Yes, the ALA, ACS, AHA, the usual suspects-are demanding (not asking for or calling for-DEMANDING) an increase in taxes on cigarettes again in Ohio. Why it's to help keep kids from smoking, of course-not those on a fixed income, retirees, or low-income folks-it's just to help keep the kids from tobacco. They're meeting with politicians now to discuss it. Taft wanted to raise it to help bail the state out last year, but the Ohio House & Senate refused & stuck by their guns, as he'd just gotten his way & gotten it raised the year before-so I have no idea where this is going.

Smokefree WI just came out demanding a tax increase too. A dollar increase because...drum roll please...Smokers cost the medicare system.

We need to band together and say "Enough"! They forgot we are the bosses, since they work for us! If the state of Ohio or any other state for that fact need more, all politicians MUST give up their perks, and some salary, like about 10%

Right now out of every $1.00 we spend .45 cents goes to "Hidden Taxes" Thats right the property tax fuel tax, and all the other taxes business pay all go into the price of their product or service! We are paying $0.50 pre gallon of gasoline, with NO show for the revenue! I say write your state reps and the Fed's too and tell them " I have had all I can stand, and I'm NOT going to take it any more!

ACS should ask the Red Cross for some of the 9-11 money they stole. Congress and the President did NOTHING about it! The people "donated" money to NCY to help those who's lives were devistated. The Red Cross helped themselves to billions, whith a pat on the back by Curoius George the Chimp, and Chenny is his organ grinder! If America only cared!

I think every person should demand the money counties received from the MSA be put toward the Medicaid programs.

Here we go with Erie County (Buffalo) again. They have been choosen as the straw that broke the camel's back, here in NY. They refuse to look at overspending, patronage jobs, pension plans, overtime being paid to salaried employees and the like as any contributing factor to the $30 million deficit. They blame the whole budget crisis on Medicaid. They are going to make the people of Erie Co. pay for questioning their leadership. Police forces cut, libraries closed, school nurses eliminated.

On the local news last night were remarks made from County Executive, Joel Giambra and Governor Pataki that after extensive research (which I highly doubt) NYS's Medicaid woes are due entirely to the massive amount of elderly receiving benefits. Further research has shown that when the baby boomers reach retirement, look out. Healthier lifesytles, more advance research have people living way beyond the 5 to 10 years they had planned on.

The plan of attack now is to go after the elderly who have choosen to scam the system (can't believe anyone would do that) by liquidating and signing over assets in the legal time allowed. The elderly who have choosen to try to keep a little of the money and their homes they worked hard for instead of handing it over to the drug companies.

Another solution will be raising the age of retirement even more, keeping even more jobs unavailable to the younger people trying to raise families.

So we'll completely eliminate smoking, making another 25% of the population living forever, and everyone will pay for it in increased taxes. I think they should be giving cigarettes away to those of us willing to help our fellow Americans.