[hattend]

Well, actually, the smokers who pay taxes on cigarettes are paying for the Tobacco Settlement 100%. Not the Government and NOT Big Tobacco. The smokers.

The initial payments were made by nasty Big Tobacco until the state taxes kicked in and BT was still required to make the anti-smoking commercials by the settlement which was the point.

But allow me to correct my statement:

Now it appears smokers and the cig companies are going to get screwed anyway even after paying the states and feds a gazillion dollars in blackmail tax.

It's all shown in your second cartoon. Time to buy seeds, soil and a grow light for the basement.

[SheLion]

It's all shown in your second cartoon. Time to buy seeds, soil and a grow light for the basement.

I'm just thankful I learned how to roll my own. Been doing that for three years now. It's great!

We only have 3 growing days in northern Maine, so I won't even attempt the growing part. heh! :)

The second cartoon shows that the government reaps a lot of money from the taxes on cigarettes that smokers pay, yet the government wants to cut off the head of tobacco. What will it be? Yes or no???

[SheLion]

For the past several years, a lot of states raised the taxes on cigarettes to balance their darn budgets! Now! I ask you: how can the government regulate tobacco and stop all that money going into the state budgets? Never ceases to amaze me.

[Gabz]

Even with your correction, your statement is still incorrect. Part of the MSA (extortion/settlement) with the states specifies that the costs of the settlement/extortion were to be passed on to the consumers to the tune of $4.50 per carton.

I've got little use for the companies that caved into the extortion, but unlike PM, at least RJR is willing to state out right and upfront that their customers are the payers of the MSA.

The MSA does NOT require the companies to make the anti-smoking commercials. It only required them to fund the American Legacy Foundation, which is done through part of the above mentioned charge passed to their customers. As far as I'm concerned the anti-smoker ads from PM are a political ploy to garner favor for their push for FDA approval. "look at us, we're the good guys"

The ins and outs of the MSA are myriad, but basically boils down to state-sanctioned monopoly status for the companies that signed onto it. The supposed purpose of it was to punish BT for past sins, but Attorneys General across the country are now seeking legislation to force new tobacco companies to pay into it........even those that were created after the fact. Thus proving none ofit had anything to do with "health" and EVERYTHING to do with money.

I don't work for the tobacco industry in any way, shape or form - I just pay attention and have read the MSA, more than once.