Poll Results: Most Don't Agree With Governor's Tax Hike Proposals

Last week, to increase the cigarette tax by 50 cents, impose a sales tax on candy and soda and expand Massachusetts' bottle deposit law to raise money for the state budget. 

Between Thursday and Tuesday afternoon, 49 people voted in our poll. 

The results? 

• 26 people (53 percent) said "No to all—people are still hurting. We shouldn't raise taxes right now and they won't have any desired effect on health or recycling." 

• 16 people (32 percent) said "Yes to all—remove the sales tax exemption for candy and soda, up the sin tax on cigarettes and expand the bottle bill. We need the revenue and these taxes may promote health and recycling." 

• And 7 people (14 percent) said "Yes and no—I agree with some of the proposals, but not all of them (explain in the comments)." 

In the comments section, readers debated the merits of a tax on cigarettes, candy and soda.  said that he was skeptical of such taxes because over time, the revenue gathered from them declines as people consume less of the products.

So to make up for the shortfall, the tax goes up. These taxes may be partially about health, but I suspect they're much more about revenue generation for the government.

 agreed, adding, however, that she worried that the price of staple foods would increase to the point where it would no longer deter people from buying unhealthy snacks. 

I am not sure there is a clear solution here, but a removal of the exemption from candy and soda would be acceptable to me.

What do you think of the results of the poll and these opinions? Tell us in the comment section below.