Wednesday, February 09, 2000
McConnell: Clinton waging 'war' on tobacco farmers
BY PAUL BARTON
Enquirer Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON — The Clinton administration's latest budget represents the continuation of a “seven-year war” against tobacco farmers, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., charged Tuesday.
Mr. McConnell led a bipartisan gathering of Kentucky lawmakers that told the administration to back off from its attacks on the tobacco industry.
“Our message to the Clinton-Gore administration is quite simple: Keep your hands off the tobacco farmer and no more taxes,” Mr. McConnell said.
The administration's proposed 2001 budget unveiled Monday called for a 25-cents-a-pack increase in cigarette taxes.
Kentucky members said it would cost 1,800 tobacco-related jobs in their state.
The proposed cigarette tax increase is the latest in a series from the administration in re cent years.
Last week, tobacco farmers learned that their federal production quota for this year under the Agriculture Department's tobacco program will be cut nearly 50 percent.
“When is the administration going to realize that enough is enough?” Mr. McConnell said.
Although the administration casts its policies as a way to decrease tobacco usage, especially among youth, Mr. McConnell said it fails to consider the harm it is doing to farm families.
He said the number of tobacco farmers in Kentucky has dropped from 60,000 to 45,000 during the Clinton years.
Rep. Ken Lucas, D-Richwood, also took the administration to task.
“The president won't stop until he has Kentucky tobacco farmers on the ropes,” Mr. Lucas said. “I guess he won't be satisfied until he puts our tobacco farmers out of business entirely.”
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