Consider "the promise" itself.  It was made based on using other people's money.  And whether there was a sudden windfall due to a settlement from the tobacco companies matters little.  The premise of THAT money arrangement was that the state (and others) through losses of taxes, and community expense, should be reimbursed for the "cost" of smoking..

Reimbursement implies initial expense of course, so the revenue brought in as a part of the settlement was not earmarked, and was made available for the general use and operation of the state, "no strings attached."  Unfortunately The program of the promise, and its earlier incarnation became a political tool at the taxpayers expense.  The money could have been used to provide a better "rainy day fund" or lighten taxpayer load, thereby creating more jobs.

While you now find yourself and the "promise" as a minimized priority in the payback scheme of politics, understand that this type of political manipulation of the public's trust has an ultimate end.  Some interests will always fall off the edges.  It was the scholarship's turn.

Granholm made her decision.  She felt that the promise to her political benefactor was more important than an implied contract with the youth based on the Michigan Promise Scholarship.  Make no mistake, I am sure she didn't want to see it go, but thought she could eek out a few more tax dollars from the strapped families and businesses in Michigan.

Liberal political pyramid schemes...  

Lesson for the day: Don't trust leftist/liberal politicians to keep ANY promise.  Not that they don't WANT to keep them.. they just have no clue as to the HOW.