Congressman Hayes would prefer you smoke instead of having a healthy kid.

[Hudba]

Unbelievable. That was my first reaction when I heard How Robin Hayes keeps voting against the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) bill. I'm pretty sure you'll agree with Me after you read what his reasoning behind his vote is.

Contrary to what I hear from most republicans, including our dearest President, Hayes is not against the SCHIP bill because it would "be a first step toward government run healthcare....bla bla....communists....9/11". That logic is crazy and dead wrong, but at least there's some logic to it.

No, Hayes is all for SCHIP, the only thing he disagrees with is the way it is funded. The way the expansion of the SCHIP program would be paid for is by raising the taxes on a pack of cigarettes by 61 cents. He fears it would hurt the North Carolina tobacco industry.

First of all, I don't think anyone is going to stop smoking because they would have to pay 61 cents more for a pack of cigs. Even if they do, is that a problem? I thought that quitting smoking was a good thing?
Tell me honestly, would you have a problem paying 3 cents more per cigarette you smoke if you knew that this money would pay for health care for millions of children?? Apparently Hayes thinks you'd have a problem with that.

Hayes quotes some economist that's been working for the tobacco industry for years and he estimates the damage to the NC tobacco industry would be $540 million. I seriously doubt these numbers because, like I said, I don't believe anyone is going to stop smoking because a cigarette costs 3 cents more. Even if you do believe this number, there is one thing Hayes forgets to mention....

You can read the rest of the story on my blog: www.lefton49.com

[fedupfisherman]

1. Tobbacco runs NC

Tobacco taxes are a hot, thorny issue in NC.

Don't forget that

[supernova]

2. I would say it doesn't impact the small farmer anymore

but it would (heh) put a dent in the tobacco factories. A lot of small farmers now aren't independently operating and selling at auction they way they used to. They are now more or less forced to do contracting for the factories.

Robin Hayes is another repuke dino that needs to be booted out of office.

[passiveprogressive]

3. It would only hurt tobacco farmers...

...until they stopped farming tobacco. I live in a place where there is a field next to my house, in front of my house, and behind my house, so I've had first-hand experience with the woes of the tobacco industry. The people who farm my dad's field used to plant a lot of tobacco out there when I was a kid, but since it's become such an issue, they just stopped farming tobacco and moved onto other things. I understand that tobacco is a real money-grabber, but with soy and corn products on the rise (think tofu and alternative fuels), it's become just as lucrative for them to grow corn, soy beans, and cotton. It's been a while, actually, since one of the fields around home has had tobacco in it, but if it's hurt the guy who farms them, it isn't showing-- he just built this huge (rather disgustingly overdone, if you ask me) 3-story house down the road and bought a new 40-something-thousand dollar truck.

If Hayes is so worried about the local farmer, then he should tell him to put down the Marlboros, pick up a bag of cotton seed, and come see him about SCHIP when his whole family ends up with lung cancer from his second-hand smoke.