Burning Money

NY Times ^ | August 22, 2005 | HOWARD MARKEL

[neverdem]

IN the late 1990's, the tobacco companies made a historic legal settlement with every state and the District of Columbia, agreeing to pay $246 billion over 25 years for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. In the last five years, the states have received $40.7 billion in tobacco settlement revenue but have devoted only 5 percent of this money to fighting the tobacco epidemic.

Alabama has spent more than $1 million of this money on boot camps for juvenile delinquents, alternative schools and metal detectors and surveillance cameras for public schools.

Illinois has used $315 million for property tax relief and an earned-income tax rebate.

Michigan, which spends no money on tobacco prevention or cessation, has used 75 percent of its tobacco revenue to provide $2,500 college scholarships to high school students.

New York has used $700,000 to buy golf carts and an irrigation and sprinkler system for a public golf course in Niagara County.

In North Carolina, 75 percent of the tobacco settlement money went to provide assistance to the tobacco-producing community.

North Dakota spent about 45 percent of its settlement on water resources and flood control projects.

Virginia has spent $12 million to lay fiber-optic lines for broadband cable in southern sections of the state.

This lawsuit was never intended to balance ailing state budgets, let alone buy golf carts, cable lines and security cameras.

[Clemenza]

"Trusting the government with money is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys." --- PJ O'Rourke

Good post Doctor, keep them coming.

[Fiddlstix]

BTTT

[Nipplemancer]

and that's just from the lawsuit. just think of where all that money goes from the outrageous taxes on cigarettes.

[Smokin' Joe]

In the last five years, the states have received $40.7 billion in tobacco settlement revenue but have devoted only 5 percent of this money to fighting the tobacco epidemic.

WTF? I thought all this money was supposed to pay for smoker's health care costs.

Even that spent to fight the "tobacco epidemic" (stupid wording) only buys dumb commercials, "tobacco free zone signs" (enough to make you check to see if the green leaf is on your lapel), and dorky billboards.

Giving money to a politician is like giving crack to a crackhead...

[SteveMcKing]

"This lawsuit was never intended to balance ailing state budgets, let alone buy golf carts, cable lines and security cameras."

Oh yes it was. It certainly was.

[IncPen]

I remember threads here detailing the largess that Hugh Rodham collecting his part as an attorney of record

It was a wealth transfer plain and simple

[Graybeard58]

Illinois has used $315 million for property tax relief and an earned-income tax rebate.

Yet my real estate taxes go up and up and I am not eligible for an "earned income tax gimme".

This is like all the lottery money that's supposed to go to education. What a joke.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Wisconsin used the tobacco money to try and balance the state budget.

The AG who "negotiated" the settlement? Jim Doyle.

[Just Lori]

Some of the $ WA state has collected in gas tax revenue (which was earmarked for transportation) is going to smoking cessation programs.

[Humidston]

"This lawsuit was never intended to balance ailing state budgets.."

Let's be honest here. This lawsuit was intended to line the pockets of lawyers and the pockets of the elected elite.

Now they're after Merck for murdering innocent people with Vioxx. I say shut down industry until we can get these lawyers under control!

[Just Lori]

WTF? I thought all this money was supposed to pay for smoker's health care costs.


No no no..... see...... smokers pay MORE for health insurance if they can even get it thru their employers, but since some employers won't hire smokers at all, smokers have to quit because they can't afford cigarettes, so no more tax revenue from cigarettes, and the government will have to start taxing french fries and ho ho's. Then see ..... if you die from choking on french fries, your family will sue McDonalds and get a zillion dollar settlement, and the government will get that money thru the death tax after they already taxed the french fries that killed you.

[Humidston]

The scariest part is your post makes absolutely perfect sense!

[Smokin' Joe]

Oh, I know about the insurance thingy, I pay extra for health, auto (no reportable accidents in over 10 yrs/100000 mi.), homeowner's, life insurance, and lose 5 minutes of every 10 minute bum's rush doctor visit to the 'Lecture' about the eeeevils of tobacco.

It is a good thing I can smoke a cigarette after all that BS, it keeps the homicidal urges at bay....(8^D)

[Just Lori]

Damn. I forgot about tag-backs.

[Smokin' Joe]

LOL!

[Lokibob]

This might be a good time to post some of your state budget studies you did a couple of years ago.

[libertylover]

Just confirms what most conservatives knew from the beginning-the tobacco settlement was just a legalized extortionist money grab from the get-go.

[Jaysun]

and that's just from the lawsuit. just think of where all that money goes from the outrageous taxes on cigarettes.

No joke. I read somewhere that the taxes generated by Phillip Morris' tobacco alone is more than $20 million per day.

[Jaysun]

I say shut down industry until we can get these lawyers under control!

Ah!!! Let's just lock everyone out of the courthouses until we straighted it out. We must have industry, the lawyers we could certainly live without.