I am writing in response to the Sept. 29 article titled “Cigarette tax gets support of GSB.”

In response to another attempt to take care of those who are believed not to be able of taking care of themselves, GSB has decided to let the Iowa Board of Regents know raising the price of a pack of cigarettes by $1 is a motion supported by the ISU student body. Naturally, this is just the next step in the war on tobacco, a war waged only because the war on illegal drugs was too hard to fight. This isn’t exactly what I have a problem with, however; I have a different question entirely.

I’m really quite curious to know when exactly it was that GSB decided that logic is not to be allowed in the room when a debate is taking place.

On one hand, GSB believes if cigarettes cost more, fewer people may pick up the expensive habit, and some smokers may even quit. Sounds great, considering we’re all so aware of the health risks involved with smoking.

On the other hand, we find that this resolution was passed for financial reasons as well. The tax increase is supposed to generate revenue, something everyone loves.

The contradiction here between these two “reasons” is so glaring that I have not seen intellectual curtains as thick as the ones GSB must have on the windows in their war room that block out the warm rays of logic and reason.

Heaven forfend that one would be forced to actually have a logical reason to tax cigarettes.

You can’t really generate revenue if people stop smoking, and you can’t stop people from smoking if you plan on generating more revenue. We all understand that you’re trying to “fight the good fight” and all that jazz, but please, think before you decide to tell a newspaper what your reasons for endorsing a tax hike as large as this.

Jacob Manske

Graduate student

Mathematics