Deseret News | The winners and the losers

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The winners and the losers

The real winners | 4:10 a.m. Feb. 7, 2009

Utah won in its rights of individuals to make their own choices about tobacco and a tax that was pure discrimination with vindictive and personal hate attached to it. The tobacco tax measure was the prelude to other taxes to rise out of necessity in the future. It was an unconstitutional tax to penalize and persecute for ones beliefs and personal choices. This kind of mentality to tax is not what freedoms are given to us for. So Utah wins over hate again, this time anyway.

Timj | 4:36 a.m. Feb. 7, 2009

Those Republican politicians who voted down the cigarette tax don't happen to get campaign money from the tobacco industry, do they?

you got that right | 9:06 a.m. Feb. 7, 2009

DesNews Editorial Board Got That Right, each time. I am also impressed with Utah State Bar leadership for this new approach, tell us more. I believe in mentoring in lots of realms. I believe that the good folks who were spared death on the US Airways flight that dumped into the Hudson should be getting down on their knees and thanking Cpt. Sullenberger and his airline, not whining about money. How soon we lose perspective. And I am in shock over the tobacco lobby's control and influence over the Legislature. No tax increase on cigarettes? None whasoever? Was this another affront to the Governor who proposed it. It went away so quickly. Wow, how does the system work up there?

Comments continue below

Tabacco tax lost thru GOP help | 9:51 a.m. Feb. 7, 2009

I wonder if the tax failed because:

"Former House Speaker Greg Curtis (GOP) has beeen hired as a lobbyist to try to help beat back a major cigarette tax hike this legislative session.

Curtis, who lost his re-election bid last November, is working for Altria Client Services, the parent company of Phillip Morris USA, the largest tobacco company in the country, the maker of Marlboro cigarettes and numerous other brands."

rsp | 10:00 a.m. Feb. 7, 2009

Didn't you just know that US Air would be getting sued as soon as you saw that the plane went down. How sick and shameless are many of the lawyers in this Country.
And TimJ- those are your boys. The Democrat party is owned by Trial Lawyers (among other anti-American groups) so get off Republicans.

Perhaps they should sue | 11:53 a.m. Feb. 7, 2009

the terrorist birds who flew themselves into the engines of the plane. Is that the terrorist attack Cheney warned of recently?

response | 12:03 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

rsp, please back up your accusation that the Democratic Party is "owned" by Trial Lawyers (I presume you mean the American Trial Lawyers Association), and that the person the DesNews referred to is indeed represented by one of ATLA's members. Even more, rsp, show me one lawsuit that has been filed related to that crash. One person on that flight doesn't get it and is talking additional compensation and you are ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater. Furthermore, rsp, you weren't on that flight, right. We don't know details yet as to each case. Wow. Relax a bit will ya.

pro-tbco tax, no youth smoking | 12:30 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

We needed that tax to take aim at youth smoking. Truly, have we lost focus of how bad tobacco is? Didn't the tobacco trials and class settlements teach us anything? Can anyone on the Hill defend tobacco as a product? Is Greg Curtis giving interviews on why he (as last year's leader of this State) is now in favor of tobacco? Is he willing to disclose his financials, his gifts, his skillful tactics for getting this necessary tax nixed. Snuff'd out like a cig. Goodness, people. Let's lead not slime up the whole place.

law student | 12:46 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

I need to learn more about mentoring and how it will help me succeed as a lawyer. I'm excited they are doing this, frankly, and see the need. Being a lawyer will be tough enough, I'm sure, so it will be great to have someone look out for me that first year at least. Do other states do this or is the Utah Bar trying something new? Law school is hard by design, and we are all looking forward to actually getting to practice.

rsp | 1:41 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

@ response : Timj was the one who made an unsubstantiated insinuation that Republicans were on the take from Tobacco companies.
You want evidence from me that the Democrat party caters to their Trial Lawyer masters? What was the first piece of legislation Obama signed? The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act. What does it do? It makes it easier for workers to SUE over possible pay discrepancies - and extends the time period that LAWYERS can go back and file a lawsuit or claim over. He threw a bone to lawyers. Does that make my argument a little better?

helping out response | 2:36 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

rsp, you got something against lawyers in general or just trial lawyers? there is a wide range to these guys, just like doctors and busines people. you name it, they got it. Okay, next bit--why shouldn't the average worker have a fair chance at getting their fair pay? a fair shot at filing their claim? i don't know what Bush did on this during his eight years but i'm guessing he was against the average worker on this one, popular guy that he was. why is this a lawyer issue in your mind instead of an average worker issue? i thought you were going to cite statistics on the effectiveness of the trial lawyer lobby in Washington. BTW, did you hear that 600,000 jobs were lost in the U.S. in January '09 alone. there is a lot of hurting out there. seems like workers are the focus of the Lilly Ledbetter. Obama's trying to help people get their claims in if they got the shaft by an employer on their pay. Educate me, my friend. what do I know?

rsp | 4:42 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

@ Mr Helper: yes, my friend you do need some education. Of course I don't hate all Lawyers. The Country needs some Lawyers. It disgusts me though that Lawyers (esp Class Action suits) have driven up the cost of everything in this Country. Want to build a road or a bridge? - call the attorneys first. Everything we do we have to consider the litigation risks. Has that made our Country better? Of course the National Lawyers Guild supports the Democrat Party. Do you think Obama actually gave a rats behind over whether Women got equal pay for work? Of course not .. he wants the lawyers to get paid. I've guess you've been brainwashed into thinking Democrats actually care about minorities and the middle class. Democrats care about making money (and apparently not paying taxes on that money)
Do you think lawsuits against Doctors and Hospitals has made health care more or less expensive? And which Party has tried to stop a lot of that uncalled for litigation?

Re: Perhaps they should sue | 5:48 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

NO, it was the terroisist Biden warned us about.

jaded | 10:14 p.m. Feb. 7, 2009

rsp, you are one jaded dude. i'm just reading all these comments for the first time. you are way out there in negative land. Obama doesn't care about pay for women. Ha! I'm going to bed. NIce try guys. Obama's not concerned about the average worker. Are you kidding. He's the man!

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