Unbelievable!

Cigarettes already have a $20 per carton state tax and a $10 per carton federal tax. An additional 6 percent state sales tax is added on top of these. Yet here we have The Sun printing an opinion piece by Vincent DeMarco, president of the Maryland Citizens' Health Initiative, urging further increases in cigarette taxes ("Cigarette tax boosts budget, health," Feb. 3).

It would appear no excess is too great when doing the work of the righteous.

Cigarette smokers have been taxed quite enough. If Mr. DeMarco and his friends need even more of other people's money to spread their benevolence and satisfy the glorified gluttony of obese incompetent government, let them look elsewhere.

Michael S. Brocato, Pasadena

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