Open your eyes, people! The city took in $1.6 million less in cigarette taxes this year than last year. The reason: The city says smoking is not on the decline; smokers are just driving out of town to buy them in order to avoid the high taxes, the latest being a 75 cent-per-pack tax imposed in 2011.

Why is it so easy to explain with a pack of cigarettes and yet the Legislature wants to tax a barrel of oil until our revenue goes somewhere else? How blind can they be? Well, when the PFD is a $10 check or gone completely, maybe people will see the light, or they'll just leave the state like in the early '80s and then the tax revenue will really dry up.

Please, Legislature, take a course in Economics 101; the majority of you need it.

-- Steve Lewis

Anchorage