Jeff, isnt it sad the first campaign issue Deal can come up with to publicly endorse would be to tax the citizens with additional sales tax on goods they consume? This would only lead to the loss of more jobs in the industry being taxed.

Your ideas of a balanced budget and tracking down and stopping the waste of our tax dollars are exactly what State Represenative Austin Scott is traveling all over the state of Georgia to speak about while he campaigns to become our next Governor. I had the oppurtunity to see Austin speak twice this week and am convinced he is the right man to be supporting in the Republican primary in June 2010.

I think Deals Days Are Done. We nedd candidates with integrity and who have the respect of the citizens of Georgia. I dont believe Deal has either. I know Austin Scott has both.

Ok - I have come to a conclusion about Nathan Deal he is on a crusade. A crusade to completely destroy his own campaign!!! Seriously - raise taxes? If he thinks that will get him elected Gov. under the GOP then he has lost it. The GOP lost its way fiscally and paid the price in 2006 & 2008 and people like Deal show that some folks may not be teachable. As a member of the GOP this is why I got involved in the party to try and help bring the party back from the mushy middle back to a party of principles. If candidates don't get that then they will learn a lesson the hard way when the polls close. This is the third STUPID move/statement I have seen by Deal just this year!!! Seriously?

I know this story is about Nathan Deal and his stance on this issue, but let's remove him from the story for a minute, since he's completely deaf to the tune America is singing. If the government is going to provide lung cancer treatment for those who smoke, why not tax the hell out of a pack of cigarettes? I'didn't smoke the cigarette for them, why should I pay for their care? However, why not kill two birds with one stone here. Problem solved if government removes itself from the healthcare issue in it's entirety. If government doesn't have to pay for healthcare, no need for cigarette taxes. Let smokers smoke themselves to death if they want, just make sure they know they will no longer be able to STEAL money from others, through taxes, to pay for their cancer treatment. Can't pay for it themselves? tough beans, you need what you were doing and your personal lack of responsibility is no reason for me to sacrifice my time to go earn a living for your expenses. I'm very much a free market capitalist, and I'm not joking here. Not that I wnat people to smoke and do harm to themselves and would never encourage that, but imagine the job creation possibilities. Tobacco farms, more tractors for the farms, machinery and workers for the tobacco manufacturers, even more healthcare workers would be needed. Not to mention the jobs generated because those of us who don't smoke now have those former tax dollars to use at our own discretion. Geez, I could keep going....government education, government transportation, government housing.......