Legislators will abuse new levy

The legislators are trying to push up the price of the cigarette tax in South Carolina. They are telling the people of this state that by increasing the taxes on cigarettes, they will use the extra money to fund Medicare and cancer research.

That may happen for the first year or so, if that. Then there will be all kinds of things that they will say they need the extra money for, and the main purpose of the tax will be put aside and forgotten.

I came from Massachusetts, where the legislators and the governor couldn't wait to increase the state cigarette taxes for all kinds of pet projects. None of these projects included helping people to give up cigarettes.What has happened to all the money that was and is being given to all of the states from the judgment that the high courts awarded them a few years ago? That money is being spent on all kinds of things that it was never intended for.

The higher cigarette tax in Massachusetts hasn't done anything to fund anything that is going to help the people in any way, shape or form.

The legislators in South Carolina will be no better. They will spend the money on anything they can think of. The ones that will get nothing out of it are the people who are paying the extra tax.

There are many other ways that the legislators could come up with to raise needed tax money without touching the cigarette tax.

The writer lives in Myrtle Beach.