Press Release

New Website Exposes State Governments' Covert Partnership with Big Tobacco

StatesOnTheTake.com, a grassroots advocacy site, has obtained and made available the entire "Privileged and Confidential," Memo 03-111 of September 12th, 2003 drafted by the National Association of Attorneys General ("NAAG"), for release only to the attorneys general of the 46 states which signed the Master Settlement Agreement ("MSA") and not released anywhere. The MSA was negotiated between the states attorneys generals and Big Tobacco in 1998 to end litigation against Big Tobacco.

Dallas, TX July 14, 2004 -- StatesOnTheTake.com, a grassroots advocacy site, has obtained and made available the entire "Privileged and Confidential," Memo 03-111 of September 12th, 2003 drafted by the National Association of Attorneys General (“NAAG”), for release only to the attorneys general of the 46 states which signed the Master Settlement Agreement ("MSA"). The MSA was negotiated between the states attorneys generals and Big Tobacco in 1998 to end litigation against Big Tobacco.

This "Privileged and Confidential" memo from NAAG, the regulatory association which oversees enforcement of the MSA, is currently unavailable in its entirety anywhere else on the Internet or in any other form of the public domain.

According to S. George Alfonso, in house counsel for StatesOnTheTake.com, "This memo reveals the state governments' active intervention in the free market on behalf of its MSA business partner, Big Tobacco." According to Mr. Alfonso, "These collusive efforts by elected officials on behalf of Big Tobacco are designed to create a de-facto Big Tobacco monopoly which will allow Big Tobacco to dictate product distribution and entirely control pricing."

Such a de-facto monopoly says Alfonso "would effectively wipe out the consumer's freedom to choose any product other than what Big Tobacco dictates, while insuring a stable (and never-decreasing) annual MSA pay-off to each state partner."

Mr. Alfonso further explains that "With the establishment of a de-facto Big Tobacco monopoly, the annual state pay-offs would only increase as a result of future price hikes by Big Tobacco, unlike this past year's substantially reduced state pay-offs. And this is all done without the hindrance of any legitimate competition, thanks to the states’ imposed disadvantages through legislation and the MSA, upon any and all independent small business would-be free market competition to non-Big Tobacco."

StatesOnTheTake.com, is an advocacy web site which is actively exposing this state-based issue with powerful national ramifications.

For more information, go to: http://www.StatesOnTheTake.com



About the author:

.

 Press Release

More Articles 

The Benefits Of Government Grants - Paul Graham
Government grants are one of the best ways for you to pay your way through school. But what separates government grants from other types of grants? For starters, governments, unlike individual corporations or banks, usually have a wealth of funds...

Marketing the Government for Profit - Melanie Corbett
Steps and tips on marketing your business to the government. Fact: Federal, state and local governments buy over $450 billion combined in goods and services each year. Part of that can be yours if you know how to get it. Fact: Federal...

Raymond McNair rejects God's government - David Ben Ariel
I preface my comments by giving credit where credit is due, showing a great love and appreciation for Raymond F. McNair being blessed to serve as one of the pioneers in the Worldwide Church of God and have such an active and important role in...

Government Loans And Why You Never Default! - Julia Tanner
There are many types of government loans out there – loans to go to school, to start a small business, and even to buy a house. It is considered a social service for the government to provide funding and financing to certain people in the...

A COLLEGE LOAN MAY BE UNNECESSARY IF YOU GET SCHOLARSHIPS OR GOVERNMENT GRANTS - Chris R
A college loan is often necessary in order to pay for higher education. There are also scholarships and federal government grants that students can get financial aid from. This kind of aid can help keep your college loans from becoming too high...

Local Government Apathy - Alarming Statistics - Al Arnold
At every level of government and politics, an informed electorate is needed to understand the candidates and issues of their community. That sounds pretty basic doesn't it? Citizens cannot make informed decisions before they vote for candidates...

Sprint's Deal with US Government Means Nationwide Unlimited Wireless - Dr Joseph Mercola
The Department of Defense, working with the FCC, DHS, the President, and Congress, plans to purchase Sprint Nextel's iDEN network. The plan will eventually ensure that everyone involved in national securitywill beon the same...

Does Your Government Really Care if You Become Disabled - Tim Moore
Does your government really care if you are disabled? That's a question that is becoming more and worthy of the public's consideration. Recently, I was on the phone with a claimant who needs to have his recon filed and I asked him if he had...

Murder As Government Policy - Ed Howes
Dear Governor Blagojevich, May we daily increase in wisdom, love, gratitude, reverence, healing, peace, joy, happiness, laughter and prosperity. I am writing to commend you on the compassion you have shown the children of Illinois and to ask if...

When Investors Say No - Maybe Your Bank Will Say Yes (with a Little Help from the Government) - Howard Schwartz
Small Business Administration (SBA) loans are provided to loan seekers under section 7(a) of the Small Business Act. This Act gives power to the Agency to sanction loans to American Small Businesses. Founded on July 30, 1953, the U.S. small...

Combating West Nile Virus is a Concern for Government and Homeowners - ARA
(ARA) - West Nile Virus is a growing threat that infected 4,156 Americans and caused 284 deaths last year alone. Local health officials are in a race to discover effective methods of containing the disease that flies on the wings of a tiny...

US Government Recognizes 'They Slew The Dreamer' - Gary Revel
A friend just brought it to the attention of Gary Revel today that the United States Government has indeed recognized his conclusion of a conspiracy in the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. The House of Representatives and the Senate of the...