Gee, I wonder why it’s taking so long….

- MJM

Seven weeks and still no answer.

And I remain unsurprised.

Michael J. McFadden
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains”

It’s now been just about two weeks since I asked Senator Robert Casey to justify hitting one of the poorest segments of the American population with over a 2,000% tax increase.

So far I have heard nothing.

I guess I shouldn’t be surprised.

Michael J. McFadden
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains”

You might also want to share the following with your readers. It’s an email I sent to PA’s Sen. Robert Casey about SCHIP after he sent a form response to me about what a great thing it was. We’ll see if he has anything to say to my specific question.

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Thank you for your response Senator Casey.

I would ask though that you take just one or two minutes to explain to my citizens’ group exactly how you justify a tax increase of over 2,000% on what is quite likely the single poorest well-defined substantial minority group in all of Pennsylvania to pay for this program. I am of course speaking of those smokers who are too poor to be able to afford to buy cigarettes, even at the old price, and who were forced to roll their own from shreds of loose tobacco and scraps of paper.

The tax rate on loose tobacco is increased by SCHIP from about $1 per pound to $24 per pound. The great bulk of the population getting hit with this tax increase are living on incomes substantially below $20,000 a year (No, I do *not* have a study to prove that… can you suggest any non-tobacco company source that might fund one if common sense and observation do not provide sufficient verification?) and the proceeds of the tax will largely go to those living on $25,000 to $50,000.

President Obama said “WE are now making a commitment to our children.” Who is “WE”? Would SCHIP have been accepted if indeed the “WE” of all American people were asked to love children? Or did you feel that only smokers love children.

That would be the one question the members of PASAN would like to have a clear answer to… Why single out this single deeply impoverished group to be raped with over a 2,000% tax increase?

Please Senator, the justification.

Michael J. McFadden
Author of Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains

Quite aside from all that though, there is the issue of a 2,000% tax increase upon the poorest of the poor, those too destitute to even be able to buy ready-made cigarettes but are forced to roll their own from shreds of loose tobacco and scraps of paper. This group is arguably the single poorest well defined substantial demographic in the entire country and Obama’s SCHIP tax is going to hit them with OVER a 2,000% tax increase. This goes beyond unjust and enters into the realm of criminal.

Michael J. McFadden
Author of “Dissecting Antismokers’ Brains”