Ohio Receives $10 Billion Tobacco Settlement
While many of you have already heard about the harvesting of billions of dollars from the tobacco industry, it really struck me when I heard the President of the Ohio State University explaining how it will benefit various research programs at OSU. In review, the tobacco industry has been selling the same products for decades. Very shortly after the "invention" of the cigarette, smokers became aware that certain health risks accompanied smoking. As adults, they chose to continue smoking. As Americans, it is our obligation to support that right. If we are to deny that right, we must also deny the right of overweight people to eat fried foods. Where will it stop?
Who knows, but at the moment, our government has fined (read: "taxed") the tobacco industry billions of dollars for the health problems their products have caused the American public. Smokers do not deny it. I don't deny it. I don't know anyone who denies it.
The interesting, actually nauseating, part is that our government thinks that the money they have harvested from the tobacco industry is their's to spend on pet projects. Committees were formed to decide who to give the $10 billion that Ohio was "awarded." Excuse me, wasn't it my tax dollars that paid for the smoking victims in the first place? Don't the tobacco companies already pay billions of dollars in taxes every year to support government programs already?
As an American, I am aghast at the pompous attitude of the modern politician. How dare our elected officials tax the tobacco industry to death, tax the American public to death, create new ways to tax, I mean fine, the tobacco industry, and then not give us our money back? Just over 200 years ago we overthrew our British rulers for similar taxes. Speak up. Write or e-mail your congressman. At the very least, get mad and talk about it. Thank you.
Update: Are you interested to know where our $10 BILLION BUCKS went? Here's a complete report from RJ Reynolds. Enjoy.
