Let's fool the public

Watch out for letters from people you don't know.

It wasn't very clever, but apparently a tobacco lobbyist thought he could get by with writing a letter over the signature of a teacher to oppose Measure 50 in Oregon. The proposed legislation would increase cigarette taxes to pay for tobacco education programs and help fund children's health care.

The letter was supposedly from a first-grade teacher in Salem, but the return address turned out to be the office of Mark Nelson, a lobbyist for R. J. Reynolds Tobacco.

Read the whole story on KATU TV's web page.

How Idaho's tobacco settlement money is being managed

A total of $790 million is expected to be allocated to Idaho for the first 25 years of the tobacco settlement beginning in 1994. That comes to $3.16 million per year.

Highlights:

2000. The state legislature created a "Millennium Fund" to "receive, invest and disburse funds received" by Idaho under the settlement. Each fiscal year five percent of the fund's current market value is subject to appropriation by the legislature.

2002. An oversight committee was set up with five senators and five representatives to review grant applications and issue recommendations to the legislature.

2006. The state constitution was amended to set up a permanent Millennium Endowment Fund, with 80 percent of the tobacco money going to the newly created fund and 20 percent to the existing fund.

Acknowledging that the federal law resulting from the tobacco settlement does not specify how the funds will be used, the Millennium Endowment Fund committee "has chosen to only consider applications for programs and projects directly related to one or more of the following: (1) tobacco cessation or prevention; (2) substance abuse cessation or prevention; or (3) tobacco or substance abuse related disease treatment. In addition, the committee has determined that funds may not be used for permanent capital improvements or organizational start-up costs."

The budget report lists projects that are hoping to receive tobacco settlement funds from the legislature in 2008, including the following:

• $94,000: Idaho State Police for youth tobacco investigations
• $270,000 (per year): Idaho Supreme Court for community-based juvenile prevention and intervention programs
• $500,000: Public Health Districts on tobacco cessation programs and information for adolescents and the general public
• $500,000: Department of Health and Welfare for an anti-tobacco media campaign
  
• $22,500: All Things New, a faith-based organization dealing with substance abuse
  
• $82,100: American Lung Association for Teens Against Tobacco Use (T.A.T.U.)
• $49,100: Benewah Medical Center, to expand "How's Your Heart" program to include more tobacco education
  
• $73,700: Boys and Girls Clubs of Idaho for Positive Action, a tobacco-prevention program
• $154,000: Community Council of Idaho (formerly Idaho Migrant Council), to help prevent substance abuse in southern Idaho
• $164,000: Family Care Center, to include tobacco cessation in its health programs
• $147,100: Idaho Drug Free Youth, Inc. to develop ParenTeen PowerLines,
  a parent and teen prevention education program
  
• $71,000: Miracle Valley Ministry Center, to expand current services to include tobacco prevention

Only the first four of these projects has received a recommendation by the Governor as of this summer.