Let me get this straight. States for year have been taxing the tobacco, making millions off of people's addictions. Now turn around and "SUE" tobacco companies for the addictions, saying due to the health issues. And now use the money to fund pork.
We should be able to sue the states for the profiteering through taxes. States are just as guilty as the companies that made the stuff.
Shame on you!
States raping the pocketbook:
Taxes for Tobacco: they get billions Sue for Money: they get billions Issue bonds to get the money now: Loose billions and get half of the total. Charge taxpayers again to pay for discount and underwriting fees for bonds: Cost is billions. Raise your taxes for health care impact from tobacco due to the mis-appropriated funds: Hundreds of billions.
Who pays for it? Tax payers 95% and people who buy tobacco 5%. What a great frikin deal? The only people who make out are the government's that collect our money (in terms of jobs for themselves) and the people awarded contracts to spend this money. It is just amazing when you think about where the money actually comes from (us) and how much mismanagement will cost us...and this is all because we like to use tobacco, cancer causing or not. We are all punished because our free will can be turned into a liability for lawyers to get rich on.
