Tobacco.org

LETTER: Tobacco buyout a historic achievement 

Passage of the tobacco buyout by Congress last year was a historic achievement for Kentucky which will benefit all aspects of tobacco dependent communities in Kentucky and across the tobacco belt. The raw numbers are impressive-- $2.5 billion over 10 years to be paid in every region of our state, the creation of at least 7,000 new jobs and a chance for Kentucky farm families to invest in their own future, either through more streamlined tobacco production or a variety of alternative enterprises.

In terms of the value of the economic stimulus for Kentucky, the buyout ranks with the top economic development initiatives of our time. New automotive plants or new technology enterprises have served as strong advancements for individual regions of the commonwealth, but the buyout spreads its high-value impact to virtually every county, west to east.

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