TOBACCO TAX BENEFICIARIES LEFT OUT OF ADS
I just got a nice thing in the mail this week. The paper is high
quality cardstock; the color images are very professional and
slick. Who in the world would be sending me such an expensive
bit out of concern for the taxes I pay? It was clear that I, as
a taxpayer, was being alerted to oppose Measure 50 in the
up-coming special election because...
Well, it says my Constitution is being disrespected . . .
Who are these helpful people, I wondered? I looked over the four
pages carefully and there it was tucked up in the return address.
Well, my, my and bless me, it was "Paid for by the Stop Measure
50 Tax Hike ... Major funding provided by Phillip Morris USA."
That would be THE Phillip Morris, one of the family of companies
in the Altria Group . . .
Nice to know that the folks in the New York headquarters care
about the taxpayers in Oregon. Nice to know that they care about
our Constitutional rights - so much so that they have filed a
suit to keep M50 off the ballot on Nov. 6. Funny, I always
thought that voting was the centerpiece of our democracy. . . .
Anyhow, I didn't just take Philip Morris' word for what Measure
50 was about. Their ad suggested that I check it out on the Stop
M50 website. But, instead, I read the bill. It was adopted on
June 25 by the Oregon Legislature. It proposes a tax on tobacco
products and says the money would be dedicated to providing
health care for children, low-income adults and other medically
underserved Oregonians. A chunk of the money would go to tobacco
use prevention and education. . . .
The whole health care system is broken, but for the moment, we
have a choice to make this Nov. 6 that addresses health care for
the most vulnerable Oregonians - kids.
The blitz of "No" on M50 ads only tell part of the story - yes,
taxation is proposed on tobacco, but the ads don't tell what the
money would be spent for.
