Tobacco Tax

Re “State Tobacco Tax Ignites an Unlikely Political Fire,” Dec. 28: Will we ever learn that when someone wants to tax us, no matter what the product, the results are the same--the government wins and we lose. I fought to defeat the 50-cent tax on tobacco for California. It was close--I lost.

Now we have a chance to reverse the measure. Think about the new sidewalks for the tobacco settlement--then think about the millions collected for kids (ha!) that will go into bigger government projects. Then think about the Oreos you eat, the Fig Newtons, the macaroni and cheese, and the list goes on. Why do I bring this up? Because when you tax tobacco or the smoker, you raise the price of these products and more because RJR Nabisco, the Philip Morris Cos. and more own them. Wake up, people--tax tobacco just because you don’t smoke and hate it and you pay at the back end. So repeal this law.

THOMAS YOUNG

Culver City