BY PATRICK CROWLEY
The Cincinnati Enquirer
UNION - Boone County tobacco farmer Bob Flaig was glad to learn late Thursday afternoon that Kentucky had signed off on a settlement with the nation's largest cigarette makers.
Not that Mr. Flaig is thrilled with the terms of the agreement, which settles claims against the tobacco companies for past and future medical costs but barely mentions those who grow the crop.
"I'll just be glad to see it get off the front page," said Mr. Flaig, who grows about 75,000 pounds of tobacco, along with almost 1,000 acres of corns and beans, on his Hathaway Road farm.
"This settlement isn't about the growers; it's about protecting the companies from lawsuits. And I'm sorry, but if somebody gets sick from smoking, it's their own fault.
"The growers are getting screwed, so I guess the best thing they can do now is just leave us alone and let us grow a good crop."
In signing the settlement, Kentucky Attorney General Ben Chandler acknowledged Thursday that tobacco companies have a "dismal" record in dealing fairly with growers and historically offer little in the way of hope they will honor any new promises.
But Mr. Chandler said tobacco companies still face political pressure, such as on the topics of federal regulation of nicotine as a drug and additional excise taxes.
"They're going to need all the allies they can get, and they don't want a good portion of the tobacco community to be their enemy," Mr. Chandler said.
The settlement offer, which expires at midday today, includes only a vague offer by the manufacturers to meet with tobacco grower interests and state leaders to talk about financial assistance. "What's in it for the tobacco farmers?" said State Rep. Katie Stine, R-Fort Thomas. "From what I've read, there's no real commitment . . . to them."
There is a general consensus that the settlement, which includes advertising and marketing restrictions, will cut cigarette sales and therefore the demand for tobacco. Gov. Paul Patton said experts he has consulted have estimated a 30 percent drop in tobacco income for Kentucky.
Mr. Patton on Wednesday wrote a letter to the chief negotiator for the manufacturers, asking for $2.2 billion for Kentucky alone to offset the damage to tobacco farmers and the communities they live in.
"This (settlement) is just primarily a lawsuit settlement regarding health claims," said State Rep. Royce Adams, D-Dry Ridge, a tobacco grower.
"The farmer has been left out to date. But I'm glad Kentucky signed it. If we would not have signed it, the state might not have received any compensation . . . and maybe there's a chance for the farmers to be included down the road," he said.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
