Cigarette tax bad idea

I am bothered by the thought of the Utah Legislature raising any taxes in this economy. As an employee at a Shop n' Go, I know any increase in taxes will significantly decrease store revenue and could force my boss to lay off employees or possibly close the doors permanently. Cigarettes are a legal product, and we sell them only to adult consumers. It does not make sense to me for lawmakers to target a particular product, which is not a reliable source of revenue. Instead of looking to fix the budget with a cigarette tax hike, I urge our legislators to balance the budget the same way we taxpayers balance ours: fiscal responsibility. Increased taxes of any sort will only hurt small businesses and prolong our economic troubles.

Jessie Turner

Salt Lake City