This letter-to-the-editor was published in the August 20 editiion of The Courier-Journal, and provides yet more good talking points against cigarette taxes.

Taxes on Smokers

Smokers already more than pay their "fair share," doling out $298 million in excise and sales taxes in 2007 (Aug. 16 editorial, "The good tax").
While the approach may be appealing at first glance, historically cigarette tax increases are notoriously unpredictable and often lead to higher overall tax rates.

They are also craftily presented as a tax increase that affects only smokers, but that isn't the case. The Maryland Legislature, for example, passed a $1 cigarette tax hike last year, saying it would be a reliable source of revenue. But now, to their "surprise," the revenue is expected to come up $20 million to $25 million short. This lack of cigarette tax revenue is a key contributor to the state's budget deficit, and now non-smoking residents will have to foot the bill.

Studies have shown that states with higher cigarette taxes also have higher total tax burdens. That's no coincidence. Cigarette taxes are an unstable source of revenue for the state and, like other tax increases, should be avoided.

JOHN NOTHDURFT
The Heartland Institute
Chicago 60603

The Heartland Institute is a national nonprofit research and education organization, based in Chicago. It is not affiliated with any political party, business, or foundation.

Heartland's mission is to discover, develop, and promote free-market solutions to social and economic problems. Such solutions include parental choice in education, choice and personal responsibility in health care, market-based approaches to environmental protection, privatization of public services, and deregulation in areas where property rights and markets do a better job than government bureaucracies.

The Heartland Institutes website address is: www.heartland.org.

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