I might be mistaken, but I was under the assumption that raising the cigarette tax was originally done to encourage people to quit smoking and get healthy. Evidentally, it hasn’t worked well enough.

Now, our re-elected governor wants to try again by adding another dollar to the per-pack tax. Is that to get people to quit smoking and be healthy, or is it to help balance his sorry state budget?

It appears clearer to me, now, that all along, the cigarette tax was not for the people’s health, but for the health or wealth of the governor’s budget. There are probably better ways to help the budget, and it should probably start at the top.

By the way, I am not a smoker.

David Begos, Lisbon Falls