The United Pro Choice Smokers Rights Newsletter
Issue # 49: 01/07/00
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In this issue:
1. State Cigarette Tax Rates
2. Anti Smokers In Beijing:
3. Tobacco Firms Attack Basis Of U.S. Suit on Health Costs
4. Join the Fightback, Make Your Voices Heard
5. U.S. Judge Dismisses Guatemala Tobacco Lawsuit
6. Big Tobacco's Newest Billboards Are the Pages of Its Magazines
7. IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO SMOKE TOBACCO!
8. We Are Everyday People
1. State Cigarette Tax Rates: The Federation of Tax Administrators (FTA).
FTA issues frequent bulletins on developments affecting state taxation. These bulletins often cover developments in Congress, the Internal Revenue Service and the U.S. Supreme Court. FTA also publishes annual directories of state tax administration officials and other periodic research reports.
2. Anti Smokers In Beijing: Forces.
The antismokers who recently convened in Beijing are trying to spread their corrupted science and falsified statistics to other countries for the purpose of
launching a world-scale attack against smoking. Among the tactics used is the belittling of tobacco as a valuable crop, and "plans" to "compensate" the growers
of the tobacco-producing countries. Of course, their media accomplices cheer the proposal, and withhold information from the public on the devastating damage
that this approach would create. The truth is that tobacco is THE most valuable non-food cash crop in the world, and a major contributor to global economy.
3. Tobacco Firms Attack Basis Of U.S. Suit on Health Costs: By Bill Miller.
In their court papers yesterday, the tobacco industry's lawyers said the federal lawsuit ignores the fact that the companies agreed to "radically transform the way tobacco products are marketed in this country" as part of their settlement with the states last year. The lawyers said the racketeering claim cannot stand because the industry is unlikely to engage in future illegal conduct, and they argued that the health care laws--the Federal Medical Care Recovery Act and Medicare provisions of the Social Security Act--are being applied in an "unprecedented and illegitimate" way.
4. Join the Fightback, Make Your Voices Heard: The British Columbia Government's
Attack on Smokers' Rights Must Stop Now!
Now the faceless bureaucrats have expanded their reign of terror across the entire province of BC. The last places a smoker could come in out of the rain and cold to have a leisurely smoke was the neighbourhood pub. As of January 1st 2000, these areas will no longer be available. While our hypocritical government continues to grab considerable tax revenues from the "evil weed", and talk of "human rights" they push smokers into positions of being third-class citizens on par with the treatment of the lepers of old.
5. U.S. Judge Dismisses Guatemala Tobacco Lawsuit: Reuters.
A U.S. federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit against tobacco companies filed by the government of Guatemala, which is seeking to recover smoking-related health care-costs.
6. Big Tobacco's Newest Billboards Are the Pages of Its Magazines: By Alex Kuczynski.
As tobacco companies face increasingly severe restrictions on how they advertise, they have found other ways to tout their products, and now they are drawing the major publishers of consumer magazines into their marketing fold.
7. IT IS NOT ILLEGAL TO SMOKE TOBACCO! Forces New Zealand.
I am setting up this lobby group on the worldwide web because I am sick of being treated like a leper. Increasingly I am attacked, segregated,victimized, discriminated against.
8. We Are Everyday People:
*** The Constitution For The United States: Barefoot Bob.
In this HTML Edition the Text of the Constitution is presented one phrase at a time, immediately followed by the history and reasons for the inclusion of that particular phrase in the Constitution, with reference links to other pertinent data contained elsewhere in the text.
*** Man Of The Century: TWAB Politics.
The Indispensable Figure. There was only one Churchill. Also: The Yearly Jack Ass, the award goes to: President William Jefferson Clinton
*** Ask Dr. Ruwart: Liberator OnLine.
Question: How would libertarians defend the rights of smokers if second-hand smoke was a big health issue?
*** California Smokers vs the Meathead: National Smokers' Network Message Board.
Discuss: YES on Proposition 28 Committee is off and running, sponsored by the California Association of Retail Tobacconists Inc.(CART), PAC #992252.
*** Tobacco Settlement: LA Times.
Only 8% of the settlement money has been designated for antismoking programs, and, in Texas, lawyers for the state will receive 10 times the amount that will be spent on antismoking programs. A number of states are treating the money as just another source of revenue.
From the mailbag...
Three major lies in the country today:
1. I'm entitled to one mistake.
2. It will never happen to me.
3. I've got plenty of time.
J.C. Watts, R-OK Speaking to students in Bryan/College Station 1999/10/09
A couple of years ago, Jack put an ad in a local Los Angeles area newspaper
looking for an employee, adding, "smokers preferred." He had a great
response, about 130 replies to his ad. Just recently he called the same
newspaper wanting to put the ad in again but this time he was warned
that if he added "smokers preferred" that there were people ready to
pounce on him. Not needing any problems during his busy season, he
followed the newspaper's advice, obviously learned from experience, and
left the reference to smokers out of the ad. This time he only received
six replies.
If all the air pollution caused by cars were a white sheet of paper and all
the tobacco smoke were a black dot, then one would need an electron
microscope to see the black spot.
T. Graves
True story: A client of mine, a feisty 70 year old smoker, was finally talked into having a
chest x-ray by her doctor. When looking at the x-rays with her, he pointed out
white spots on her lungs which he said were caused by her smoking. She then
asked him, "And what would you have told a non-smoker?" He replied, "I would
have said that you have L.A. freeway lungs."
Marty
Thank you for your continued help in creating this newsletter!
For information about your local or state laws, call the Smokers Rights Action Line at 1-800-333-8683.
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