Don't know about this Obama, but...

[Jens]

as if I needed more reasons to quite smoking, he just gave me one that may work!  I am such an insufferable cheapskate, my tobacco doubling in price due to the tax in April may be enough to do it.  That's right, you heard me, my $12 can of roll your own, will have a $9 tax added!  Not quite double, but jeeeeeeez!  Most poor people will continue to just find ways to pay for their smokes, it is after all about the only luxury we have, and since we are addicted must find a way to afford.  I don't know though, I may cut it out, until I can grow my own at least.  By that time, it may be so detestable to me I don't want to! 

If I wanted to go into business on the black market, I would buy about $10,000 worth of tobacco stuffs, and sell it all out of my trunk after April fools day.

[glenn kangiser]

You won't report it annually so they can still get the tax if you grow your own, Jens?  Seems they would want that...

[Sonoran]

This makes me SOOOO angry!   

I'm not the best person to say what we should and shouldn't do, but here is my reasoning to why this is such a bad idea. 

People want Obama to save them..."save us Obama."  I want healthcare, I want benefits even if I work at McDonalds...I want the government to do this, and to do that.  AARGHH!!! 

If we want the government to do everything for us....what does that turn the government into...a socialist government!! The only way for it to do all of these things for us is to take control of all of these operations.

Now, concerning the taxes.  This is such a fickle fix.  The only thing raising taxes does is create a temporary boost for the government. Eventually, inflation will kick in and the increased taxes won't make the government any higher of a percentage of money then it was initially making, when the tax was started. 

On top of this...people are crying for the government to do all of these things. The ONLY way for the government to keep up is to raise taxes!!  It seems so ignorant to me.  People ask for the government to do things for them thinking it is free, but they end up paying for it anyways.  You might as well pay for these things yourself instead of turning a democratic republic into a socialist government just because you think you are getting some freebies!!

Okay, I'm done.

[wildbil]

People want Obama to save them..."save us Obama."  I want healthcare, I want benefits even if I work at McDonalds...I want the government to do this, and to do that.  AARGHH!!! 

If you look at the decrease in benefits all around you'll realize most don't want their benefits increased, just restored to when times were good.

everyone seems to show hatred for a socialist nation. But how long have we lived in a capitalist country where the rich Prey on the poor. Socialism controls people by providing for them(crippling) and equalizing wealth. Capitalism says, "if you made it to the top, you deserve to be at the top." So the rich brats inherit billions and think they were destined to be wealthy and powerful.

I don't believe any one "-ism" will solve all of our problems, we will definately need a hybrid system.