While increasing tobacco taxes to reduce grocery taxes or create new programs may be politically popular, it is unfair for the Legislature to place the increased tax burden on the small percentage of citizens who use tobacco products.

I’ve read the articles and the results of polls that say the majority of Mississippi voters support raising the tobacco tax. It doesn’t surprise me. Tobacco taxes have become the favorite tax of almost 70 percent of the Mississippi voters because it is the one they don’t pay.

Judging by the number of bills introduced in the Legislature, it is the favorite of our legislators also because 70 percent of the voters don’t care if they raise it or not. I can only wonder if the proposals to reduce the grocery tax or begin new spending programs were to be funded by an income tax if the numbers supporting the proposal would be the same.

If everyone truly believed the grocery tax is unfair and should be replaced, I think everyone should be willing to step up to the plate and participate. It is not fair to place the cost of doing so on people who use tobacco products.

William N. Myers

Natchez resident

retailer of Discount Tobacco