S-CHIP

The President SHOULD veto this version of the S-CHIP bill and congress should not attempt to overturn the veto. The S-CHIP plan should eventually be approved but not in its current form.

Currently, the majority of the funding would come from a higher cigarette tax. This is counterintuitive for two obvious reasons:

First, the government, as it should, is trying to curb the nation's smoking habit. The percentage of smokers in our society has grown smaller and will continue to do so. Thusly, the funding for the bill would continue to dwindle.

Second, the majority of the country's smoking population is low-middle income. The same income bracket the S-CHIP bill is meant to help.

Cigarettes should be taxed as a deterrent to smoking. The money could be dispersed evenly through the state's expenses. Lagniappe money for the betterment of society. The taxes to fund S-CHIP, however, should be levied upon all making an income above the threshold for S-CHIP.

The President is vetoing this bill, not because those benefiting would actually be funding it, but because he will not raise taxes.

Unfortunately, the current administration would not dare to approve a bill that raises taxes on the more fortunate.

Clearly, until 9/20/09, this issue is a stalemate.