Has anyone seen the annoying anti-smoking commercials or the billboards on highway overpasses with one-line comments about missing lungs?

I assume that these are sanctioned by the state although many of these commercials are really quite offensive. Although it does feel like I’m watching European television and witnessing why Americans watch so much more TV as compared to foreigners: Their programs suck. Enough said.

Greed is everywhere, but no more evident than in our state politicians and representatives’ need to scapegoat their problems on the tobacco companies. What happened to all the billions of dollars that was supposed to go to refund Medicaid for all the tobacco-related illnesses?

The issue is quite simple really. Instead of using small claims of injury, interest groups, law firms and state legislators everywhere ganged up to change tort law to enable crooked, unethical lawyers to steal money from where it belonged.

These lawyers rely on statistical evidence to protect thousands of “impressionable” youth from the evils of tobacco. I’ll be the first to admit that this is a crock. If kids want to smoke, they’re going to find a way to do it.

This is the point where health concerns ended and state sponsored greed began. Most of us naively assume that when the government files a lawsuit against companies like Phillip Morris, they do it for our benefit. Oh, what idiots we are, to actually think that money earmarked for Medicaid would actually go to Medicaid.

To understand the level of greed you have to understand just how much is being spent on tobacco-related illnesses and how much was gained. In 1995, Mississippi spent a total of $341 million on Medicaid yet shared a $40 billion dollar settlement with Texas, Florida and Minnesota.

The money from tobacco settlements is supposed to save the lives of patients who need it, not line the pockets of fat-cat politicians. Think about it, for only a couple million dollars in “campaign contributions” you can buy yourself an elected representative in your state government who will change laws to your benefit.

Anyone who smokes can tell you that the price for a pack of cigarettes is damn expensive. Who wants to pay nearly three dollars a pack to smoke?

It seems to me that the only reason the government is suing tobacco companies is that they want to save face by lying to us that they want to raise taxes.

They want more money so they are using Medicaid’s financial problems as an excuse. Talk to the American Medical Association, they know what I’m talking about. State governments screamed a false war-cry so they could point out who to blame for our health problems … Phillip Morris.

Democrats by far received the largest amount of money.

Al Gore received an estimated $705, 948 towards his campaign. Don’t think I’m only slamming Democrats, though. Let’s not forget that the so-called Mr. Campaign Reformer himself, John McCain received $27,250 towards his campaign.

The money awarded by arbitration panels far exceeds any damages incurred by tobacco companies. Some of these settlements are the largest awarded in history.

Just yesterday, a woman received $20 million for her medical expenditures even though she will be dead in six months. Not only this, but at the time she started smoking the tobacco companies were required to put the Surgeon General’s warning that smoking could cause cancer on cigarette packs. How she still won amazes me.

Can anyone remember when they started smoking? How long have you smoked?

Do you think the tobacco companies are to blame for your smoking?

Should they pay for your illnesses, after all they did lie about the effects nearly forty years ago?

These are the questions politicians ask when you lay in the hospital with lung cancer. You cough up nasty black saliva and they tell you they are on your side, they feel your pain.

Give me a break, the only thing they feel is the warm feeling the money gives off as it leaves your wallet into theirs.

What happened to compassion and mercy for those who are sick?

The same thing that happens to every government-sponsored agenda — representatives and interest groups see how they can benefit from the legislation and America gets screwed.

Smoking is a personal choice, but the government would have you believe the cigarette was forced down your throat at gun point.

I can remember the first and only time I took a puff, I almost hacked up a lung trying to breath.

I can’t imagine the people who were manipulated by tobacco companies who needed the money lay on the ground while politicians were too greedy to see who really needed the money.

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Andy Gonzales is a junior in political science from El Paso, Texas.