Cig Tax

By Roland Lara on Nov 3, 2005 4:38PM

The budget is a drag.

Smokers are the butt of the budget.

Um, the budget is all smoke and mirrors?

Yeah, we’re reaching here. Chicagoist suspects that The Tribune loves covering all things smoking-related just to throw feeble puns in the headlines.

Exhibit A is today’s’ article on Mayor Daley’s budget that lets Chicago drivers, homeowners, and businesses off the hook for the tax increase, but sticks it to smokers: “Budget is only a drag for some.”

Groan.

The Mayor’s only proposed tax increase this year is to levy another 20¢ per pack. [Sidebar: Chicagoist just noticed that there is no cent sign on the keyboard. We always thought there was, but it’s just never come up before. They used to be on typewriters, yes? We have to go hunting for it in “symbol” in Word. Oh look, an explanation.]

This tax boost bumps up the City’s take to 68¢ per pack.

Haven’t these smokers suffered enough? We already blame them for making our clothes stink in bars. We accuse them of killing us softly with their smog. And every time they try to raise their voices in protest they end up coughing for miles. Now we're throwing yet another tax on them. Poor little lambs.

Poor little yellow-teethed lambs.