Ohio Supreme Court Says Diversion Of Tobacco Funds OK (who didn't see this coming??)

[The Straight Story]

Ohio Supreme Court Says Diversion Of Tobacco Funds OK

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Ohio Supreme Court has ruled lawmakers didn't violate the state Constitution when they took about $230 million set aside for tobacco prevention and used it for other purposes.

In a unanimous decision issued Wednesday, justices agreed that the Legislature was within its legal rights when it moved the money in 2008, even though it had been placed in a protected fund.

Lawmakers used the money for health programs unrelated to smoking. The cash was part of a settlement between states and big tobacco companies.

The high court's ruling came in a case filed by the Tobacco Use Prevention and Control Foundation and the anti-smoking American Legacy Foundation, which received a portion of the money.

http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2010/12/22/story-columbus-tobacco-funds-supreme-court-ruling.html?sid=102

[DrDan]

1. that diversion also occurred in Florida - lawmakers just cannot be trusted with money

[liberal N proud]

2. Same happened to Lottery funds several years ago

[PoliticAverse]

3. "even though it had been placed in a protected fund."

It would appear it wasn't in a "protected fund" after all.

[The Straight Story]

4. One thing I learned about politicians early on:

They passed a law about seat belts in Ohio way back in the day. Won't be a primary offense, trust us, we won't go down that road....

Got their foot in the door, years later step 2. Make it a primary offense.

They do things in phases. Like with smoking bans. Start with one thing, ban it at hospitals for example, and say "don't worry, we are still pro choice for people and business", next year ban it at more places, then everywhere indoors, then 25' from the entrance to places (where most entrances are 20' apart...), ban it in parks, apt complexes, etc etc.

They start small and build up control of others over time. Try to stop them though, you get called a libertarian.

[rucky]

5. kinda like pensions

no pool of money is safe from the fat fingers of gubmit.

I wonder how they're going to try and blame smokers for this one.

[IDemo]

6. Didn't one of the tobacco states divert the funds to tobacco farmers?

[PoliticAverse]

7. Apparently, yes...

From http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/24/1/220.full :

North Carolina.
...
In 1998, then Attorney General Mike Easley (D) argued that the proposed MSA would provide funding for tobacco growers and other industry-dependent workers.
When MSA funds were first received, the state allocated more than half of the funds to tobacco growers and communities negatively affected by the MSA.

For a more detailed discussion:
Funding of North Carolina Tobacco Control Programs Through the Master Settlement Agreement
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1716246/