No such thing as free

It is fascinating to me to read about free programmes to stop smoking, free tertiary education for first year students, how ‘the council or community boards' have paid x amount of dollars for this project or that one.

For the benefit of those woolly-headed people who continually talk about these free activities, let me set you right. There is no such thing as a free anything.

In the case of free tertiary education for first year students, the taxpayer is the ultimate payer. For those who cannot stop smoking without ‘free' patches or gum or whatever, again the taxpayer is the ultimate payer because you have neither the will nor the brains to see what damage smoking is causing you and the inconvenience you are causing taxpayers in making them pay for your benefit.

When it comes to councillors and community boards, you do not have your money, you have ratepayers' money which you allocate to projects, sometimes in direct opposition to ratepayers' wishes.

Finally, I believe smokers contribute about $1 billion in taxes which goes into the government coffers. If New Zealand is smoke-free by 2025, where is that tax money going to come from I wonder?

P Burrell, Katikati.

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