MS Governor Haley Barbour - a Friend (to Tobacco) Indeed

After Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, a former tobacco industry lobbyist, complained that Mississippi's anti-smoking program received its funding directly from the courts and that it needed legislative approval, the state legislature passed a bill to continue the funding. Barbour promptly vetoed the legislation and went back to the courts to withdraw all remaining monies from the program. Did you catch what he did there? Well, last week, Barbour won the long battle in court to withdraw all funding for the anti-smoking program.

Barbour's reasons? It wouldn't be the $3.8 million his lobbying firm was paid by its tobacco clients in 1998-2002, would it? Of course not! According to his office, Barbour vetoed the legislation that passed to continue the program's funding because of it's "lack of accountability," an accusation which was disputed by Sharon Garrison, Communications Director for the Partnership for a Healthy Mississippi, the organization that runs the program. "These accusations are untrue and unfair."

This is just another in a long line of stories that prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Republicans DO NOT CARE ABOUT PEOPLE. They care only about money and power. And who pays the price? The American people.