April 9,  2002
BROOKLYN SKYLINE - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Stop Blowing Smoke

To the Editor:

Mayor Bloomberg has a message for the over 2 million NYC residents who smoke: Go to hell.  That's what he's saying when the only tax hike he proposes in his city budget comes out of the pocket of smokers.  When asked about cigarettes he responded, "Tax the hell out of it."  Inanimate objects don't pay, people do.

In interview after interview he's stated that raising taxes would "destroy" this city.  So he'll crush smokers instead.  We're dismissed as insignificant collateral damage.  He holds such contempt for adults who choose to smoke (he's called us "crazy") that he sees nothing wrong with victimizing us while vehemently opposing tax increases for everyone else.  One quarter of the residents will pay for services that benefit everybody.

Anyone who dares to enjoy this legal product is at the mercy of the public accepting the same two tired excuses used to justify such prejudicial treatment.  They are completely at odds with each other.  You can't raise revenue and want people to stop buying cigarettes at the same time.

Don't let the contradiction of rationales fool you though.  There is a greater goal at work than mean-spritedly using intimidated smokers for cash flow or an overbearing concern for our health.  By edict of the anti-smokers, smoking must be stopped whether smokers want to or not.  After over a decade of propaganda by the anti-smokers who use words such as "abnormal" to describe and redefine a perfectly legal behavior politicians have been molded by this crusade and willingly agree to use their power to aid and abet their agenda.

I am sick of hearing words like "help" and "encourage" when describing how high cigarette taxes will keep us from smoking.  They're verbs  they hide behind to justify totalitarian measures geared toward social engineering.  They'll stop us from smoking by making us financial prisoners.

Every negative measure implemented against smoking is methodically intended to ultimately turn society against smokers.  Their objective is a smoke-free society and this is part of their plan.  One day it won't matter if you have a lit cigarette in your hand.  You'll be relegated to the back of the bus because the patch you'll be mandated to wear on your sleeve says "Smoker."

In the meantime, smokers will run across borders in droves to buy their cigarettes.  The same message right back at you, Mr. Mayor.

Sincerely,
Audrey Silk
NYC CLASH




April 23,  2002
BROOKLYN SKYLINE - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Tax The Smokes

To the Editor:

Audrey Silk's diatribe against the city's proposed cigarette tax increase cannot go unchallenged.  The purpose of the tax is two-fold:

    1.  It will make people who already smoke pay a greater share of the astronomical health care costs their deadly habit imposes on the rest of us through public hospitals, higher health insurance premiums, Medicare and the like.  Like heroin addicts, nicotine addicts will pay any price to obtain their noxious weed.

    2.  It will discourage children and teenagers from becoming addicted in the first place.  They have less disposable incomes than adults and studies have shown that when the price of cigarettes rises they are less likely to start smoking.

Ms. Silk's attempt to invoke the civil rights movement falls flat.  Any discrimination smokers face is based not on who they are but on what they do -- a filthy disgusting habit that endangers not only their own health but that of anyone who has to breathe their foul smelling poison gas.  Smokers are welcome anywhere on the bus -- as long as they don't smoke.  And they need not worry about having to wear patches on their sleeves.  No identifying symbol is necessary, their breath stinks.

Sincerely,
Zev Stern
Sheepshead Bay
 




May 28,  2002
BROOKLYN SKYLINE - LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Stop Blowing Smoke

To the Editor:

Zev Stern (Letters, April 23) took issue with my letter about the latest assault on smokers whereby Mayor Bloomberg wants to raise the cigarette tax exorbitantly.  He believes that smokers don't pay enough to cover healthcare costs, likens us to heroin addicts and invokes the "for the children" defense, adding that they are less likely to afford the increase than adults.

In 1997 the impartial Congressional Research Service studied and reported that, "In general, smokers do not appear to currently impose net financial costs on the rest of society."  They determined that the lawsuit not even yet reached between the tobacco companies and the 46 states would increase the transfer of money from smokers to nonsmokers.

In other words, we already paid our fair share and now we'd pay extra.

That money, a hidden tax, was supposed to be used for the recovery of healthcare costs.  Most of it is used to finance something you benefit from, like roads.  Since then NYS has raised the taxes on cigarettes twice and now Bloomberg wants to raise it more -- practically none of it for use to cover medical expenses.  How much do you think we owe the state and city before they actually start using that money for healthcare?

You condone soaking smokers because according to you they're just addicted losers.  Millions of people have quit smoking.

Self-righteousness is a poor excuse to punish people who do nothing illegal and freely choose to continue smoking because the personal enjoyment outweighs the risk.

Mr. Stern's final emotional outburst needs no addressing.  It spoke for itself.  The usual arrogant, intolerant attitude toward a legal behavior came through loud and clear.  Without me needing to say a word you make our case about how inexplicable hate fuels the drive to make pariahs out of smokers.

Sincerely,
Audrey Silk
NYC CLASH


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