American Cancer Society

Some might think I'd be a big supporter of the American Cancer Society (ACS), having to deal with the wife's cancer pretty much continually over the last three years. Well, I'm not. In fact, my opinion is generally negative of the ACS.

Sure, they do some good. They were helpful to us when Connie was first diagnosed with non- hodgkins lymphoma, providing informational material to let us better understand what we were up against.

As the writer says in this commentary, they do provide some assistance in paying for mileage should cancer patients need to travel for treatment, but that's just a drop in the bucket- something like five cents a mile. So, I figured we should get around fifteen dollars back for every time we have to head to UCSF Medical Center. It costs over ninety dollars, just for gas alone every time we go down there.

No, I'm not looking a gift horse in the mouth. I appreciate all the help we can get. But most are under the impression there's all kinds of support for cancer victims from ACS.

I think most ACS supporters would be disappointed if they knew how little the Cancer Society does. It's a shame. I know a number of people that put their heart and souls into that annual Walk For Life. But I don't fault them or the ACS for it. It may sound like I do, but I don't.

So why do I have a beef with the American Cancer Society? They support tax increases.

In the Times- Standard commentary I linked to above, they proudly announce their support for Prop 86, The Tobacco Tax Initiative, yet another tax to be added to tobacco products. They list all the things this money will supposedly be used for, never mentioning the fact that most of the money from the last tobacco tax increase they backed (Prop 10 some years ago) hasn't been spent on what it was supposed to be spent on.

They've changed their approach this time, coming out publicly in support of the tax, as opposed to supporting it from the shadows. Back during Prop 10, seems to me they didn't officially endorse Prop 10, although I think we all knew they supported it.

I remember they had a large homemade Yes On 10 sign out in front of the ACS office in Henderson Center, Eureka. It wasn't in their display window, though. It was on a car in front of their office. Probably one belonging to an employee or volunteer.

I don't know what made them change their policy. I suspect a change in leadership. Either that, or they figured out there's little to lose by beating up on the little guy. The fact is, they've always supported taxes that affect what is generally one of the less well off segments of society: Smokers.

That's one thing I'm unforgiving on: Taxing people- the ones who can least afford it- under the guise of doing what's best for them.