Several years ago there was a hulabaloo over the luxury tax.
Of course, since I wasn't planning on buying a 50 foot yacht or mansion in Bel Air anytime soon, I wasn't really overly concerned.
Last year, the State of Wisconsin enacted a tax increase on tobacco products, and since I'm not a smoker, I didn't really give it a second thought, until I stopped in the local gas station/coffee spot this morning for my daily coffee and gas.
Were my eyes deceiving me? I know I'm pushing 50 and I'm in deep denial about needing bi-focals, but I could have sworn that the sign hanging above the register read "Newports" $ 9.
75 per pack.
As I got closer, I blinked a few times to clear my eyes, and there it was again, $9.
75 per pack! Without going into the details of our states democratic leadership, let me just say that I was literally floored.
I have a staff of employees who are paid a whooping $7.
25/hr, which is totally out of my control.
If these folks smoke an average of a carton of cigarettes a week, they will literally be working one entire day per week, just to pay for their bad habit - and, it's a legal habit at that.
What to do, what to do? Not only am I concerned about the health of my employees, but I am concerned about their families.
I have a feeling that not only are they going to continue to smoke, I have a feeling that they might try to pinch pennies from other areas of their budgets to help pay for their smokes.
A few less fresh vegetables, store brand diapers and less frequent trips to the doctor are ways that these folks will help fund their habit.
I won't even mention that folks might get so desperate that they might even think that they need to shoplift their cigarettes instead of paying for them.
The solution? Non-smokers unite, and let's help our fellow co-workers kick the habit.
I am going to take it upon myself to educate my staff of minimum wagers about the programs that are readily available to them to help them quit smoking.
None of them have health insurance, but I know I can provide them with several alternatives.
The American Lung Association and The American Cancer Society have excellent brochures and pamphlets to offer to smokers.