Price of Cigarettes - Joe Reams, 11/27/00 7:30AM

In the first comments I posted I made a remark about not caring how much cigarettes cost if we were compensated for our quota. While this is somewhat true (I don't smoke), I think the price of cigarettes is of concern to me for one reason. About .25 cents per pack tax on cigarettes would fund a buy out of all quota tobacco in about 3 years. This would be great. The problem is this: There are a lot of other interests involved that also are looking for their "fair share". I am not suggesting that anybody's cause is totally illegitimate. We just need to remember what happened to the McCain Bill. People kept piling on until it was way too fat & it didn't have a chance. I hope our commissioners keep the focus narrow. There are plenty of worthy causes out there, but do they have a dog in this fight? Could some of them be simply wanting to perpetuate some beauracracy that's only function is to feed itself? I don't know the answer to that, but speaking for me, I might (?) go one more season and it'll be over anyway.