Maine has its priorities crossed. Back in January, health advocates urged lawmakers to spare successful programs in anti-smoking funds.
Maine receives annually $55 million from the Tobacco Settlement, to which the smokers in Maine are paying for. Although Maine had a choice how to spend the money, it was intended for education and to pay for any sick smokers on welfare, should there be any.
House Speaker Michael Saxl said that given the $248 million budget shortfall facing the state, there must be room for some cuts in the health programs.
Attorney General Rowe said that Maine is one of the few state’s that has committed "most" of the money to health programs. I say "Show me the programs!" Most of this money is being spent on pet programs.
For instance: The Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine is sponsoring Speedway 95, and Wiscasset Race Track. Memorial Day, the "prestigious" Partnership for a Tobacco Free Maine is awarding the winner of the Coastal 200- $10,000. With $4500 going to the runner-up.
I wonder how many people this money could have helped that can’t afford health insurance. I wonder how many people this would have helped in nursing homes who have no insurance. I wonder how this money could have helped with children’s nutrition, prescription drugs, child care and substance abuse.
Governor King states Maine Health Care is failing. The money PTFM is wasting at a racetrack could have been spent in a kinder more gentler way.
William Corr, executive director of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free kids says Big Tobacco is targeting our kids, while Corr is targeting the wallets of all who pay cigarette taxes in Maine.
This is a blatant slap in the face to all that pay cigarette taxes.
Our Health Care Facilities in Maine
(The R.W. Johnson Foundation is a well-known anti-smoker industry which gets much of their enormous funding from the pharmaceutical industry, which, of course, has a very high financial stake in selling their quit smoking aids which have been proven to be largely ineffective).
The Consumers For Affordable Health of Maine is receiving until 2004, over $992,060 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Now......where is this money going??!!
Headline: Maine receiving huge grants to increase cigarette taxes and ban smoking working hand in hand with the American Medical Association and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Read up on the real Robert Wood Johnson
RWJF Grant Recipient List is a Who's Who of the Anti-Smoking Movement. You have to look hard when you go to the Consumers For Affordable Health Care in Maine in order to find their chapter called Coalition. The Coalition Press Release released a press release in November 2000 about their war on smokers, and how they want the adult smokers in Maine to cover all the health care of all the uninsured people in Maine. When we know that the Tobacco Settlement money is to be used for this. So, where ARE they spending the tobacco settlement money, if they still need coverage for the uninsured? Someone is getting it, and it surely isn't the uninsured.
The Consumers For Affordable Health of Maine is receiving until 2004, over $992,060 from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
If Maine Health is receiving that much money from the RWJ Foundation along with the Tobacco Settlement Money, makes one wonder just where all this money is going.
