are cities being paid to ban? (x steveVape)

[Anjaffm]

speaking of Oklahoma and bribes to equate e-cigs with tobacco:

Few dare call it bribery: OK grants, e-cigs, and another brick in the wall

BUCKS AND BANS = BRIBERY? Oklahoma’s tobacco Settlement Endowment Trust is linking local healthy community grants to bans on non-tobacco electronic cigarettes.

Maybe I should have figured out what TSET was up to when Jonathan Small, policy vice president for the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, said TSET’s “recent actions demonizing and profiling e-cigarettes are yet more evidence of the need for strict oversight and a complete overhaul of TSET and its activities. TSET should be about real and lasting solutions for health care, not the selective discriminatory efforts of biased bureaucrats.”

read on. This guy does not mince words
And he is correct, too.

 

[Uma]

Ummmmm, isn't TSET breaking the IRS law?
"According to IRS rules "no organization may qualify for section 501(c)(3) status if a substantial part of its activities is attempting to influence legislation... An organization will be regarded as attempting to influence legislation if it contacts, or urges the public to contact, members or employees of a legislative body for the purpose of proposing, supporting, or opposing legislation, or if the organization advocates the adoption or rejection of legislation.
The activities to be reported include those which are listed in 18 U.S.C § 1913 and include: any advertisement, telephone, letter, printed or written matter, or other device (such as emails, websites, videos, audio, or other electronic communications), intended or designed to influence in any manner a Member of Congress, a jurisdiction, or an official of any government (including local and state governments), to favor, adopt, or oppose, by vote or otherwise, any legislation, law, ratification, policy, or appropriation. The information should be documented and provided in a word-searchable format that includes the name of the awardee, total amount of the award, date the award was granted, the stated purpose of the award, a list of all activities in the aforementioned list that the awardee carried out with federal funds, and an indication of whether or not the desired outcomes in state or local policy or legislative changes took place."
(I quoted a poster in the watchdog article. His entire post is worthy of quoting)

 

[AgentAnia]

More about governments' use of master settlement funds, w/ interesting twist: ANTZ admit feeling pinch of dwindling tobacco profits and greedy govts.

Advocates worry about raiding Tobacco Trust Fund

ETA: Another comment on this topic (article is about plain packaging of cigs, but quote is relevant):

Plain packs U-turn disregards the science and the evidence | Trending Central

In a recent footnote on history the state of North Dakota considered banning the sale of tobacco in 2003.

The bill’s sole sponsor, Grand Forks Republican Rep. Mike Grosz lost 88-4. Think of all the revenue lost for the state to spend. The interesting matter was that all the anti-smoker groups did not want a complete ban either:

“The North Dakota Medical Association, American Heart Association, American Cancer Society, American Lung Association, North Dakota Public Health Association and North Dakota Nurses Association were of one voice in saying that there’s no evidence banning tobacco would prevent and reduce tobacco use because no such approach has been implemented, the groups argued. The ban also could take away certain funding for these groups for tobacco control programs.”

So they didn’t want to ban tobacco, because banning tobacco would cause all the anti-tobacco types to lose their jobs? As we now know with the “health” lobby, it is never really about children and saving souls. Just purely about power and money.

 

[Uma]

Yet another good heads up find, Ania!
Oh, I see John Davidson Jr is commenting on the plain packs article! I've been following his comments on Disque(sp), he's a very informed speaker, as far as I can tell anyway. I'm impressed, & have learned a lot from him & MJM & others.

Off to read the article itself without skimming this time.

well that certainly answers the question "why are nurses suddenly turning coat?"

 

[Fulgurant]

More about governments' use of master settlement funds, w/ interesting twist: ANTZ admit feeling pinch of dwindling tobacco profits and greedy govts.

Advocates worry about raiding Tobacco Trust Fund

LOL. El oh freaking el! This looks like a job for the world's tiniest violin:

"Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, a national coalition focused on tobacco use prevention, is urging lawmakers in Vermont to review these settlement appropriations and to not empty the Tobacco Trust Fund.

"'It is going to put a huge strain on tobacco control programs in the state,' Ryan said. 'What other sources do we have?'"​

No, genius. The question is what good are you, with or without funding? Why is the default position that you and your ilk should be well compensated for doing ... what exactly? Advocating for more taxes/restrictions that don't reduce the smoking rate? Whatever happened to the burden of proof in this country (or any other these days, for that matter)?

Personally, I couldn't be happier that the Vermont government's raiding the tobacco settlement trust to pay its day to day expenses. Usually, I'm against that sort of grabby behavior, but in this case -- sign me the hell up. Instead of listening to the so-called tobacco control advocates and raising taxes on tobacco users, cut out the middleman: take the money that you're already (directly or indirectly) paying to those self-same tobacco advocates.

Great find, Ania. You're my hero.