Obama Admin. Reestablishes Tobacco Smoke Enemas

The Obama administration loves to implement antiquated policies that have failed time and time again.  The economy is proof positive of that.  As a matter of fact they’ve reestablished a health care quackery that hasn’t been used since the early 19^th century.

Tobacco Smoke Enemas (1750s – 1810s)

The tobacco enema was used to infuse tobacco smoke into a patient’s rectum for various medical purposes, primarily the resuscitation of drowning victims.

A rectal tube inserted into the anus was connected to a fumigator and bellows that forced the smoke towards the rectum.

The warmth of the smoke was thought to promote respiration, but doubts about the credibility of tobacco enemas led to the popular phrase “blow smoke up one’s ass.”

And that’s what the Obama administration has been doing since 2009.

H/T:  Ray

Senator Max Baucus Single-Handedly Destroys a Whole Industry

Is it possible for one man to shut down an entire industry? The answer is yes, and Senator Max Baucus proved it. The Montana democrat slipped in a provision deep within a transportation bill that would impose punitive taxes upon roll your own cigarette businesses. Here is an excerpt from the Las Vegas Review-Journal:

But a few paragraphs added to the transportation bill changed the definition of a cigarette manufacturer to cover thousands of roll-your-own operations nationwide. The move, backed by major tobacco companies, is aimed at boosting tax revenues.

Faced with regulation costs that could run to hundreds of thousands of dollars, RYO machine owners nationwide are shutting down more than 1,000 of the $36,000 machines.

"I feel it's kind of shaky,'' Wiessen said. "The man who pushed for this bill is Sen. (Max) Baucus from Montana, and he received donations from Altria, a parent company of Philip Morris. Interestingly enough, there are also no RYO machines in the state of Montana. It really makes me question the morals and values of our elected speakers."

Why would a senator from Montana pull a stunt like that? In 1991, the big sky state reportedly had 3 acres of harvested tobacco. The golden leaf isn’t exactly a staple in their economy. The answer is 2014. That is the year Mr. Baucus faces reelection. He needs all the money he can get to retain his seat. And he will destroy the lives of small business owners to maintain it. After all, there are no tobacco farmers or RKO machines in his state.

The parent company of Phillip Morris couldn’t have found a better stooge to bribe.





Source: http://www.baucus.senate.gov/?p=press_release&id=1066

http://www.lvrj.com/business/roll-your-own-cigarette-operations-to-be-snuffed-out-161539845.html

http://healthliteracy.worlded.org/docs/tobacco/Unit1/3economics_of.html

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/baucus-readying-for-senate-re-election-campaign-in/article_a131f560-7c68-11e1-9a7e-001a4bcf887a.html

North Carolina Republicans Gutting Cash Cow

North Carolina state senators are about to disembowel a liberal cash cow. One of the biggest organizations , The Golden LEAF Foundation is about to have a serious amputation, as reported by Carolina Journal:


The measure would transfer $142 million in cash balances and unexpended revenues from the three recipients of North Carolina’s tobacco settlement in 1998 — the Golden LEAF Foundation, the Health & Wellness Trust Fund, and the N.C. Tobacco Trust Fund.


Golden LEAF would take the largest hit. It would lose a $67-million annual allotment due April 15. The Health & Wellness Trust Fund would lose $12 million, and the Tobacco Trust Fund $3 million.


The legislation wouldn’t impact Golden LEAF’s future allotments, nor would it touch the group’s corpus valued at $555 million.


For years, Republicans and limited government advocates have criticized Golden LEAF as a political slush fund, but Democrats at the committee hearing defended it as a job-creator.

Democrats are protesting this frontal assault:

“The Golden LEAF fund was designed for tobacco-dependent counties, the poorest counties in the state, to put money back in those counties for job creation,” said Sen. Michael Walters, D-Robeson. “We’re taking that assurance that we’ve given those folks away from them again. We’re going to push these poor countries back into recession further than we ever thought we would.”

I wonder if Senator Michael Walters had anything to do with the smoking ban in North Carolina bars and restaurants. That law went into effect last year. Can you imagine how much of an economic impact that had on the poor tobacco dependent counties.  Don't worry farmers, Sen. Michael Walters wants to send a welfare check to you, courtesy of The Golden Leaf fund and your fellow taxpayers.

Source: http://www.carolinajournal.com/articles/display_story.html?id=7351

http://www.wral.com/news/local/story/7475886/