Two days after Gov. Ted Strickland reached a deal with legislative leaders over an economic-stimulus package, which was to be funded in part by $230 million from the foundation's endowment, foundation leaders tried to subvert the effort.
Ignoring the will of the governor and state lawmakers, who are the elected representatives of the people of Ohio, foundation officials attempted to move the bulk of the organization's money to other groups, out of the state's reach, including an out-of-state organization.
This was a huge miscalculation.
The angry legislature responded with remarkable speed, snatching the money. The tussle landed in court and, rather than enduring a prolonged ordeal that would eat up time and money, lawmakers decided they had had enough.
As comedian Bill Cosby used to say to his children when they aggravated him: "I brought you into this world. I can take you out." Lawmakers are doing just that.
The Ohio Tobacco Prevention Foundation was a quasi-governmental agency created by the General Assembly in 2000 to help prevent and control the use of tobacco in Ohio. It was paid for by money from the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement reached by 46 states and the tobacco industry. The foundation issued grants, ran anti-tobacco ads and operated the Ohio Tobacco Quit Line, which people could call for counseling to help them stop smoking.
The foundation started with the promise of a $1.2 billion endowment, with the intention of a tobacco-control program that could run indefinitely. But state lawmakers could not resist that mountain of cash when Ohio has many needs that are more pressing.
The endowment stood at $270 million last week. The House on Wednesday voted to remove all of the foundation's funding, and the Senate is expected to follow suit this week.
It is unfortunate that the matter could not have been settled diplomatically.
Reasonable minds can disagree on the proper funding level for anti-smoking programs in a troubled economy. But lawmakers should keep in mind the need to continue the fight against smoking.
Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death in Ohio, killing not only smokers but also those exposed to secondhand smoke.
Ohioans recognize the dangers and in 2006 voted to ban smoking in public places. Smokers who wanted to quit could get counseling and other help through the foundation's Quit Line. Now, many are left wondering what anti-smoking options are left.
Under the legislature's plan, the Ohio Department of Health is to get the $40 million that lawmakers had intended to leave the foundation. Health Department officials will need to weigh the effectiveness of the foundation's programs and continue what works best.
Ohio and the other states had sought money from the tobacco companies as reimbursement for the Medicaid costs of diseases caused by smoking. The tobacco companies continue to lure people into using deadly products, spending nearly $800 million a year on advertising in Ohio alone. In the face of rising Medicaid costs, Ohio needs to fight back.
To see more of The Columbus Dispatch, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.columbusdispatch.com. Copyright (c) 2008, The Columbus Dispatch, Ohio Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
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