To the editor:

As I was sitting on my sofa watching our local evening news, I was perplexed by what sounds like impending doom for our Medicaid system and wondering why it is that the only solution to all of our problems would be to raise tobacco taxes.

Does anyone ever think of the poor tobacco farmer (what’s left of them) who is probably barely hanging on by the skin of his teeth? These farmers are just like the rest of us, with families to raise and bills to pay along with all the other obligations they have.

All of a sudden, I had a whopper of an idea, let’s establish a tax on a certain portion of our elected officials’ campaign contribution and increase taxes on both alcohol and tobacco. But, then I got to thinking how my idea wouldn’t sit too highly with these officials because quite a bit of these taxes would come from their pockets.

I would be willing to bet “the farm” that nine out of ten of our elected officials are either sippers, nippers, sots, drunkards or just plain ole alcoholics, none of whom would be willing to admit this of course. I personally would rather strap my grandchildren into the passenger seat of someone with tobacco smoke on their breath than I had with a third offense DUI driver who still has their driver’s license because they are “one of the good ole boys or gals” and a favor has been granted to “fix” the citation.

Come on people of our government, I dare you to take me up on my idea. As a matter of fact, I double dog dare you.

— Pat Temple

Laurel