Should five per cent appear too small...

The brain trust at the Orlando Sentinel is all fired up that the state Legislature won't raise the cigarette tax. The Sentinel thinks it would be a great move because by raising the cigarette tax the state would bring in a ton of revenue because there are so many smokers. They say another benefit would be that teens wouldn't smoke because if a pack was a dollar more they couldn't afford the habit. And longtime smokers would quit over the higher price. Wait, something isn't adding up. I don't think those Sentinel smarties thought through their argument. How would the tax raise more money if it kept new smokers from taking up the habit and cause old smokers to quit? There would be nobody to pay it! So what's the real reason? Is a nonprogressive tax the best way to raise money? Many smokers are lower income folks who are addicted. Is it fair to tax them more and more? And keeping us healthy? Is that the government's job? How about alcohol taxes? Fast food taxes? Maybe the Sentinel just heard about the possibility of a bailout for newspapers and wants to make sure there will be enough money for them to take.