Although this is not specifically a Mpls issue, it does affect Mpls residents, therefore I'd like to take a moment to shine a light on what is appears to be a serious lapse on the part of the Star Trib editorial staff. I'm talking about the virtual blackout on editorials and letters regarding the dubious adminstration of tobacco settlement funds. In spite of the fact that Mike Hatch, the only good guy in this scenario, now has now initiated an attempt to divest MPAAT of two hundred million dollars in state funds, the Strib editiorial page has remained eerily silent on the matter this week. Though Deborah Rybak, reporter for the Star Trib, has done some terrific reporting on this issue, there remains a strange disparity between the news and editorial sections of the paper.
IWhy, for example, the Strib can not abide questions asking how the state can raise cigarette taxes for the purpose of discouraging smoking, yet fail to subsidize costs on over-priced smoking cessation aids - much less rescind taxes on them - this is indeed puzzling. (I have sent letters twice to the Strib asking this - neither have been published. Nor have I seen any other.) Yet, here we are, four years after a multi-billion dollar settlement, and this state still does not have a comprehensive smoking cessation program that offers concrete resources to smokers trying to quit the habit. In light of this, Jan Malcolm's continuing role as Chief of the Minnesota Health Department needs to be seriously questioned. Simply, she ain't done her job. And yes, it is a scandal. So why is the Strib Editorial page sitting this one out? Where are the calls for accountability? If people have grown cynical about the manner in which the state has represented the health concerns of its citizens, they have right to be. They also have a right to be cynical about how media is failing to represent them. A six billion dollar rabbit has virtually disappeared down a hole along with the rationale for having pursued the lawsuit in the first place. And still there is still no proactive commitment on the part of the state to help individual smokers quit. How misguided - if not mismanaged -can it get? More important, why is the Star Trib having such a tough time asking this obvious question on their editorial page? Chris Beckwith Ward 6 _______________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe, Unsubscribe, Digest option, and more: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
