OK, this tobacco thing is completely out of control. I have long been a critic of these tobacco settlements.To me, it is akin to legislation via litigation. If Congress wants to ban tobacco, fine.It should ban tobacco. But, of course, Congress will never ban tobacco.Government profits too much from it. Tobacco is taxed like crazy.The government is as dependent on tobacco revenue as smokers are dependent on nicotine. In fact, I bet it would be easier for everybody in the country to stop smoking than it would be to wean the government off tobacco revenue. Of course all those taxes are over and above tobacco profits.The taxes don't come out of the pockets of the tobacco companies, they come out of the pockets of consumers. You know, all those people Bill Clinton likes to talk about when he says things like, "Ah feel yer poin." I guess he feels it while simultaneously contributing to it. But I digress.
GARY GERARD, Times-Union Managing Editor- | July 28, 2016