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A shout out to Mark and Tower Cigars

dlofx said:
Wow, Mark, that was awesome. Congratulations on making the news! I hope you get some business out of that with real cigar lovers. But, I'm elated to see that someone got our side of the story out there. The big problem today is that it's hard to see the cigar connoisseurs point of view on issues such as this. Hiking taxes for tobacco, etc. The guy in the film said it best mentioning that the governor finds his smoking tent relaxing and that a lot of 'deals' go down there. Hypocrite? I think so, especially if these politicians call small business the lifeblood of America and do stuff like this to businesses like you.
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The guy the interview before me also said, "It was a compromise, and it was the assembly that proposed the tax." that may be true, but it's hard to miss the following...

Lottery lease plan dropped

Governor agrees to back a tobacco tax increase as a way of financing new universal health coverage. By Aurelio Rojas - arojas@sacbee.com
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has scrapped his proposal to lease the state lottery to help finance a universal health care plan and agreed instead to Speaker Fabian Núñez's proposal to raise taxes on tobacco products, officials disclosed Friday.

Schwarzenegger also has agreed to establish a higher sliding scale fee on employers than he previously had to help finance the $14 billion plan.

The new proposal calls for requiring businesses, depending on their size, to spend 1 percent to 6.5 percent of their payroll on health care or pay into a state fund.

The governor had proposed that employers pay zero to 4 percent while Núñez, D-Los Angeles, and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, had countered with 7.5 percent.

Aides to the governor and speaker confirmed the new developments as the Assembly prepares to vote Monday on the proposed health care legislation, but said the size of the proposed tobacco tax is being negotiated.

Aides to Núñez said the speaker wants to add $2 to the current 87-cents-a-pack tax on cigarettes, while the governor is proposing $1.50.

Aaron McLear, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, would not comment on the specifics of the negotiations, but confirmed that leasing the lottery is no longer part of the governor's plan.

"We have agreed to tobacco being part of the financing agreement that will go before voters," McLear said. "We're still negotiating the size and the terms."

Another stumbling block may be Perata's opposition to the tobacco tax, which he predicts will prompt the tobacco industry to mount an extensive campaign to defeat a ballot measure to provide funding for health care.

"The tobacco tax is flawed only because big tobacco has a huge amount of money to go through at this thing," Perata said Thursday after leaving a meeting in the Governor's Office.

A $2.60-a-pack increase, sponsored by California's hospital industry and health care advocates, was opposed by Schwarzenegger and rejected by voters last year.

On Friday, a spokeswoman for the Senate leader was waiting to see the language of the legislation the Assembly is scheduled to vote on Monday.

"We understand they are still making changes to the plan and (have) not settled on the amount of the tobacco tax," said Alicia Trost, a Perata spokeswoman.

With the window closing on his year-old campaign for universal health care, the governor visited a Southern California hospital Friday to tout the billions in federal dollars he said his plan would attract.

Some lawmakers, including Perata, believe the Legislature should weigh the service cuts that will have to be made because of the state's projected $14 billion deficit before it tackles health care.

But the governor told reporters during a visit to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center that "health care reform is essential" to fixing the state's fiscal imbalance because his plan would increase matching funds from Medicaid.

California ranks last in the nation in reimbursement rates from the federal program for the poor and disabled, called Medi-Cal in the state.

"Our plan will fix the problem because we will raise Medi-Cal rates," said Schwarzenegger, whose plan calls for leveraging more state spending on health care to increase federal matching funds and provide $4 billion more annually for Medi-Cal.

The governor said Long Beach Memorial lost $28 million last year alone because of uncompensated Medi-Cal services.

"The good news is that they're still treating the patients, because many of the hospitals have stopped treating the patients," he said.

In a move that reflects growing frustration over insufficient state reimbursement for health care, Sutter Roseville Medical Center this month severed its contract with Medi-Cal.

The decision means Medi-Cal patients no longer are being admitted to the 270-bed hospital for elective surgeries.

Sutter Roseville was the 15th hospital in the state to discontinue its Medi-Cal contract since 2002; two of those hospitals have since renegotiated their contracts with the state.
 
An outstanding response to the gov, Mark :thumbs: .

Schwarzenegger is no better than any of the other hyprocritical politicians. They would have no compunctions about killing an industry that supports many independant retailers here and huge numbers of people in Latin America all in the name of the "nanny" state. We are going to have just great health care insurance, we just won't have any health care!!! Look at Canada and England for our future.
 
Mark,

I've not yet had the pleasure of doing business with you, but I can say the following:

1. This makes me want to do it even more than previously, and the intent was already high because so many people speak of you and your business so highly around here.

2. I hope this inspires others to do business with you!

Sean
 
Great job Mark. I grew up in Sacramento most of my life and am pretty sure I know right about where your shop is (I moved out of Sac about 4 years ago now). I'll have to stop by next time I'm in town and shake your hand. :)
 
NorcalMark said:
Thanks guys.

Like I said in the clip, it's was just my way to protest his decision to support a tobacco tax. I didn't think
it would make the news.

And he is one of US! He's been on the cover of cigar aficionado twice!
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::APPLAUDS!!!::
 
Wurm said:
Niko said:
Very nice Mark. It also makes me glad that i have done business with you.
Click to expand...

The great price, packaging and shipping time made me glad I have done business with Mark...

this is just the icing on the cake!

One big Attaboy! from Germany! :thumbs:
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Could not have said it better myself Shawn. Man, I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw that video.


Way to go Mark.

I wonder if if old Marvin would be too Chickenshit to publish the story if someone were to email CA this story. Even though he always goes on and on about smokers rights, he'd be more afraid of being blackballed by Anuld.
 
jfields said:
Wurm said:
Niko said:
Very nice Mark. It also makes me glad that i have done business with you.
Click to expand...

The great price, packaging and shipping time made me glad I have done business with Mark...

this is just the icing on the cake!

One big Attaboy! from Germany! :thumbs:
Click to expand...


Could not have said it better myself Shawn. Man, I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw that video.


Way to go Mark.

I wonder if if old Marvin would be too Chickenshit to publish the story if someone were to email CA this story. Even though he always goes on and on about smokers rights, he'd be more afraid of being blackballed by Anuld.
Click to expand...




John,

The funny thing is I posted a thread at cA when the article first appeared about the governor backing the tobacco tax to fund health care. I topped the thread at least once and zero response from admin.
Your assumption may be right about Marvin. Don't want to tarnish his reputation.
 
Outstanding, Mark.

Kudos on having the "testicular fortitude" to take a stand and make a statement. You've earned my respect and appreciation over your principled position. I think all of us have very similar opinions, and I thank you for making it heard. Well done...!!

Best Regards - B.B.S.
 
I hear Mark may be running for Governor of California next! :whistling:

Nice to see you in the news Mark. Keep fighting the good fight and I will do my part to make up the lost business from the Governor.

- Jason
 
Mark, as another person involved in the small business world (well kinda, family owned business :D), I can understand the losses that can be involved in turning away a customer, especially the big spenders (thats just an assumption anyways). My hat is off to you for putting principle before the pocketbook! I'll definitely be doing some business with you in the future to help make up for any of that lost revenue. :D

Hmmm.... I can see it now. "Local tobacconist nicknamed Kyle Reese for taking down the Governator" :sign:
 
Let my just say, that was awesome!!! Mark you did great and represented all of us smokers well....


And for those who have never bought any sticks off mark goto his site www.towercigars.com and buy some or better yet call him on the phone. My first order off him, turned into a 10 minute Cigar conversation and he even tossed in some xtras for me. GREAT guy, if i didnt live on the other side of the country id go visit in person!!!
 
NorcalMark said:
jfields said:
Wurm said:
Niko said:
Very nice Mark. It also makes me glad that i have done business with you.
Click to expand...

The great price, packaging and shipping time made me glad I have done business with Mark...

this is just the icing on the cake!

One big Attaboy! from Germany! :thumbs:
Click to expand...


Could not have said it better myself Shawn. Man, I was grinning from ear to ear when I saw that video.


Way to go Mark.

I wonder if if old Marvin would be too Chickenshit to publish the story if someone were to email CA this story. Even though he always goes on and on about smokers rights, he'd be more afraid of being blackballed by Anuld.
Click to expand...




John,

The funny thing is I posted a thread at cA when the article first appeared about the governor backing the tobacco tax to fund health care. I topped the thread at least once and zero response from admin.
Your assumption may be right about Marvin. Don't want to tarnish his reputation.
Click to expand...

I thought as much Mark. I'm not renewing my subscription to CA when it runs out. It seems that they don't represent the average cigar smoker. At least they have not for years as far as I am concerned. I'm tired of them writing about the jetsetter lifestyle, and Marvins golf escapades.
I'm really thinking if they were not lacking in the integrity department, they would be all over this story.
 
I also have had the great service from Pipes & Tobacco!

Way to STICK IT TO THE MAN! :laugh: :laugh:

Well done Mark!
 
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