/?p=1559#comment-901 The cigarette sin tax is what helped fund SCHIP right? I kinda like that trade off - Make the smokers pay for health-care for kids. The cigarette sin tax is what helped fund SCHIP right? I kinda like that trade off – Make the smokers pay for health-care for kids.

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