Smoke Up Johnny! New taxes for the tobacco the inclined

It's no secret that the tobacco industry is one of the life-bloods of the American Economy. The industry makes billions of dollars each year off the public's decision to kill themselves slowly with nicotine and carcinogens.
And of course we've all seen the anti-smoking campaigns, everything from real blackened lungs (gross) to those truth.org commercials (totally preachy and pretentious.) But in the end do we really need all that garbage? Come on! We all know smoking is bad for your health. Anyone who doesn't think so is either deluding themselves, unbelievably ignorant, or smoking something else as well (if you take my meaning.)
Just as "smoking is bad for you" is a fundamental truth, so is "New York State will find more ways to tax you." Tobacco and taxes in New York state go together like Chuck Norris and a roundhouse kick. Therefore it comes as no surprise that NYS has once again increased the taxes on cigarettes by $1.60 effective July 1st. This will raise the cost of an average pack of cigarettes to a whopping $9.20 and $11 or more in New York City.
What is slightly surprising is how forthright NYS lawmakers are about the reason for the tax hike. They aren't trying to hide behind the idea that this will reduce the amount of smokers. Rather they say it's about one thing: money. Wow! Refreshing candor from Albany! Who would have thought?
At least they recognize that taxes will in virtually no way affect whether or not smokers quit. In some cases it may, but if the people really want to smoke they will find other methods, such as Native American reservations, the Internet, border states, or (gasp!) the black market. It's kind of like the idea that levying higher taxes on the rich works. It's a fallacy. The rich will just find a way to hide their money, just like committed smokers will find a way to buy their cigarettes more cost effectively.
The bottom line is that NYS will try to bilk the taxpayers in any way they possibly can. The myopic troglodytes that run this state manage money about as well as Carlos Zambrano manages his emotions.
So am I in favor of this new tax on cigarettes? Hell yes! How else are we going to pay the money we still owe Elliot Spitzer's hookers?