[SheLion]

(Excuse me, but the tobacco settlement money was supposed to go for health care and tobacco-cessation programs IF people wanted to quit.  Why are they lying through their teeth?  And just WHAT do they want this increase FOR?  More golf courses?  They can't kid us all!)

[SheLion]

Oh brother.............

[CSM]

I just can't imagine the evil tobacco companies had the gall to train people to fight against the growth of government. Shame on them for showing the citizens how to stand up to the rulers!

[Still Thinking]

Did they pay people with cigarettes to vote? Oh, no, that was a different group that did that. ;-)

[metesky]

Big deal. Despite the effort to make "Big Tobacco" look sleazy, I find nothing illegal here and certainly nothing that other corporations with a point of view don't do.

Tempest in a teapot.

[The Great RJ]

Tobbacco taxes have nothing to do with health issues--they are a means of painlessly raising tax revenues. By taxing demonized smokers for their "own good" politicians can deflect criticisms that they are in fact raising taxes. If they were serious about smoking as a health issue they would ban smoking altogether.

However, this plan will eventually backfire. If taxes on cigarettes are raised sufficiently people will smoke less or seek less costly alternatives like bootlegged cigarettes. The result is a drop in tax revenues. Raising the tax more will only continue to drop the tax revenue--the Laffer Curve. Then watch out--liquor is next and then fast food.

[Just another Joe]

I see nothing illegal done and nonthing that the antismokers haven't done on the TAXPAYER'S dime.