[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!

[libertylover]

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

[2banana]

The "tobacco settlement" was an "end run" tax increase on smokers...except it was put in place by the judiciary (unconstitutional) with trail lawyers taking up to 1/3 of the 400 billion dollars. The whole deal should be null and void. If a state wants to tax tobacco, they can do that through the legislative branch.

[newzjunkey]

Anyone know whether the tobacco companies can sue the states for misuse of the settlement payments? Or taxpayers since the lawsuit was on their behalf?

[Sunshine Sister]

To eveyone..........told you so!

[metesky]

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

Sure it was...

[exnavychick]

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

Bwhahahahaha! The morons...this is the kind of thing exposes them for the corrupt, greedy [bleep] that they are.

C'mon, boys, keep diggin'! I can't believe this article was in the Slimes!

[TAdams8591]

"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."

WOW!!!! The states should have to return all the money to the Tobacco companies, except for the five percent which was used as promised.