For Utah Residents

I am now a registered member of Citizens Against Government Waste. I found this and it is applicable to Utah residents. Read on if you are one--interesting how a few facts can change your mind!

The Utah State Legislature is right now considering legislation that would increase the state cigarette excise tax by 330 percent per pack.

While cigarette tax increases have proven politically popular across the country, time and again history has shown that raising excise taxes does not produce projected revenue. Of the 57 excise tax increases that states implemented between 2003 and 2007, only 16 met or exceeded revenue targets. As just one example, when New Jersey increased its cigarette tax in 2006, instead of gaining a projected $30 million in revenue, the state lost more than $22 million.

Utah's proposed tax increase would make its cigarette tax rate higher than those of all six bordering states, driving smokers to purchase their cigarettes across state lines, or through untaxed or lower-tax venues, such as Native American territories and the Internet.

When the expected tobacco tax revenue fails to materialize, the politicians in Salt Lake City will end up increasing yet more of your taxes to make up for the shortfall!

In addition, excise taxes are regressive, disproportionately impacting the poor and those living on fixed incomes, and the Congressional Budget Office has said that cigarette excise taxes are the most regressive of all. With millions of Americans across the country and in your state struggling to make ends meet, no taxpayer -- particularly not those most disadvantaged -- should be forced to hand over more of his or her hard-earned money to the government.

Please tell Governor Huntsman and your state senator and representative today to forego raising taxes and instead do what households across the country are doing: Cut wasteful and non-essential spending to fund vital priorities!