With a fixed price set for the settlement, it now is in our best interests to increase the number of smokers so that the money will continue to flow into the bottomless pit of state tax collections. When litigation attorneys argue for large damage settlements for personal injuries, one of the main considerations is the loss of the plaintiff's future income. This is the fairest way to replace a lost stream of income, because when given a lump sum of money to replace 30 years of lost income, most people spend that pile of money within the first five years, and have nothing left for the rest of their lives. His welfare for the rest of his life is of no concern to me. In other words, he sees a cash cow, and he is going to milk it for all he can get.
Politicians seem to operate in a similar manner.
That means reducing current taxes.