• Replace inflammatory rhetoric, stereotyping, and automatic enmity in favor of civil, problem solving dialogue;
• Understand each others' needs, values and concerns;
• Identify areas of common ground and even interdependence, while acknowledging areas of difference; and, finally,
• Work together to create realistic, sensible and sustainable options for communities and families facing pressures associated with transition.

Greetings participants in the Southern Tobacco Communities
Project -

Here is an update as of Feb. 8 of latest news in
tobacco-producing communities.  Because of the amount of
media attention offered to the fight for funding for youth
tobacco control in Kentucky and the burley producers' 45%
quota cut combined with Philip Morris's plans to contract
directly with burley farmers, I am following this review by
sending some articles and editorials verbatim.

Regards,

Frank Dukes
 
 

REGIONAL AND NATIONAL NEWS

It was reported that the Richmond Times-Dispatch of Feb. 5
notes that a tobacco advisory panel involving farm and
manufacturer leaders will be reconvened by Sen. Robb and
Rep. Rick Boucher of Virginia.

Philip Morris has announced that they will move to
contracting directly with burley tobacco growers outside of
the tobacco program (see following editorials and article).

The 2000 Burley Tobacco quota was announced on Feb. 1.  The
2000 basic quota will be 247.4 million pounds, down 45%
from the 1999 quota of 452.9 million pounds.  That is by
far the largets cut ever.  The announcement is at:
http://www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/news/releases/2000/february.htm
The cut was not a surprise, as the Burley Co-op had refused
to sell stocks at deep discount to reduce the quota cut.
(See following messages for further editorials/articles).

Attorneys in eight states filed class-action lawsuits
arguing that any settlement to the states above the amount
they paid through Medicaid for treatment of smoking-related
diseases should go to Medicaid recipients - smokers, in
particular - who suffered from those illnesses.

GEORGIA - Mike Owens, tobacco farmer, spoke along with Tony
DeLucia of Tennessee before an AARP gathering of 17 states
concerning spending needs for the states' settlement money.
 

KENTUCKY -
The public health groups were very pleased at the
attendance and participation at the farm-health Jan. 18
conference. John Berry and Rod Kuegel of the Burley Co-op
reported in public the support that the health community
has offered to farming interests and committed to helping
the public health advocates achieve their state legislative
goals.  They have been making joint lobbying efforts.  This
becomes more important now that the farmers essentially
have had their request of 50% endorsed by the Governor.
Given the 45% quota cuts announced for next year, there is
considerable support for that request.  There has been
considerable press coverage received concerning the
conference, the alliance, and the public health community's
request for 15% of the funding.

SOUTH CAROLINA -
The House Ways and Means Committee's tobacco settlement
committee meeting held two meetings last week.  Committee
members appeared to be genuinely seeking information about
the needs of interested parties.  One meeting concerned
tobacco farmers and their communities, and was sparsely
attended.  The other meeting for public health needs drew
over 100 people.  The legislation seeking 50% for tobacco
compensation has been reduced by sponsoring legislators to
20%, in accordance with what is considered more politically
realistic.
 

NORTH CAROLINA -
There continues to be considerable interest in
low-nitrosamine production.

Due to flood recovery, the front-loading of Phase I funding
sought by farmers is unlikely to happen.

A tobacco growers' group is pressing officials in North
Carolina to consider issuing bonds based on an expected
stream of payments from the tobacco industry, so that
farmers and allotment holders can have a big chunk of money
upfront rather than getting their money in annual payments
over 12 years.   Other states and local governments have
pledged their expected payments from the industry to pay
off bonds.

TENNESSEE -

The coalition of health groups Campaign for a Healthy and
Responsible Tennessee
(CHART) is seeking a "significant proportion" of the $4.8
billion settlement money.  This is an uphill battle for a
variety of reasons, including a general budget shortfall.
CHART is a cooperative effort of the Tennessee Medical
Association, the American Heart Association, the American
Lung Association and the American Cancer Society in
Tennessee, and
other Tennessee health and community agencies.

In a CHART-sponsored survey of 650 Tennesseans in December,
70% said they favor spending half of the tobacco settlement
money for the prevention and reduction of tobacco use.  The
Tennessean reports that both smokers and nonsmokers were
strongly in favor of using the
tobacco settlement money to reduce tobacco use among kids,
with 83% of tobacco users and 81% of nonusers strongly or
somewhat favoring it.

Tennessee's first installment --$214 million -- has been
held up in other litigation.

http://www.tennessean.com/sii/00/01/20/smoking20.shtml

VIRGINIA - Virginia's health coalition continues to press
for allocating the remaining 40% of settlement money to
health related issues, including research.  The Governor
has proposed using all of it for transportation.