I am ABSOLUTELY against Taxation as a way of solving ANY 'problem'.

1. The funds are rarely diverted, at least in full, to where politicians claim they will be.
(example: Speeding fines were supposedly to go into improving roads. In fact a lot of that money gets spent on more speed cameras.... and the rest goes into consolidated revenue)

2. The tax never solves the problem, and sometimes makes it worse.
(example: KRudd's "alcopops" tax. Supposedly would reduce drinking of spirits by young people. In fact many now just buy bottles of (straight) spirits and 'pre-load' before heading out on the topwn. Some studies indicate that they drink MORE actual alcohol now than they did previously)

3. Taxes almost always affect the responsible consumer (I used to drink Bundy and Coke cans - occasionally. I am not a drunk or socially irresponsible. Yet suddenly I am forced to pay more! Why? It's certainly punishing me for something I am not doing.


as MarkL points out:
Yep, and with the cigs continuing to be more expensive due to huge taxes I think we are now hurting the lifestyle of addicts (it's legal) and the less well off (they have more time to waste and have the highest smoking rates now/always).
It's about time there was an aggressive campaign of trying to help the last people smoking to give up. Keep hearing smoking's bad, gunna keep increasing taxes. Don't here much about smoking's bad, here's how we can help you give up.


Nailed it! If the government was GENUINE about stopping these addictions they would be ACTIVELY HELPING people to do so. (Say FREE stop smoking medications / personal support as long as required). It's a good investment if smokers are the drain on the health system that governments claim to be the case.
The same logic could be applied to obesity.

We are all being scammed, yet we sit back and let it happen.






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Quote Originally Posted by Cricket View Post
The other thing I would really love to see is a litter tax placed on takeaway food places like MacDonalds, Hungry Jacks, KFC and the likes as there is so much takeaway packaging just thrown out the windows of cars. We live in a rural area and see MacDonald wrappings along the roadside drains and the nearest takeaway food shop is in town miles from us
This wouldn't work. Again everyone would be paying it, not just the litterers.
And given they were paying the tax, the litterers' logic would be that they were now entitled to litter!