Senate and House Democrats are falling all over each other to see who can be first to destroy the U.S. cigar industry. Dueling bills in the Senate and House would raise the tax on cigars to fund healthcare programs for "children". And as usual Congresses definition of "children" is being relaxed to include adults as old as 25 and illegal aliens.

Rather than tax diapers, toys, video games or other child accouterments, Democrats are adopting a "from each according to their ability" strategy. They plan to raise the maximum tax on a cigar from $1 per cigar to a whopping $10 per cigar. Low-end cigar prices would likely triple.

Not only will the U.S. cigar industry be decimated, but the cigar industry in many Latin American countries like the Dominican Republic will also suffer.

Adding insult to injury Democrats from Florida (the home of the American cigar industry) are actually pushing for the tax hike. Senator Bill Nelson (D-FL) and freshman Delegate Kathy Castor are both in favor of the bill because it's for the children. Castor has gone so far as to lead the Democrat charge rather than support the constituents of her Tampa district (the U.S. cigar capital).

What is most ironical perhaps, is that the tax hike will actually do more to harm the children (and 25 year old illegal aliens) than help them. The taxes are so prohibitive that many people would simply stop smoking cigars. Cigars are not addictive like cigarettes, and cigar smoking would certainly decline.

Die-hard cigar enthusiasts would resort to buying bootlegged cigars or using Al Gore's internet to have smokes shipped in from low-tax countries like Spain. That means nobody will be left to fund the $8 Billion votes for health care program that Democrats and some Republicans are planning. And as long as you're buying cigars from overseas, you might as well support Castro's Cuba and pick up some of the people's cigars.