Some "bullitt" points, from Steve McQueen:

- The expansion will, just like the creation of the program, impose higher taxes on tobacco products, and funnel that booty into state governments, giving the governors (like Howard Dean and Jeanne Shaheen) the ability to claim they "got" kids health insurance.

- People 400% above the "poverty" line have been able to sign on to the program, which gives partial handouts to them. It inspires people at these various levels to drop their own personal-family health insurance coverage in favor of the government system.

- The people who sign on to this don't have to be children. You can be 30 years old and get into the program.

- The handout is unconstitutional.

- The tobacco tax is unconstitutional. Unfortunately, George Washington set the precedent when he broke the Constitution by enforcing an unconstitutional tax on Pennsylvania whiskey. His move to send troops to arrest the members of the "Whiskey Rebellion" was inspired by the devious Alexander Hamilton, who was one of the reasons the US moved towards centralization of government power, rather than decentalization.

- Tax Increases:

large cigars: 52.75% with a cap of 40.26 cents
cigarettes: $1.0066 per pack
pipe tobacco: $2.8311 per pound
RYO tobacco: $24.78 per pound
Little cigars: $50.33 per 1,000 ($1.0066 per pack)

Big thanks to Malcolm! You rock, man!

Here's a link to an article that gives a few other details: http://children.webmd.com/news/20090204/obama-signs-kids-health-insurance-bill

Enjoy your smokes while you can. Be Seeing You!