Supreme Court Puts End to Tobacco Suit

The U.S. government was dealt another blow on Monday when the Supreme Court denied their appeal to reinstate the 280 billion dollar judgment they were awarded in 1999. The initial judgment was meant to be a penalty for getting people hooked on smoking.

The government declined comment when the case was dismissed. In February an Appeals court had ruled the government could not profit for past action, but current and future. It was the contention of the government that they should receive 50 years worth of profits from the tobacco companies.

With this ruling without comment from the nation’s highest court, the government will only be eligible for limited damages in the federal case. Tobacco companies said the 1999 judgment would have put them out of business. No lawsuit is supposed to have that effect.

The American people should be thankful that two courts finally said, “Enough already!!” It is like the government found a cash cow and wanted to milk it for all its worth. But worse, had they won who would have been the next cow? My contention is that it would have been alcohol. Let’s face it, 62% of Americans drink, so it could have been devastating.

It my contention that if an activity is legal, then the people who became ill should not be rewarded. Smokers had health issues, but the box came with a warning, so they were not duped. Alcohol warns about drinking and driving, but does it come labeled with the possibility that a person could become an alcoholic? Not really. Does it tell of the abuses people will suffer because of the impaired judgment of some drinkers? Nope.

Maybe the government will concentrate on more important things like keeping Karl Rove from telling secrets.