Un-Freaking Believable

Check out shareholder proposal #4 on this year's proxy for Altria Group:

PROPOSAL 4 – GET OUT OF TRADITIONAL TOBACCO BUSINESS BY 2010

The Sinsinawa Dominicans, 585 County Road Z, Sinsinawa, WI 53824, claiming beneficial ownership of 75 shares of common stock, together with two co-proponents, submitted the proposal set forth below. The names, addresses and shareholdings of the co-proponents will be furnished upon request made to the Secretary of the Company.

WHEREAS, in 1973 a Philip Morris representative stated: “We all know that once a consumer product has been proven by the medical profession to be harmful to the human body, the product will be banned from sales and whatever has been sold will be withdrawn from the trade.” He said, if cigarettes would be “undeniably proven to be harmful and conducive to lung cancer, there will definitely be a ban on cigarette sales worldwide.” Later, in the film, Death in the West, a Philip Morris Vice President declared that, if it were shown cigarettes cause harm, “we would withdraw them.” PMUSA has never disavowed these statements.

Recently PMUSA has promoted itself as socially responsible. It says it shouldn’t be judged by past modes of operating. However, as late as August, 2006, a Federal Judge overseeing the U.S. Government’s lawsuit against it and other tobacco companies ruled it and the others have continually violated racketeering laws by deceiving the public about tobacco dangers. It stated:

1.
They have falsely denied, distorted and minimized significant adverse health consequences of smoking for decades.

2.
They have consistently manipulated nicotine levels in cigarettes, with resulting addictive consequences.

3.
Their own documents and research reveal their continued recognition that smoking causes serious adverse health effects, along with fears how such knowledge might impact litigation.

Meanwhile, other findings indicate that the company does regulate nicotine levels in its cigarettes, corroborating what the Federal Judge alleged.

While acknowledging that a combination of increased taxes on cigarettes and diminished public access to smoking reduces smoking and, therefore, increases public health and, despite its acknowledgement of smoking’s health hazards, PMUSA has lobbied mightily to restrict increases in taxes in various states (BW 09.11.06). This makes the proponents of this resolution convinced the company is not sincere in its stated commitment to reduce smoking among people in general, youth in particular and, especially those addicted to its products.

The findings of the Federal Judge and others show that our company has consistently acted duplicitously in the dissemination of its cigarettes. Despite this, it still has asked the same Judge for permission to continue marketing its alleged “light” and “ultralight” products abroad even though it knows millions of people think they diminish health hazards but do not. This “boundless rapaciousness” has led The Washington Post to opine of this Company’s thinking: “If we can’t continue to defraud Americans into killing themselves … can we at least keep suggesting to billions of people abroad that some cigarettes are safer than others?”

After years of trying to make this Company more socially responsible, the shareholders filing this resolution are left with no alternative but to submit the following:

RESOLVED, that, since it acknowledges the science showing its tobacco products create disease and death, shareholders request the Board of Directors initiate steps to sell or phase out all production, promotion and marketing of its health-hazardous and addictive tobacco products by 2010.

The Board recommends a vote AGAINST this proposal.

Ya think? Uh, guys, it's time to sell your measly little 75 shares and get out of the tobacco business TODAY! Idiots.