The Gore family recently suffered a tragic loss as Al's sister died from lung cancer -- due to smoking. After the incident, Vice President Gore renewed his efforts to reduce smoking in America. Few people realize that tobacco is the largest cash crop in Tennessee [Page 1]. In addition, Tennessee continues to suffer major social debate over the issue of smoking and secondhand smoke [Page 2]. Vice President Gore has consistently voted his conscience on this issue, without regard to his political future. In the 1983-84 election, a young Al Gore returned a $2,000 contribution from the tobacco industry [Page 2].

We have also heard a great deal of misinformation about the Vice President's role related to "inventing" the Internet. In an exclusive YAHOO! magazine interview (Nov 2000) titled, "The Geek Who Would Be President," YAHOO! reports Gore "was perhaps the earliest and most effective elected offcial to champion it [the Internet]."

YAHOO! adds the Vice President "was a vigorous proponent of the so-called e-rate, a tax that has brought in hundreds of millions of dollars earmarked to wire schools and libraries." Gore maintains Net taxes are inevitable, but "helped push through the current moratorium, (i.e., Congress's agreement to postpone taxes on the Internet for now), which is considered to be a significant factor in the growth of e-commerce." More on Al Gore's role as the "Patron of the Internet" (295k JPEG image, Albuquerque Journal, 10/29/00, B3).

It is not ironic then that technology (or the lack thereof) may determine this election. For more, see The Florida Recount Issue.

Actual Palm Beach Florida Ballot

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