Posted on 06/24/2002 12:40:13 PM PDT by SheLion
They Raided the Tobacco Settlement, Now They are Trying to Explain Their Mistake
LANSING, Mich., June 24 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being released by Citizens for a Healthy Michigan:
Special interest groups and politicians who raided Michigan's tobacco settlement from health care and smoking prevention today tried to justify their mistake by attacking a coalition that will ask voters on Nov. 5 to dedicate the tobacco money to health care.
At a news conference in Lansing today, the politicians and special interest groups that diverted the tobacco settlement joined to attack Citizens for a Healthy Michigan, a coalition that includes the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Advocates for Health Care Access, Greater Detroit Area Health Council, Michigan Association of Homes and Services to the Aging, Michigan Chapter of the American College of Cardiology, Michigan Coalition on Smoking or Health, Michigan Health and Hospital Association, Michigan Osteopathic Association, Michigan State Medical Society, Tobacco Free Partners, and the Tobacco-Free Michigan Action coalition.
"What you saw today were politicians and special interest groups trying to justify the colossal and tragic mistake they made when they raided Michigan's tobacco settlement away from health care," said Art Knueppel, chair of Citizens for a Healthy Michigan. "Michigan voters will reverse the politicians' mistake on Nov. 5 and send the money to health care and smoking prevention, where it should have been going all along. It's only right."
Citizens for a Healthy Michigan is working to put the Healthy Michigan Amendment on the Nov. 5 general election ballot. The amendment would require the state, via the constitution, to dedicate most of Michigan's tobacco settlement to health care and programs to help people quit smoking. The constitution already protects funding for Michigan roads, parks, schools, veterans, and many other programs from the politicians.
"Michigan's politicians were the ones who took the tobacco settlement from health care," said Katherine Knoll, director of advocacy for the American Heart Association in Michigan. "Now we need to protect it in the constitution, just like so many other vital public services are protected in the constitution. The tobacco settlement was supposed to go to health care for Michigan citizens and to programs to stop people from smoking. Sending it to health care is only right."
Some Michigan public universities and education organizations also attacked the Healthy Michigan Amendment because they are benefiting from the politicians' raid of the tobacco settlement. Michigan universities have boosted tuition 20 percent on average in the past four years alone. They have also pocketed 20 percent increases in state funding over the past four years, while Michigan's health care providers have received about 3 percent more in state funding over the same period.
"It is shameful that special interest groups that have grown wealthy at the expense of sick and dying citizens and teenage kids who could have been dissuaded from smoking are now attacking our effort to dedicate the tobacco settlement to health care and smoking prevention, where it belongs," Knueppel said.
For more information, visit Citizens for a Healthy Michigan on the Web at www.tobaccomoney.com . The Web site provides useful information about the ballot question, how tobacco use is devastating Michigan citizens, and how Michigan has failed to dedicate one dime of its $8.5-billion tobacco settlement to health care and programs to help people stop smoking.
Knueppel said the coalition has already collected more names than are needed to win a spot on the ballot. He said the signatures would be filed with the state Bureau of Elections in the near future.
This was an ill plan to begin with, and now they're eating their own....I love it!
PUFF! PUFF!
FMCDH
LOL! They are blaming the Politicians. heh!
Just like Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine sponsoring "5" race teams across the state of Maine. Go figure.
Oh! I forgot: this is MICHIGAN.
HAHA!!!! THIS IS GREAT!
Uhmmm, what Constitution is that?
FMCDH
Actually I am glad to see this getting some coverage. There have been some articles as to how almost none of this money that they confiscated, in any of the states, is going to what was the alleged intended purpose of it. But most of it has been on the back burner.
Personally I think this should be considered criminal on the part of the politicians involved in it. But unfortunately I don't know how you would get such an action going.
Bon apetite Mr. Gator.
With the Tobacco Settlement Money, Big Tobacco didn't tell the states how to spend the money. But it was thought that it was to go for education and health care.
When the Politicians in each state saw the big dollar signs, they started feeding at the Tobacco Settlement Trough for their pet programs that had nothing to do with smoking.
Looks like they are starting to turn on each other over this now. Should get interesting.
Yeah right, when pigs fly.
I live in Michigan and this is NOT good news. This is part of the socialist agenda no matter how nice it sounds. The folks behind this want as much government as possible, funded with the highest taxes, regardless of the merit or effectiveness of the programs. Many of the states did not ask for this issue, and the $ went to where our elected folks thought found money should go.
Anyway, Cig taxes are so important to the states' budgets that they can't wean themselves from it. But that is different from the ballot iniative, which is bad news in guise of a saving grace.
I can't believe the one in Michigan is blaming everything on the Politicians! They are both feeding out of the honey pot of the Tobacco Settlement Money.
I know here in Maine, the Health Coalition is spending this money to sponsor "5" race car teams across the state.
I really came unglued when I read this. They don't hide it, either. They are proud of slapping the smoker in the face. They are all without shame.
No kidding.
But my point was that the argument that was put forth by the socialist's as to why they should get these settlements from the tobacco companies, in addition to the regressive tax that has been levied against smokers, was that they needed the revenue to cover the increased health care cost that are caused by people who smoke. And of course the need to implement programs to discourage teenagers from taking up the smoking habit.
But the fact is that almost none of this money is going towards achieving those objectives. I live in Indiana and I believe we are ranked in the top five states this is actually using some of the money for these goals, but the fact is that we have spent less than 10% towards health care cost, or teenage education programs.
The truth is that this money is going to support whatever is the popular socialist program of the moment and next to none of it is going to what it was allegedly intended for.
What a crock! There is not one politician who actually thought the settlements were going to fund Michigan's health care. Not in Michigan and not in any other damn state either! What we are now seeing is election year "CYA and get yer name in the news"!
They're getting all the money they will ever get by existing taxes and guaranteed future tax increases....
FWIW, the Indian reservations are making a fortune as will the black marketeers.....
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