Smokers Hit Again

Following is a letter to the Austin American Statesman regarding the Texas Legislature's Wednesday deadline for school funding. I would add that a well designed state income tax, heavy on the big money side, would eliminate sales taxes, gasoline taxes, property taxes, liquor taxes, gambling taxes and a host of other hidden beauties. No wonder the Texas Legislature doesn't want to properly fund the education system. Even an educated dummy could see that!!!! Sam

Sam Nettles- "Real Texas Freedom"
http://www.angelfire.com/tx5realtexasfreedom or http://realtexasfreedom.blogspot.com/

Smokers hit up again
Texas already collects between $500 million and $600 million in cigarette taxes annually.
My household uses two cartons of cigarettes weekly. I'm already paying $8.20 a week in cigarette taxes. Now the Legislature wants me to pay $20 a week.
There's more. Since Texas won a $15 billion settlement with cigarette companies, our cigarettes went up by $10 per carton. We smokers provide that money for Texas.
This proposed cigarette tax is despicably unfair. No other consumer or business group has been targeted with such an odious, onerous levy.
With just a little integrity, the Legislature could give back the bribes to the big industrial polluters — responsible for a plethora of illnesses — and tax them.
CHARLES BROWARD
Kerrville