If you find you’ve just written a sentence that begins with "Under a proposal by Gov. Deval Patrick" . . , just stop writing .. we already know what will follow. it's time to regift the statue of liberty since we have no more use for it.

This state and the federal government benefit greatly from the taxes included in the price. Should the rate be increased sales will decrease as will state and federal tax revenues. If the taxes were decreased the opposite would result but Democrats do not decrease taxes.

When DeVal raised the State Sales tax our border towns simply purchased in New Hampshire,etc... Decreasing state revenue. When he increases Cig tax he is forcing smokers to purchase in New Hampshire...again reducing revenue.

In his mind if he increased Cig tax to say $1000 per pack we would really maximize profits. Perhap most people see increasing taxes at some point have a diminishing return. DeVal has passed it, and this is why business is leaving MA.

I am no fan of Cadillac Drivel Patrick. I buy everything I can in NH, it pains me to give in and shop at a local shop because I didn't plan well enough.

I am not a fan of taxes but to look at it from the other side, how much does it cost tax payers every year to take care of people who smoke or get health issues due to consumption of junk food. We are becoming an overweight lazy society. We pretty much poison ourselves with unhealthy foods and then we make Phamacutical Companies rich buying medications to counteract our poor habits. We eat like crap make ourselves sick the then say give us Insulin, Lipitor ect. This drives healthcare costs and Medicare costs through the roof and we all pay for it. We spend nearly 17% of our GDP on healthcare. We spend more on healthcare than every other country in the world.

Government takes enough of our money already. No need for any new taxes.

We just lowered corporate taxes, reducing revenues by 148 million. This is part of a multiyear plan which is reducing rates from 9% to 8%.

Deval's plan eliminates a special sales tax exemption on candy, increasing revenues by $61 million, and hikes the cigarette tax to gain another $73 million. Combined, they don't offset the reduced corporate tax.

Everyone wants their local aid, Chapter 70 school funding, roads, and affordable housing for seniors and vets. The question is who's going to pay for it? Candy-eating kids, smokers, or businesses?

Mike and RH bring up good points-people do not like to be told what to do, and they do not want to be told how to spend their money. And no one has mentioned how many people who aren't finding jobs have had to depend on the state for welfare and health ins, housing, utilities, foodstamps, cell phones and similar programs. I heard there's even a program that will help them pay their car insurance. Someone's got to pay for it, and I'm frustrated with paying for it with 1/3 of my paycheck each week. Let the users pay a little for now. I choose not to smoke, eat a lot of candy or even subscribe to cable television. It's the only way I have left to maximize what's left of my income.

Every time this guy opens his mouth, it's another TAX. How about cutting Your bennies???He can't go away enough, so we don't get taxed. I'm sure just like the last tax on cigg's the money will go to Enlighten the public not to smoke. This will stop everyone from eating candy and drinking soda...More money to line these idiots pockets, can you say Chelsea building association, or disabled collabrativemoney. Stop those kinds of thievery and save a buck there instead of working folks.

How much can we cut legitimately cut benefits and how much would that affect the state budget and taxation levels? Does anyone know of a link to any studies?

I think a TV watching tax would be great. Perhaps a meter could be applied to every TV and the owner would be responsible for, say $1/minute, as a stupidity assessment. If less people watched TV and exercised instead, then we would have a much healthier population and insurance would be less. Maybe we should also assess a health premium to TV watchers as they are going to over burden our communistic insurance system.

A brief course correction from whacko land....insurance companies have been driving up health costs & premiums for years...they spend huge dollars with lobbyists in washington....hospitals, healthcare providers & us premium payers have been held hostage by them for years.....taxes on gasoline are supposed to maintain our roads & bridges.....profits from the Mass lottery are supposed to be divided to help cities & towns....payroll social security taxes were supposed to be escrowed to pay the future retirement benefits of those workers....unfortunately those funds were raided to pay for other things in washington & balance their budgets....greed, derivatives and insuring those derivatives is the reason for too big to fail, tarp & the housing bubble burst....but to be "PC" let's blame all of those bad people who smoke, drink, don't eat what you think is healthy, watch too much TV, play too many video games, "misbehaving" people & students????? ARE YOU SERIOUS?????

Cigarettes are a different issue, but the reason why food is not taxed in MA is because it is considered a necessity. Taxing food would be regressive since the poor have less money to spend on necessities. (not that we don't have some regressive taxes). But are candy and soda necessities? With all the processing, are they even really food?

Because eating at a restaurant is not considered a necessity by the state.

Prepared food at your gocery store is Taxed in Mass...Next the toy in the Happy Meal!!!Saw an interesting rant by a reader from Mass this AM..You make the money they Tax it,you save the money they Tax it,you spend the money they Tax it,Tax it a second time when you buy gas,Tax it agian when you buy a car, Sales, Excise. People are Struggling Bigtime now and all these people can think of is Another Tax!!!How's that gas tax money working out on your roads??? Getting better??Lot of smoking stopped since the last tax on it???

intereting point, Dan-we can make choices to avoid some taxes, but its almost impossible to avoid them all. I quit smoking when cigs went to $2.50/pack. They are now over $8./pack, and people are slowing down, but not in significant enough numbers to make a differnce. Some people gave up their cars when they got too expensive. Others get their internet at a public place, such as the library. or now wireless phones make it pretty easy to get. Others shop in NH. Others still get as much as they can from yard sales. Others still give up and go on welfare. It's all in how creative you want to be.

I can get just as creative as the next person, but we are losing alot. Keep the lights off as much as possibe,heat turned down, don't drive as much fine, but I don't see anyone at the top doing anything like that!!!You think John Kerry can relate to the working people in this state?? How about eEizebeth Warren and her 600K salery a year from Harvard, think she can relate??? Why is it always the people who pay the bills and do right that get hit over the head??? Sex offenders on every street, but I have to pull my kids inside and change my lifestyle for them???What happens when people stop smoking, or drinking, where will the tax money come from then??? Potato chips next???Butter, white bread?? I never said we don't need taxes, but the money these pol's get Never put it to what it is supposed to go to. You want to live like Ted Kazinsky fine, but I would like a little bit of pleasure in my life without being fleeced by the have's evertime I turn around!!!

Don't know Vivian...Your right as far as getting people together to support a cause. Check out the town meetings...Just because it happens doesn't mean you can't use a forum to get it off your chest!!!Most people in this state just sit back and take it, and wonder why nothing changes. Moan and groan but do nothing about it..I try atleast by writing in to the paper Lowell Sun, or this application. I call my Rep and Senator, and show up to vent at thier meetings. Mr Miceli and Mr Finegold are atleast receptive and listen and seem to try and get things done, but other than sticking my head out the window and shouting I'm Mad as Hell and Not going to take it anymore, I'm just as mystified as you are. I would have thought after the last election things were going to change and people were fed up, but the same old same old got in, and here we are talking about taxes again...You would think it would reach a point when people would have enough, but not there yet I guess. Don't see it getting any better soon.

It's funny how people complain about Deval's proposals when the people voted to keep him in office. Massachusetts you've made your bed now lie in it!

mike t. Lets get one thing straight, Not ALL the people in Mass voted for him !!!

Bob, I hope you're joking!