California: Health Care Advocates Begin Statewide Push for Tobacco Tax Initiative

yahoonews.com ^ | February 17, 2006

[SheLion]

SACRAMENTO, Calif.--Hundreds of volunteers throughout the state will hit shopping malls and grocery stores Saturday at 9 a.m. as they kickoff efforts to gather nearly one million signatures needed to place an initiative on the November 2006 ballot that would provide critical funding to reduce smoking, keep emergency rooms open, fund health insurance for children and expand nursing education.

"This initiative will save lives, by raising the tobacco tax and funding urgently needed community emergency and related health care services," said Paul Knepprath of the American Heart Association of California. "This is the broadest coalition that's ever come together to reduce smoking, the number one cause of death in California."

The initiative, which is being sponsored by the Coalition for a Healthy California, would raise the state's tobacco tax by $2.60 per pack of cigarettes, providing approximately $2.1 billion annually for emergency room care, nursing education, children's health insurance, tobacco use prevention programs, and disease research and treatment efforts.

The Coalition for a Healthy California includes the American Cancer Society, American Lung Association of California, American Heart Association, The Children's Partnership, the California Hospital Association, the California Chapter of the American College of Emergency Physicians, California Emergency Nurses Association, PICO California, Children Now, California Primary Care Association, Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, Association of California Nurse Leaders, Emergency and Acute Care Medical Corporation, and the California Association of Physician Groups.

Formal signature-gathering events will be held on Saturday, February 18 at 9 a.m. in San Francisco, San Diego, Visalia, Santa Clara, Sacramento, Fresno, Bakersfield and Los Angeles.

Coalition For A Healthy California -- A coalition of health organizations promoting disease research, tobacco control, emergency care and children's health services, with major funding provided by California Hospital Committee on Issues, the American Cancer Society, California Division Inc., American Heart Association and the American Lung Association of California, ID# 1278256 555 Capitol Mall #1425, Sacramento, CA 95814

[Calpernia]

The tax goes to the UN, not the state.

Ever see the stories about when the UN wanted to charge us tax on gun ownership?

This is a health tax that goes to the UN.

[Calpernia]

>>>California would not be financial straits if they would stop giving away services to the "illegals" who are nothing more than criminals.

That is not California either. Those are NGO funded also.

Copy of a few from another post:

>>>Gutierrez had been fired on corruption allegations last year but returned to his job after winning a court case in which he claimed he had been unfairly dismissed, according to the National Immigration Institute.

So I looked it up. And just what I thought. It is funded by the NGO. It's full name is: National Immigration Forum and Cato Institute. In the below list, see National Immigration Forum.

Immigrants

Center for Immigration Studies
The Center for Immigration Studies is a non-partisan, non-profit organization founded in 1985. It is the nation's only think tank devoted exclusively to research and policy analysis of the economic, social, demographic, fiscal, and other impacts of immigration on the United States.
http://www.cis.org/

National Immigration Forum
The purpose of the National Immigration Forum is to embrace and uphold America's tradition as a nation of immigrants. The Forum advocates and builds public support for public policies that welcome immigrants and refugees and that are fair and supportive to newcomers in our country.
http://www.immigrationforum.org/

National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
NNIRR member organizations and activists utilize the network as a tool to enhance collaboration, build and develop strategy, and push thinking and analysis "outside the box" of service provision or "quick-fix" legislation. The program aims to involve, support, and empower immigrant communities to address the critical issues in their neighborhoods and workplaces.
http://www.nnirr.org/

About NGOs:

Non-governmental organization - A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is not part of a government and was not founded by states. NGOs are therefore typically independent of governments. Although the definition can technically include for-profit corporations, the term is generally restricted to social, cultural, legal, and environmental advocacy groups having goals that are primarily noncommercial. NGOs are usually non-profit organizations that gain at least a portion of their funding from private sources. Current usage of the term is generally associated with the United Nations and authentic NGOs are those that are so designated by the UN.

[Calpernia]

>>>I wonder what they'd do if we all quit smoking? Who would they target next?

Won't matter. You will still fit into one of the focus groups:

Focus Areas of Healthy People 2010 at a Glance (28)

* Access to Quality Health Services
* Arthritis, Osteoporosis and Chronic Back Conditions
* Cancer
* Chronic Kidney Disease
* Diabetes
* Disability and Secondary Conditions
* Educational and Community-Based Programs
* Environmental Health
* Family Planning
* Food Safety
* Health Communication
* Heart Disease and Stroke
* Immunizations and Infectious Diseases
* Nutrition and Overweight
* Injury and Violence Prevention
* Maternal, Infant, and Child Health
* Medical Product Safety
* Mental Health and Mental Disorders
* Occupational Safety and Health
* Oral Health
* Physical Activity and Fitness
* Public Health Infrastructure
* Respiratory Diseases
* Sexually Transmitted Diseases -STD
* Substance Abuse
* Tobacco Use
* Vision and Hearing

[Calpernia]

>>>That would lead to the forfeit of California's share of the settlement money from that lawsuit and force the state's general fund to repay bonds floated during the Davis Administration that essentially mortgaged that 25-year revenue stream to help bridge the state's budget deficit.

Maybe this needs to be read up on more. How did the NGO become the care takers of this money?

[Calpernia]

SheLion recommended it to me and I do endorse it!

[Calpernia]

::stomps feet and screams as loud as possible::

"It is not the government. It is the UN!!!!"





::who are these funny men in white coats coming towards me?::


/poor attempt at humor

[Calpernia]

>>>Where does the money go?


The new tax will go to the UN

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks for the info. I'd love to find out who those legislative leaders are....and thank them!

[SheLion]

I live in California and have been ordering cigs a mnth at a time via the net. I save $130 per mnth. That is nothing but pure California taxes.
Gotta go the jackbbooted thugs are kicking in my front door now.............................................

I save over $300 dollars in this state by rolling my own.  Maine is now charging $2 dollars a PACK.  Really out a site.  And this state has a Partnership for a Tobacco Free Everything.  I sure hate that Maine people who smoke are lining this coalitions pockets.  I just hate it!

I live in California and have been ordering cigs a mnth at a time via the net. I save $130 per mnth. That is nothing but pure California taxes.
Gotta go the jackbbooted thugs are kicking in my front door now.............................................

I save over $300 dollars in this state by rolling my own.  Maine is now charging $2 dollars a PACK.  Really out a site.  And this state has a Partnership for a Tobacco Free Everything.  I sure hate that Maine people who smoke are lining this coalitions pockets.  I just hate it!

[SheLion]

The site you linked to. I'm interested in buying tobacco and rolling my own. Cheapo cartons go for almost 30 bucks here.

Oh ok!  I use stuffyourown.com

I don't want cartons.  Just bags of loose tobacco and tubes.  Also the Supermatic machine.  But I have rolled my own now for over 4 years and when Maine raised the tax last year to $2.00 dollars a pack, I am now saving over $300 a month.

Doral's (el cheapo's) here now cost $45 dollars a carton!  Unbelievable.

[SheLion]

I wonder how much a carton costs in say, New Mexico? I have friends there.

I sure have no idea.  But I am sure we have Freepers in New Mexico.  Maybe one of them will let us know how much cigarettes run there.

[SheLion]

I'm really sad. I don't know how to express myself better. The taxes are now taxes to the UN and WHO.

All these new health care coverages are taxes to pay for Healthy People 2010. Taxes to the World Health Organization. This has nothing to do with Federal or State. California state pretty much eminent domained themselves to the UN.

I wouldn't doubt that any new cigarette taxes will go to the WHO and the damn UN, but all the taxes from the previous years are being ate up by the pet programs each state has.  This is getting way out of hand.  I thank you so much for bringing the above to our attention as well!

[Calpernia]

>>>but all the taxes from the previous years are being ate up by the pet programs each state has.

Yup. The general fund. We have that rat hole here in NJ too.

California is in a similar position as NJ.

Brink of bankruptcy.

If the state bankrupts, then the Feds get to come in and take over.

But if they take the Grant monies from the UN, they get to line their pockets and stay sovereign from the Feds.

I don't understand why they would want to answer to the UN though.

[SheLion]

The four legislative leaders today sent a joint letter to the California Hospital Assn. expressing concern that a proposed ballot measure to increase the tobacco tax could put the state in violation of an agreement that settled nationwide litigation against the industry. That would lead to the forfeit of California's share of the settlement money from that lawsuit and force the state's general fund to repay bonds floated during the Davis Administration that essentially mortgaged that 25-year revenue stream to help bridge the state's budget deficit.

I was hoping there had to be a cap on this Tobacco Settlement.  How much blood do the lawmakers expect to siphon from a smoker?!

[SheLion]

I don't understand why they would want to answer to the UN though.

I don't either.  This is really spooky.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Besides tobacco use, I see chronic back problems, heart attack and stroke. I have a real creepy feeling about applying for disability, but I can't work until I can see a doctor. Can't afford to see a doctor, because I can't work right now. I'm down to a half pack of lights, from 2 packs of full strength smokes. Right now, it's too stressful to completely quit.

At least I ain't fat, lolol!

[TheSpottedOwl]

Thanks! I noticed that they offer several different types of tobacco. Which kind do you guys buy?

[brazzaville]

Good morning.

What is the stand of the statist tobacco bandits on illegals who smoke black market tobacco they smuggle in?

Do they get to have free health care?

Michael Frazier

[television is just wrong]

A visitation again from our enemy Rob Reiner.

[Calpernia]

Those focus areas apply to the hospitals that signed onto Healthy People 2010. From what I can see, they are mostly University Hospitals to date.

Let's take an example and look at it narrowly.

Monsanto Company is part of the World Business Council.

They are a big funder of the NGOs.

They offer grant programs. One of which is medical research.

When a University applies for the grant monies an interesting relationship is born.

All the scientific research programs the grants fund, the students become the free labor for.

The school gets access to the vast corporate digital library (Database) which is shared globally.

All work and discoveries is property of Monsanto Company. Not the school, not the students.

Free labor. Well, let's say paid labor. The students pay to go to school. They pay to work for Monsanto.

It also creates a human trafficking initiative. On these grant programs, the immigrants get to legally enter the US.

BTW, don't forget, I mentioned University Hospitals too.

The University Hospitals apply for the same grant monies. All research and data belongs to the Grantors.

Ever go to an urban hospital? Notice how many of the personnel are foreign? They are owned by the grantors.