HR2824

[Roseysman]

I received this in my e-mail this morning from JR's

YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO ORDER CIGARS BY MAIL IN THE NEAR FUTURE!

As early as tomorrow, the House Judiciary committee will be considering House Bill HR2824. In fact, this bill is listed to be considered for mark up tomorrow, Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 10AM on their website at:

http://www.house.gov/judiciary

Why is this important? Because its sister bill, S1177, which has already passed in the Senate eliminates your right to order cigars by mail!

The House Bill #HR2824 does NOT presently contain the "cigar" and "all tobacco products" language as contained within the Senate bill. Neither the Senate bill, nor the House bill have anything to do with cigars, it is all about combating cigarette counterfeiting, but that didn't stop someone in the Senate from sneaking in the cigar related references that were added at the very last moment. If it could happen in the Senate, it definitely could happen again in the House...

So it is critical that we let the House Judiciary Committee know to NOT add “cigars” and “all other tobacco products” provisions to their House Bill HR2824 as were added to the Senate Bill at the last moment. Because if they do, "our goose is cooked,” and mail order cigars will become illegal!

Below is a list of the Congressmen on the House Judiciary Committee who should understand our plea to keep cigars and non-specific “tobacco product” references out of HR2824.

They are scheduled to consider this bill tomorrow, so we are asking everyone that does not want their right to receive cigars via mail order to contact the House Judiciary Members listed below immediately.

It is critical that all cigar smokers e-mail, phone, or fax these representatives and request that “cigars” and “all other tobacco products” NOT BE ADDED TO HR2824.

House Judiciary Committee:

Spencer Bachus, Alabama
http://www.house.gov/bachus


Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
http://www.house.gov/blackburn


Rick Boucher, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/boucher
ninthnet@mail.house.gov


John Carter, Texas
http://www.house.gov/carter


Steve Chabot, Ohio
http://www.house.gov/chabot


Howard Coble, North Carolina
http://www.house.gov/coble
howard.coble@mail.house.gov


Tom Feeney, Florida
http://www.house.gov/feeney
tom.feeney@mail.house.gov


Jeff Flake, Arizona
http://www.house.gov/flake
jeff.flake@mail.house.gov


J. Randy Forbes, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/forbes


Bob Goodlatte, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/goodlatte
talk2bob@mail.house.gov


Mark Green, Wisconsin
http://www.house.gov/markgreen
mark.green@mail.house.gov


Melissa Hart, Pennsylvania
http://www.house.gov/hart


John Hostettler, Indiana
http://www.house.gov/hostettler/
john.hostettler@mail.house.gov


Henry Hyde, Illinois
http://www.house.gov/hyde


William L. Jenkins, Tennessee
http://www.house.gov/jenkins


Ric Keller, Florida
http://keller.house.gov


Steve King, Iowa
http://www.house.gov/steveking


Mike Pence, Indiana
http://mikepence.house.gov
mike.pence@mail.house.gov


Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/scott
bobby.scott@mail.house.gov


F. James Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin
http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner
sensenbrenner@mail.house.gov


Lamar Smith, Texas
http://lamarsmith.house.gov
lamar.smith@mail.house.gov


Melvin L. Watt, North Carolina
http://www.house.gov/watt
nc12.public@mail.house.gov



Below is a form message you may want to copy and send. Please feel free to write your own, we just wanted to make this as simple as possible. Whatever you do, please make it fast! We cigar smokers are running out of time and we need to make our voices heard!!!





The Honorable _________________
United States House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515



Dear Congressman:

On December 9, 2003, the U.S. Senate cut a last minute deal to ban all sales of cigars through the U.S. mail. This provision was quietly slipped into the cigarette anti-counterfeiting bill (S.1177), even though the rest of the bill had nothing to do with cigars. The House Judiciary Committee will soon consider its version (H.R.2824) of the same bill.

I need you to keep cigars out of this bill! There is not a counterfeit cigar problem in this country. There is not a youth cigar smoking problem in this country. This is another example of a big government solution in search of a problem that does not exist. Please do the right thing and don't let the federal government tamper with my right to receive legal cigars through the mail.

Sincerely,











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[sir-smokes-a-lot]

The two gentlemen from my home state of WI were just e-mailed.

 

[Big Slim Junior]

I'm calling this internet induced hysteria until I hear from a reliable source. Has JR's et al contacted their attorneys on this or are they just hyping what they see here?

 

[nicko99]

I've received the same email from a couple online retailers now.

 

[CoventryCat86]

This is a classic case of a turf war betweeen convenience stores & the internet sellers. The convenience stores are whinning that it's "not fair" that the internet sellers avoid paying state sales and applicable state tobacco taxes.

The best thing you can do is contact YOUR Congressman and your US Senators.

Fortunately these bills are still winding their way through the committee process and look to be a long way from the floor of the House or Senate.

Again, contact YOUR elected reps. and hopefully the internet sellers have better lobbyists than the conveniences store crybabies

 

[Big Slim Junior]

I don't think the intent of the bill is that you can't buy via mail, but that you'll have to start paying taxes on those purchases.

 

[Snowdust]

My local shop told me that what he knew about it was that if you order through mail order, at the end of the year you would get the likes of a 1099, so that your state could collect it's taxes. That may just be one of the possiblities that they may be looking at.

 

[CoventryCat86]

I don't think the intent of the bill is that you can't buy via mail, but that you'll have to start paying taxes on those purchases.

Well, this whole subject has all sorts of angles to it. First off, if they want to install a mechanism to force you to pay your state sales tax then they better catch ALL internet sales of EVERYTHING and the logistics of that "little" undertaking are so astounding, that's why no one has really taken it on (yet, thank God!)

As I mentioned, this specific pissing contest is really the convenience/grocery stores battling with internet cigar/cigarette sellers and all the nonsense that goes along with that turf war.

As far as "intent" that's a classic line of crap used by legislators to worm their way out of bad lesiglation. I don't give a crap what they say they "meant" or "intended" what matters is what passed.

Again, this internet tobacco issue has come up before and will come up again. I strongly suspect that this particular bill will go nowhere, at least not in its present form.

I still say we need to contact our elected Representatives and point out that they should not pass laws that stifle free trade or that are detrimental to the consumer (in other words the VOTERS). When legislators hear from MANY constituents, all of a sudden the lobbyists and the special intersts take a back seat to "the PEOPLE" believe me, I've been there in Legislators offices when the calls and the letters come in and I've seen them tell the lobbyists and the special intersts "Sorry but I've gotten too many phone calls and letters from my constituents so sorry Mr. Lobbyist, you understand" LMAO, I love it when the people "speak" and the lobbyists cry. :sign:

We have to WRITE our Congressmen and Senators!!