Play Meter

on the nation and must be forced or on the nation and must be forced or priced out of existence. priced out of existence. On the other hand, the government On the other hand, the government that allowedme metotobecome become dependent dependent that allowed Play MAILBOX Meter Federalgovernment government Federal outofof line line out recentlyfinished finishedreading readingaacopy copyof of I Irecently S.1451 (the McCain bill regarding tobacS.1451 ( the McCain bill regarding tobacco products including the ban on co products including the ban on cigarette vendingmachines). Asaalifelifecigarette vending machines). As long RepublicanIIam amshocked shockedand and disdislong Republican mayed that one of my own party has mayed that one of my own party has seen fit to aid in the enlarging and abuseen fit to aid in the enlarging and abusive empowermentofofthe theFederal Federalgovgovsive empowerment ernment! It saddens me to see that the ernment! It saddens me to see that the business of crushing legal American business of crushing legal American businessesisisbipartisan. bipartisan.Suddenly, Suddenly,IIand and businesses other people in my industry are a plague other people in my industry are a plague mylivelihood livelihoodon onthis thisvery verysame sameininformy for dustry will continue to line their pockets dustry will continue to line their pockets with huge sums of money stolen from with huge sums of money stolen from the hard working people in the tobacco the hard working people in the tobacco industry. Cigarettes are bad for your industry. Cigarettes are bad for your health, but it never stopped the Federal health, but it never stopped the Federal government or the State of Florida from government or the State of Florida from hungrily cashing my tax revenue checks. hungrily cashing my tax revenue checks. Doesthis thismean meanthey theyhave haveaaresponsibiliresponsibiliDoes ty too? Nooooo. They're the good guys. ty too? Nooooo. They're the good guys. It's those evil tobacco industry people. It's those evil tobacco industry people. thatininorder ordertotofinance finance aa realizethat I Irealize utopian society you need to find even utopian society you need to find even more money. I also realize that the govmore money. I also realize that the government is having to work harder and ernment is having to work harder and harder doingso sobecause becauseififthey theyconconharder atatdoing tinue to raise the percentage of income tinue to raise the percentage of income Caesar,they theyare are family must mustpay paytotoCaesar, aafamily afraid the wheels may fall off of the afraid the wheels may fall off of the cart and afraid they may find themcart and afraid they may find themselves hanging from the street lights selves hanging from the street lights (figuratively). (figuratively). When the tobacco goose dies, and When the tobacco goose dies, and it will eventually,what whatlegal legalAmerican American it will eventually, industry will be next to feed the insaindustry will be next to feed the insatiable appetite of the Federal governtiable appetite of the Federal government? People are dying from alcohol ment? People are dying from alcohol use, you know. Hmmmm, I think I'll use, you know. Hmmmm, I think I'll REDEMPTION TICKETS! FAST !! MAKE YOUR NEXT TICKET RUN WITH US! e unci M MNovelty n · Fastest Service . Most Competitive Prices . Dependable Turn-around Muncie LO Muncie Novelty A No velty Exclusivesales salesagent agentforforIndiana IndianaTicket Ticket Exclusive [•••J CALLNOW! NOW! CALL 11.•800•428•8640 800 . 428 . 8640 WeAccept AcceptVisa Visa MasterCard ~ We VISA & MasterCard · · ·· ~ & MasterCard "'111111 . m PLAYMETER METER PLAY We Print On Recycled Paper!@ We Print On Recycled Paper! FAX: 1l .• 765 765.•288 288.• 3434 3434 FAX: 10 10 stay out of the bar business. Hey, peostay out of the bar business. Hey, people are dying from heart attacks too , ple are dying from heart attacks too, you know. Hmmmm, I think I'll stay you know. Hmmmm, I think I'll stay out of the restaurant business too. Say, out of the restaurant business too. Say, whatbusiness businessare areyou youin? in? what Governor Lawton Chiles seems toto Governor Lawton Chiles seems think we in the tobacco industry areevil evil think we in the tobacco industry are too. He claims the tobacco industry has too. He claims the tobacco industry has cost our state billions of dollars in health cost our state billions of dollars in health care costs. I then, being a simple and faircare costs. I then, being a simple and fairly uneducated man (a graduate of Jefferly uneducated man (a graduate of Jefferson High School, but I spent most of my son High School, but I spent most of my time avoiding avoiding the the violence violence that that was was time prevalent and cost my good friend Mark prevalent and cost my good friend Mark Hoffman some quality coma time) don't Hoffman some quality coma time) don't understand what happened to the bilunderstand what happened to the billions and billions of dollars generated lions and billions of dollars generated through the taxes paid by the tobacco inthrough the taxes paid by the tobacco industry. I guess the State wanted no part dustry. I guess the StateThat wanted no part thatblood bloodmoney. money.That stilldoesn't doesn't ofof that still explain where the checks went. Someexplain where the checks went. Somebody cashed them. bodyOh, cashed them. one more more thing thing I Idon't don'tunderunderOh, one is the State of Florida stand. Let's see, stand. Let's see, is the State of Florida claiming that if these people that became claiming that if these people that became sick due to smoking and therefore cost sick due to smoking and therefore cost the state money had never smoked a tothe state money had never smoked a tobacco product in their entire lives that bacco product in their entire lives that they would have never, ever gotten sick they would have never, ever gotten sick or grown old and cost the state money? I or grown oldso. andCan costGovernor the state Chiles money?say I don't thinkso. don't think Can Governor Chiles say thathehehas hasever evermet metanyone anyonewho whowill willnot not that get sick or die? I don't think so. His arguget sick or die? I don't think so. His argumentsounds sounds more more like like aamoral moral issue issue ment than a financial one, but I suppose there than a financial one, but I suppose there is more money in a financial issue. is more money in a financial issue. seems that from the American NaItItseems that from the American Native and theAfrican AfricanAmerican Americantotothe the tive and the Branch Davideans and the Florida fishBranch Davideans and the Florida fisherman, America America has has always always needed needed erman, someone to c'rush. And now me, my someone to crush. And now me, my family, and my industry are in the spotfamily, and my industry are in the spotlight of that very special group getting all light of that very it's special group getting all theattention. attention.IfIfit's notyou youororyour yourkind, kind, the not you may very well be standing on the you may very well be standing on the sidelines cheering this most American of sidelines cheering this most American of sacrificialrites. rites. sacrificial Please rememberthat thatmost mostofofus usare are Please remember decent, hard working people like you. decent, hard working people like you. We have mortgages, families, car payWe have mortgages, families, car payments, and pets. If America has decided ments, and pets. If America has decided thattobacco tobaccoisistoo toodangerous dangeroustotoour oursosothat ciety, then let's just cut the crap, make it ciety, then let's just cut the crap, make it illegal, pay fairly the people you have deillegal, pay fairly the people you have deposed from a legal business, and get on posed from a legal business, andcan getthen on lives. The Thewhole wholething thingcan withour ourlives. with then just go down in the history books as one just go down in the history books as one more freedom the American people willmore freedom the American people willingly gave up .A .A. ingly gave up. RicardoJ.J.DeForest DeForest Ricardo Blackjack Vending Blackjack Vending Tampa, FL Tampa, FL JULY1998 JULY 1998