[John Jorsett]

Here's an interesting item about this that I haven't been able to find anywhere else:

Uh-oh

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.

[TheSpottedOwl]

The link doesn't work : (

[SheLion]

The requested document does not exist on this server.

I clicked on your link and got the above.  Pity.  I could have used that link.

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.

Wow! SOMEONE is on the ball!  Thanks for giving us heads up.  I can't believe for the life of me that California can actually raise cigarette taxes again, when as you can clearly see, smokers are contributing a LOT to the state economy!

[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?