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The most important post you will ever read

Fia

Member
Joined
Jun 27, 2007
Messages
615
Not sure if this was already posted but this post from Lew Rothman is copied and pasted from other BBs for your information:

Everyone and I mean everyone that even smokes a cigar now and then has to be on alert for messages from all B&M smokeshops AND Internet vendors AND Manufacturers in the next few days regarding the proposed new tax on tobaacco products:

“The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a markup on Tuesday, July 17 on legislation dealing with the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The measure is expected to be reported out of committee. Funding would be almost totally via higher taxes on tobacco products. The cigarette tax will increase by $.61 to $1 per pack effective after December 31, 2007. Other tobacco products would be taxed as follows: large cigars -- 53.13% of mfr's or importer's sales price but not more than $10.00 per cigar.”

In addition, there will be a floor stocks tax on tobacco products manufactured in the U.S. or imported into the U.S, which are removed before January 1, 2008 and held on that date for sale. The person holding the product on January 1, 2008 is liable for the tax to be paid on or before April 1, 2008.

YES ! You read that right ! $10.00 PER CIGAR, plus whatever your local state tax is. The people in Washington have absolutely no clue about the cigar business. Their sole focus is on cigarettes and we are about to get dragged along with it.

Not only will this put virtually every manufacturer, wholesaler, and retaailer out of business. It will also devastate the economy of Nicaragua, Honduras, The Dominican Republic and have a significant impact on Puerto Rico, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Panama, Brasil, and Peru. (Whereupon, I’m sure the USA will be called upon to provide additional relief funding !).

You and everyone else who has any thoughts about continuing to smoke cigars or grow, sort, manufacture, distribute or retail cigars need to make a concerted phone, mail, and e-mail bombardment of Congress very shortly. Hopefully, someone more adept at interpreting this new tax law will supply the proper language for this protest.

Be ready and be vocal, and be outraged because this tax is definitely outrageous. It is my firm belief that if passed as it stands right now the entire industry will collapse prior to April 1,2008 (appropriately named April Fools Day for the Fools we have running the government right now) because no one will have the finances to pay the tax on their inventory.



Link to proposed increases: http://www.senate.gov/~finance/sitepages/l...71307%20JCT.pdf

See Page 3 for the rate increases.
 
Don't any senators smoke cigars anymore? I hope this is a cruel joke.
 
“The Senate Finance Committee has scheduled a markup on Tuesday, July 17 on legislation dealing with the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). The measure is expected to be reported out of committee. Funding would be almost totally via higher taxes on tobacco products. The cigarette tax will increase by $.61 to $1 per pack effective after December 31, 2007. Other tobacco products would be taxed as follows: large cigars -- 53.13% of mfr's or importer's sales price but not more than $10.00 per cigar.”

So if I understand this correctly, they know that people will cut down considerably due to the high taxes, so in essence, they do not really care too much for funding the SCHIP.

It would be much better to just outright declare it as a sin tax initiative instead of trying to look like they give a rats ass.
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7071401000.html

It will be vetoed. The question then is, are there enough votes to override the veto?

I am of the opinion that the only victory for cigar smokers is to get out from under that tobacco umbrella, or to kick cigarettes and chewing tobacco out from under it. Like it or not, society has spoken on cigarettes. There's no going back, and right now it's like having a concrete block tied to our ankles.

We have to cut that rope.
 
This has a long way to go, not even proposed yet. The large majority of bills die in committee. I'd start worrying about this when it hits the Senate floor.

BTW - if anyone is a Congress expert, aren't matters of taxation only supposed to be brought up in the House?
 
Already contacted Rockefeller's office, as if that will do any good. That moke is lucky to show up for a third of the committee meetings and votes. :angry:
 
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7071401000.html

It will be vetoed. The question then is, are there enough votes to override the veto?

I am of the opinion that the only victory for cigar smokers is to get out from under that tobacco umbrella, or to kick cigarettes and chewing tobacco out from under it. Like it or not, society has spoken on cigarettes. There's no going back, and right now it's like having a concrete block tied to our ankles.

We have to cut that rope.

I agree so much, and I hate cigarettes more then ever, they have ruined tobacco forever.
Hopefully it doesn't become like here in Ontario / Canada where I can't buy any sticks because the prices are so damn high.
 
I DO NOT mean to argue this politically. I infer nothing about parties or ideologies in this post. Infer what you want but I do not want to start a political fight. Please don't respond to this in a partisan or ideologiocal manner. It's my opnion on this and today I feel like sharing.

Guys, what this legislation proposes absolutely positively WILL happen!!!!

Probably not this time because of who occupies the White House, but our time is running out here in the USA. If this bill were making it's way through and we had a different President it would be a done deal. Soon it will be a done deal no matter who we vote for.

There is a very powerful lobby that wants any and all tobacco products GONE from the culture. They will never have their way legislatively because there is another very powerful lobby representing those who grow and "refine" tobacco. The more powerful of the two today are those who want to do away with the product. They have the public on thier side. They'll never be able to make it illegal but they will eventually gain the same result by taxing it out of affordability, and by continuously placing stricter limitations on where the product can be used.

We are in a very very very distinct minority in this country. The general populace does and always will lump cigars with cigarettes. We can argue till we are blue in the face that cigars and cigarettes are different and we'd be right but no-one cares. It is tobacco and it is evil. Within 10 years we will be smoking in our garages, our back yards and our cars. That will be it, and we'll be getting dirty looks even doing that. Think I'm crazy, look at what has happened in just the past 10 years.

The unfortunate aspect for us is that you can't argue the fact that tobacco is bad for you and that it is bad for someone breathing your air. You can argue the extent to which it is bad for you or someone breathing your air but the basic premise that it is bad for you cannot be argued. We are reduced to arguing that it is our responsibility to decide what is good or bad for us as individuals and not the Government's. Constitutionally we are correct, realistically we are fighting a losing battle.

This truely IS democracy at work. I am certain that a poll of Americans would find that a majority of citizens would like to see tobacco go away. I am equally certain that majority is a large one. That poll would be 75-25 against tobacco just in my house alone. And for my wife it isn't even about the smoke. It's about the litter. She asks all the time why cigarette smokers consider the entire planet to be an ashtray. I have no arguement for her. It is disgusting to walk on any street and see literally thousands of cigarette butts laying in the gutters. We need to keep up the fight, but we are going to lose this one. We are fighting a majority that has every fact and emotion on thier side, the only thing we have on our side is the personal reponsibilty arguement. We ARE going to lose, we need to be ready for that.

I always thought that guys with "lifetime collections" were overdoing it. I find myself trying to lay the money aside so that I can soon join them.
 
Dude, you are right on, and arguing the politics only creates a further divide among us. It is only a matter of time. All we can do is try to stretch it out as long as we can.
 
Actually, there is one other thing we can do: start gathering addresses of politicians who smoke. Cuz once I run out of cigars, I know where I'll be going to restock.

(Knock at the door). "There's been a terrible accident along the road Miss, need to use your phone..."
 
Actually, there is one other thing we can do: start gathering addresses of politicians who smoke. Cuz once I run out of cigars, I know where I'll be going to restock.

(Knock at the door). "There's been a terrible accident along the road Miss, need to use your phone..."


Luckily for me the Congressman I use to work for, who lives near me, and just happens to be running for President is a big time cigar smoker. So I am good to go :thumbs: :whistling:
 
Here's a link to a NY Times story which says Bush and his advisors have decided to veto this if it reaches the President, because of the increased taxes.

Either that, or I'll have to start paying $75 a bundle for my Mr. B's. :whistling:

Steve
 
bump this is important.

ACTION ALERT FOR ALL CIGAR ENTHUSIASTS!
Currently before the United States Senate is a proposal to fund health insurance on the backs of tobacco products to the tune of $35 billion (that's Billion with a B). Most egregious is the proposed tax rate on cigars of 53.1%, including a breathtaking 20,400% increase in the cap. This would make handmade cigars - a true mom-and-pop industry, a product enjoyed by choice an average 3 times per week - the single largest excise taxed item in the entire Internal Revenue Code....by a long shot.

This piece of legislation is called SCHIP (State Childrens Health Insurance Plan). Tonight this bill is being marked up in the Senate Finance Committee and is expected to come to the Senate floor for a vote as early as end of week. We urge you to call both of your U.S. Senators today and express your opposition to funding "SCHIP legislation" with punitive cigar taxes. As a constituent your voice will be heard. Please see phone numbers below for your Senators.


Sincerely,

Keith Meier
Cigars International


List of United States Senators Office Phone Numbers

Alabama
Sen. Richard C. Shelby 202-224-5744
Sen. Jeff Sessions 202-224-4124

Alaska
Sen. Ted Stevens 202-224-3004
Sen. Lisa Murkowski 202-224-6665

Arizona
Sen. John McCain 202-224-2235
Sen. Jon L. Kyl 202-224-4521

Arkansas
Sen. Blanche L. Lincoln 202-224-4843
Sen. Mark Pryor 202-224-2353

California
Sen. Dianne Feinstein 202-224-3841
Sen. Barbara Boxer 202-224-3553

Colorado
Sen. Wayne Allard 202-224-5941
Sen. Ken Salazar 202-224-5852

Connecticut
Sen. Christopher J. Dodd 202-224-2823
Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman 202-224-4041

Delaware
Sen. Joseph R. Biden, Jr. 202-224-5042
Sen. Thomas R. Carper 202-224-2441

Florida
Sen. Bill Nelson 202-224-5274
Sen. Mel Martinez 202-224-3041

Georgia
Sen. Saxby Chambliss 202-224-3521
Sen. Johnny Isakson 202-224-3643

Hawaii
Sen. Daniel K. Inouye 202-224-3934
Sen. Daniel K. Akaka 202-224-6361

Idaho
Sen. Larry E. Craig 202-224-2752
Sen. Mike Crapo 202-224-6142

Illinois
Sen. Richard J. Durbin 202-224-2152
Sen. Barack Obama 202-224-2854

Indiana
Sen. Richard G. Lugar 202-224-4814
Sen. Evan Bayh 202-224-5623

Iowa
Sen. Charles E. Grassley 202-224-3744
Sen. Tom Harkin 202-224-3254

Kansas
Sen. Sam Brownback 202-224-6521
Sen. Pat Roberts 202-224-4774

Kentucky
Sen. Mitch McConnell 202-224-2541
Sen. Jim Bunning 202-224-4343

Louisiana
Sen. Mary Landrieu 202-224-5824
Sen. David Vitter 202-224-4623

Maine
Sen. Olympia J. Snowe 202-224-5344
Sen. Susan M. Collins 202-224-2523

Maryland
Sen. Barbara A. Mikulski 202-224-4654
Sen. Benjamin L. Cardin 202-224-4524

Massachusetts
Sen. Edward M. Kennedy 202-224-4543
Sen. John F. Kerry 202-224-2742

Michigan
Sen. Carl Levin 202-224-6221
Sen. Debbie A. Stabenow 202-224-4822

Minnesota
Sen. Norm Coleman 202-224-5641
Sen. Amy Klobuchar 202-224-3244

Mississippi
Sen. Thad Cochran 202-224-5054
Sen. Trent Lott 202-224-6253

Missouri
Sen. Christopher S. "Kit" Bond 202-224-5721
Sen. Claire C. McCaskill 202-224-6154

Montana
Sen. Max Baucus 202-224-2651
Sen. Jon Tester 202-224-2644

Nebraska
Sen. Chuck Hagel 202-224-4224
Sen. Ben Nelson 202-224-6551

Nevada
Sen. Harry Reid 202-224-3542
Sen. John Ensign 202-224-6244

New Hampshire
Sen. Judd Gregg 202-224-3324
Sen. John E. Sununu 202-224-2841

New Jersey
Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg 202-224-3224
Sen. Robert Menendez 202-224-4744

New Mexico
Sen. Pete V. Domenici 202-224-6621
Sen. Jeff Bingaman 202-224-5521

New York
Sen. Charles E. Schumer 202-224-6542
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton 202-224-4451

North Carolina
Sen. Elizabeth Dole 202-224-6342
Sen. Richard Burr 202-224-3154

North Dakota
Sen. Kent Conrad 202-224-2043
Sen. Byron L. Dorgan 202-224-2551

Ohio
Sen. George V. Voinovich 202-224-3353
Sen. Sherrod Brown 202-224-2315

Oklahoma
Sen. James M. Inhofe 202-224-4721
Sen. Tom Coburn 202-224-5754

Oregon
Sen. Ron Wyden 202-224-5244
Sen. Gordon Smith 202-224-3753

Pennsylvania
Sen. Arlen Specter 202-224-4254
Sen. Robert P. Casey, Jr. 202-224-6324

Rhode Island
Sen. Jack Reed 202-224-4642
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse 202-224-2921

South Carolina
Sen. Lindsey O. Graham 202-224-5972
Sen. Jim DeMint 202-224-6121

South Dakota
Sen. Tim Johnson 202-224-5842
Sen. John R. Thune 202-224-2321

Tennessee
Sen. Lamar Alexander 202-224-4944
Sen. Bob Corker 202-224-3344

Texas
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison 202-224-5922
Sen. John Cornyn 202-224-2934

Utah
Sen. Orrin G. Hatch 202-224-5251
Sen. Robert Bennett 202-224-5444

Vermont
Sen. Patrick J. Leahy 202-224-4242
Sen. Bernard Sanders 202-224-5141

Virginia
Sen. John W. Warner 202-224-2023
Sen. James Webb 202-224-4024

Washington
Sen. Patty Murray 202-224-2621
Sen. Maria Cantwell 202-224-3441

West Virginia
Sen. Robert C. Byrd 202-224-3954
Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV 202-224-6472

Wisconsin
Sen. Herbert H. Kohl 202-224-5653
Sen. Russ Feingold 202-224-5323

Wyoming
Sen. Craig Thomas 202-224-6441
Sen. Michael B. Enzi 202-224-3424
 
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