Tired of the BS

[AVB]

It took awhile but this statement by Eric Lindblom, research director for the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids just got me pissed. ""There's a lot of room to go after cigars and smokeless, we are certainly hopeful that health care reform will include some more increases." So after looking at more pdf files on their site then I care to admit to, I wrote this response.


"You people spew out as much propaganda as the tobacco industry you wish to eliminate. For example: Internet sales does not mean the tobacco takes were skipped, it means that the sales taxes for the receiving state were skipped. The tobacco taxes were already paid in the originating state.

Also, you want to control cigar use but have no statistics, research or scientifically validated proof that moderate use of long filler cigars is detrimental to the person using them nor do you have any sales figures to indicate that people under the age of 18 are even using them. To lump flavored domestically produced "blunts" with hand made long filler cigars only shows how little you know. "Sin" taxes such as you propose and campaign for will increase bootlegging, foreign imports and give criminals another revenue stream if carried out to the extremes you want. "

 

[Deployed Humidor]

Here, here!! I could not have said it better!

Please, let us know if there is a reply.

Cheers,

Tony

 

[in2xshp]

Now that is a proper rant, nice job.

 

[ggiese]

Yeah - No sense in exerting the energy to convert the knowledgeable - it's much easier to steer the hearts and minds of the ignorant.

There's a move in Illinois to install "Speed Cameras" for the "good of the motoring public". The legislators are arguing that the installation of the cameras will reduce the numbers of fatal crashes. While it certainly could have SOME effect, the true purpose of the cameras if much more than saving lives - it's a low cost revenue stream. Why not just call it what it is? Because the motoring public would go ballistic...

SCHIP was pushed through at blazing speed because they tied the tax to an awful "addiction" to tobacco, pulling into the mix long-filler cigars. Health insurance for poor woman and children is the appropriate place for tax dollars generated through the "sin tax" on that horrible tobacco product...

The next thing you'll see is the state lotteries money being put into the grossly underfunded "education" system... Oh, wait... That's right - it already is... :laugh:

 

[Spad31]

Hey, Socialism ain't cheap. Now, get back to work, Citizen. You're safe and protected. We know what's best.

 

[Not A Nice Person]

The next thing you'll see is the state lotteries money being put into the grossly underfunded "education" system... Oh, wait... That's right - it already is... :laugh:

Not that we see much of it at the classroom end, I'll tell ya that for nothing. :angry:

Bit ironic, though. Finance bottom-of-the-charts math scores with a product designed to be attractive to people bad at math . . . :laugh:

And give HALF of the profits to an out-of-state company. *sigh*

One state, Georgia I think it is, actually pays for every high school graduate's college education (at state colleges and universities only) out of their lottery funds. We sure didn't get that deal here in Texas!

[/rant]

We've reached the tipping-point on tobacco, socially. The nanny-staters and live-forever crowd have enough of a majority to steamroll over any reasonable dissent. It was different when a larger % of the population smoked . . . now it takes petition drives and lawsuits and we still lose ground year by year.

~Boar

 

[Renefatdude]

Sad story, we are having the same BS over here more and more, last thing to happen to us was smoke free bars and restaurants.

But being Dutch (we don't like rules) a lot of bars don't give a dam and just let you smoke!

But I think it is an almost lost battle, unfortunately.

Rene

 

[Obanion]

IMHO- Enjoy all your vices and freedoms while you can. Big Brother WILL control our lives in the future. We will no longer have a government of, by and for the people. We will be ruled by it.

 

[ironpeddler]

Yeah - No sense in exerting the energy to convert the knowledgeable - it's much easier to steer the hearts and minds of the ignorant. Right on the money! 80/20...Only 20% of America has a clue...the other 80% are targets for their unsubstantiated propaganda.

There's a move in Illinois to install "Speed Cameras" for the "good of the motoring public". The legislators are arguing that the installation of the cameras will reduce the numbers of fatal crashes. While it certainly could have SOME effect, the true purpose of the cameras if much more than saving lives - it's a low cost revenue stream. Why not just call it what it is? Because the motoring public would go ballistic... In NJ, they want to use Easy Pass electronic toll paying devices to send out speeding tickets by mail based on how fast you drive between tolls....using the time stamp of the toll dollars registered at each toll booth! We funded the system through toll dollars, now they want to use it against us.

SCHIP was pushed through at blazing speed because they tied the tax to an awful "addiction" to tobacco, pulling into the mix long-filler cigars. Health insurance for poor woman and children is the appropriate place for tax dollars generated through the "sin tax" on that horrible tobacco product... RE: Untapped Revenue Stream. The fact is, once the revenue raised from the smoke screen SCHIP tobacco taxes dries up, we tax payers are stuck with the remaining balance...you know, like a bailout. What are we going to do, leave all these children and poor mothers without Health Care?

The next thing you'll see is the state lotteries money being put into the grossly underfunded "education" system... Oh, wait... That's right - it already is... :laugh: That's the NJ Lottery too...and we have had record cutbacks in our school budgets in the last 2 years...to the tune of 15-20%! The Lottery Commission is one of the largest agencies in this State. Where does all this money go? It's where all the Politicians stash their friends with high paying jobs once they get elected...which accounts for only a fraction of the Lottery funds misused & waisted. Oh, I forgot....NJ had record purchases of Lottery chances the last 2 years.

We can bitch all we want, this is a snowball going down a very steep mountain. Look how happy we were with ONLY a .40 tax per cigar after the initial threat of a $4 per cigar tax....oh, wait....we were told to be happy with that amount of tax, remember?

SCHIP was the best thing that happened to offshore cigar retailers. Worst thing for domestic sales because in light of the economy, the Mfrs are eventually going to have to cut into their markup to recoup some of their lost sales by lowering prices...and what will that lead to?

Just a thought, what are all these people going to do for a living once they've "cleansed" society of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and guns....and we're all vegetarians riding bicycles to work?

 

[in2xshp]

quote]


Just a thought, what are all these people going to do for a living once they've "cleansed" society of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and guns....and we're all vegetarians riding bicycles to work?
[/quote]


Now that just made me laugh till I damn near cried.

 

[Bu11dog]

Amen brother, they will succeed in doing nothing but making many of us become "criminals".

 

[bootown]

That is a fantastic responce to them, I hope it hits them square in the face.

 

[jayro75]

Just a thought, what are all these people going to do for a living once they've "cleansed" society of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and guns....and we're all vegetarians riding bicycles to work?

I'm hoping to be dead before that happens!

 

[Jinxedwarrior]

Just a thought, what are all these people going to do for a living once they've "cleansed" society of drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and guns....and we're all vegetarians riding bicycles to work?

They'll tax vegetables and bicycles of course!

 

[vortex]

Great rant and I agree. But we're screwed on this issue for the same reasons we're screwed on all the others. We no longer have a forum in which to redress our grievances . As Franklin said at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 when queried as to our new form of government, "A republic, if you can keep it". The question now is can we get it back?

It's time for a tea party, Boston style!

 

[tsmckenney]

Great rant and I agree. But we're screwed on this issue for the same reasons we're screwed on all the others. We no longer have a forum in which to redress our grievances . As Franklin said at the close of the Constitutional Convention of 1787 when queried as to our new form of government, "A republic, if you can keep it". The question now is can we get it back?

It's time for a tea party, Boston style!

This is pretty interesting, and is directly related to the above.

Forms of Government <linky

 

[morcerf]

That is a fantastic responce to them, I hope it hits them square in the face.

Unfortunately it won't. Crusaders have no use for the truth unless it furthers their cause.

 

[sack]

A National organization would be the best way to fight back for cigar smokers in my opinion, that's why i joined the Cigar Rights of America, cra.com, together we have a bigger voice.