President Bush Vetoes SCHIP expansion.

I totally agree with his position, I just wish he had used the veto power more times in the past. And because I hate kids, especially those who can't afford health insurance,they are the worst(j/k). But I think we should get past the rhetoric and see what this new bill really does and you will see its faults and why Bush's' veto (only his 4th in 7 years) is correct. The new bill:

• pays for insurance for adults. It already covers 670,000 adults. The new law will increase that.
• makes illegal aliens eligible for free health insurance.
• families making up to $83k/year are eligible.
• proposes an increase of 35$ billion (Bush asked for an increase of $5 billion).
• its paid for by a 0.61 per pack tax increase on tobacco.
• The bearers of the tax will be the lower-class.
• Essentially the government is robbing the poor (through taxes) to pay for a middle class entitlement.
• Impact the economy,(i.e. jobs&revenues) of the states.
• It is a tax increase.

States across the country are seeing budget gaps where they expected to see revenues.
Maine reported that cigarette tax revenue has come in on average $800,000 lower than expected per month since January. New Jersey made the news recently for being the first state to see revenues actually decline after Gov. Jon Corzine’s tobacco tax increase. All told, a 61 cent per pack tax increase is expected to shrink state revenues by roughly $750 million. Also, please lay off the smokers, it is their choice. That can't smoke anywhere in New York anymore.

Here is a list of the proposed taxes on tobacco in order to fund SCHIP:

cigars from 20.719% to 53% with a $3 per cigar cap;
cigarettes from 39 cents to $1;
cigarette papers from 1.22 cents to 3.13 cents;
cigarette tubes from 2.44 cents to 6.26 cents;
snuff from 58.5 cents to $1.50;
chewing tobacco from 19.5 cents to 50 cents;
pipe tobacco from $1.0969 to $2.8126; and
roll-your-own tobacco from $1.0969 to $8.8889

Realize that people have brains and can make decisions,harmful or not for themselves because that is my definition of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention IT'S A TAX INCREASE!

*EXTRA* Dr. Greg Mankiw is a professor of economics at Harvard University. In the interest of fairness he has opposing and agreeing viewpoints on the President's veto of the SCHIP bill.