Free money. A handout. The welfare state of North Carolina.

Those are just a few of the comments that have bandied about since the Golden LEAF Foundation came into town looking to hand out free money to the welfare county of Beaufort.

Doesn’t sound so good when it’s phrased like that, does it?

There are those inclined to point a finger and lump the participants of Golden LEAF’s Community Assistance Initiative under the heading of “liberals” and “victims.” Easy to do if one hasn’t actually attended a meeting. There are those who brand grant money, any grant money, as ill-gotten gains in a welfare environment. Also easy if one doesn’t take the time to learn the exact origins of the Golden LEAF money.

In a nutshell: A long time ago, tobacco industry leaders said “No, no, smoking’s not bad for you.” They lied. Lots of people got sick: cancer, emphysema, heart disease. Medicaid got slammed with all the sick people. States, therefore taxpayers, had to pay for the sick people. Then those same industry leaders decided to finally tell the truth. The states got mad. The states wanted the money they poured into Medicaid back. They sued and won. North Carolina decided to do something smart with their share of the settlement money: they created a home for it under the stewardship of the Golden LEAF Foundation.

And Golden LEAF has invested it — back into North Carolina’s communities. Where does Golden LEAF invest? In job creation, job training, education, scientific research, public works, industrial recruitment, health care, areas that are needed but lacking in the economically deteriorating, previously tobacco-dependent counties like our own.

Are Golden LEAF grants free money, then? Is that money a handout? Is it creating a welfare state?

The answer is no. It’s an investment — in the future health of our county.