Karen Sims – 10/6/09

This page was last updated on October 8, 2009.

Why don’t our state legislators get it?; Karen Sims; Beaver County Times; October 6, 2009.

Below is a detailed critique of the letter.

“Tobacco is dangerous, even deadly, and it costs Pennsylvania $5.19 billion a year in health care expenses and lost productivity.”

[RWC] You’ll note Ms. Sims doesn’t identify the source(s) of the facts she cites throughout her letter.

“That’s more than $13 million a day — just for tobacco costs. And yet the latest state budget proposal would have cut tobacco prevention and cessation funding by 50 percent

“We have the money. But it has been ruthlessly redirected.

“In 1998, along with 45 other states, Pennsylvania entered into a master settlement agreement with the tobacco industry. The agreement stated that Pennsylvania would receive approximately $206 billion for tobacco programs over 25 years.

“But these funds are not being used for the promised purpose. They have been rerouted by lawmakers who seem to treat the MSA fund as a state piggy bank.

“Last year, in the 10 counties surrounding Allegheny, 483 adults and youth quit using tobacco (118 were pregnant) with help of local programs. This equals a combined total savings of $6,575,286 in health care costs.

“Evidence-based prevention programming reached 34,597 youth. The proposed 50 percent cut in funding would have meant that these local programs would not have existed this year.

“Pennsylvania’s prevention and cessation programs work. Slashing the budget that funds these programs would result in an increase in tobacco use by our youth, and more people dying from tobacco use.”

[RWC] I’m sure Ms. Sims means well, but who didn’t know even back in the 1990s the whole MSA was just cover for a massive money grab? Tobacco was simply the club. Today’s “tobacco” is about to become sweetened drinks and eventually all sweetened foods. When politicians want our money, they are rarely honest about the real reason.