Biggest cigarette tax increase starts now...ready to quit smoking yet?

Today the largest increase in the federal tobacco tax of all time is going into effect -- what used to be 39 cents per pack will now be $1.01 per pack. It won't exactly pay the tab of the stimulus package, but it's probably the most palatable to the average Joe.

Typically the easiest way to get a consumer to be in favor of a tax increase is by convincing her or him that someone else will pay it. No one personally wants to pay more in taxes, but if someone else is paying, who really cares? It's even easier to get a consumer to endorse a tax if those paying the tax are made out to be evil villains.

Naughty rich people are often the targets of tax increases. It doesn't matter that they pay an enormously high proportion of the taxes in this country (yes, more than their fair share), they can "afford" more so let's stick it to them.