$10 per stick cigar tax?

[cigar no baka]

According to Cornyn he opposes the bill anyways, not because of cigars but because this is a gimmicky and short sighted way to fund an important health care program. So we're good there.

spiffy

OK, good, where or when did he say that?

[koolhandk]

Here is the response I received from Mel Martinez (FL):

Thank you for contacting me regarding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to take this opportunity to respond.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) enables states to provide coverage for low-income children with no health insurance in families with incomes higher than Medicaid eligibility levels. States are provided with three-year block grants from the federal government in order to administer these programs.

On February 5, 2007, President George W. Bush submitted his fiscal year 2008 budget request to Congress. This request proposes reauthorizing the SCHIP program for five years and increase SCHIP allotments by $5 billion. In addition, it encourages states to focus SCHIP on low-income, uninsured children below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level.

There are several proposals before Congress which would expand the SCHIP program to include millions of children and adults – many of whom already have coverage. In order to fund the $50 billion expansion, these proposals would raise the federal excise tax on tobacco by 61 cents and would cut funding to the Medicare Advantage program.

It is critical to our national economy that Congress act responsibly with taxpayer dollars when reauthorizing SCHIP. The Urban Institute recently released a study on the number of children eligible for SCHIP but who are not currently covered. They found that there are 690,000 children without coverage, which is far below the 9 million estimated by proponents of SCHIP expansion.

The mission of SCHIP is to ensure that low-income children have access to quality and effective health care. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that the “C” in SCHIP continues to stand for children, and that your tax dollars continue to support a program with proven results.

Again, thank you for sharing your views. If you have any additional questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. In addition, for more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator

[spiffykyle]

OK, good, where or when did he say that?

That's what i got on the phone with an aide, plus from a reply email. Here's a clip:

Dear Mr. Ingram:

Thank you for [blah blah blah blah blah]

[blah blah blah blah blah blah blah]...I believe Congress should not rely on budgetary gimmicks or tax increases. Instead, Congress should focus on eliminating wasteful government spending. In fact, the Government Accountability Office (GAO), an independent, investigative arm of Congress, has identified billions of dollars in federal expenditures that are vulnerable to waste, fraud, and abuse. The GAO found that more than 10 percent of SCHIP enrollees are actually adults whose participation in SCHIP is diverting funds from the needs of low-income children. Instead of raising taxes, Congress should strengthen SCHIP by considering the President’s proposal to terminate or reduce the budgets of over 140 inefficient or ineffective government programs.

[blah blah blah blah blah blah]

Sincerely,

JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator

spiffy

[Cabaiguan Juan]

I have not heard back from Pres. Bush yet, but I hope to soon.

[mithril]

I have not heard back from Pres. Bush yet, but I hope to soon.

me neither. I have gotten in contact w/ my senators, but they are both for the bill. I sure hope Bush vetos it.

[hex1848]

I got the same form letter response from Martinez:

Dear Mr. Gonzalez:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. I appreciate hearing from you and would like to take this opportunity to respond.

The State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) enables states to provide coverage for low-income children with no health insurance in families with incomes higher than Medicaid eligibility levels. States are provided with three-year block grants from the federal government in order to administer these programs.

On February 5, 2007, President George W. Bush submitted his fiscal year 2008 budget request to Congress. This request proposes reauthorizing the SCHIP program for five years and increase SCHIP allotments by $5 billion. In addition, it encourages states to focus SCHIP on low-income, uninsured children below 200 percent of the Federal poverty level.

There are several proposals before Congress which would expand the SCHIP program to include millions of children and adults – many of whom already have coverage. In order to fund the $50 billion expansion, these proposals would raise the federal excise tax on tobacco by 61 cents and would cut funding to the Medicare Advantage program.

It is critical to our national economy that Congress act responsibly with taxpayer dollars when reauthorizing SCHIP. The Urban Institute recently released a study on the number of children eligible for SCHIP but who are not currently covered. They found that there are 690,000 children without coverage, which is far below the 9 million estimated by proponents of SCHIP expansion.

The mission of SCHIP is to ensure that low-income children have access to quality and effective health care. I will continue to work with my colleagues in the Senate to ensure that the “C” in SCHIP continues to stand for children, and that your tax dollars continue to support a program with proven results.

Again, thank you for sharing your views. If you have any additional questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact me. In addition, for more information about issues and activities important to Florida, please sign up for my weekly newsletter at http://martinez.senate.gov.

Sincerely,

Mel Martinez
United States Senator

Nothing back from Bill Nelson, granted I think being a Democrat he will be all for this bill. It kind of pisses me off Mel Martinez would support this legislation. Not only is his party supposed to be anti tax, but he's Cuban American. Most of the cigar business in the State of Florida is run by Cuban Americans.



And this is why I'm happily independent.

[Monk]

Up here in my province there is a 56% tax on all tobacco imports that the retailer pays, then more tax on the consumer when he buys. SUUUUUCKS.

-W.

[cherokee244]

Sent my e-mails to Senators Bunning and McConnell of KY. They're both Republicans, so I'm assuming they're already against this. As recently as a few years ago, I could have guaranteed any Kentucky politician would line up to defend the tobacco industry, but since the federal government ended tobacco subsidies a couple of years ago, far fewer people here still grow it...

Oh well here's hoping for the best...God I hate my Macanudos being lumped in with cigarettes...