[Max McGarrity]

This is a super series, folks. One the likes of which you'll not often see in the mainstream press.

This is Part I.

[jmp702]

bttt

[Great Dane]

Corrupt to the core, and soooo blatant about it too.

[leadpenny]

After the Tele-Communications Act of '96, the Tobacco Bill was one of the greatest money-grabbing scams perpetrated on the American people. Not since the Social Security Act of the 1930's has there been such a rip-off. Even if a person does not consume tobacco products, they still pay in higher prices for the other products that the Tobacco Companies sell so those companies can feed the tax beast of 40-odd states involved.

The American people should never be allowed to forget two people as prime movers for these hidden taxes and fees:

Al Gore for his part in the Tele-Communications Bill and subsequently getting his friends installed in the new FCC bureauacracy created to administer the program. And,

John McCain for being a driving force in the Senate in pushing the Tobacco Bill.

[Madame Dufarge]

I tried, God knows I tried, to read the whole article, but I can't right now. It makes my blood boil too much.

I think I'll just go right to the vitriol.

The Anti-Smoking Talibans are the people I've instinctively hated all my life. Tax-tics, incurable narcissistic neurotics, cowards in a foxhole, ultra-pecksniffs, predictable intellectual round-pounders, emotional dead-enders, the perpetual hall monitors of life.

Name calling helps me when I'm in a really grouchy mood. Sorry. Not very thoughtful, but very cathartic.

[terilyn]

Skippy Humphrey's legacy. This was supposed to be his ticket to the Governor's mansion and then undoubtedly a run the the presidency. Is it any wonder in the land of the libs that even Jesse Ventura could beat this idiot.

A big chunk of the tobacco settlement goes right into the State's general operating budget each year. Private companies that want to implement a stop smoking campaign and request funds can't get them.

It seems that the only people that are allowed access to the funds are Skippy's friends. He should be in jail.