Gents,
Listed below is a website for the US Senate and House of Representitves. Call, write, email, get petitions going at your local Brick and Motar and have locals sign it along with their addresses and DOB. Make sure you have the proper districts so the petitions go to the proper Representitves where the Cigar shops are located. We need to attack this ASAP and let our voices be heard. This is serious and our so called Government is not looking out for us, the industry, the local shops which will all vanish and most of all the Third World Countries that will be ruined Such as The DR, Honduras, Nicaragua, and most of the growing nations, i.e. Ecuador and even the US. This would cost us even more since we would have to provide aid to these countries down the road. If they don't abandon the SCHIP bill it will cost us American tax payers even more in the long run.
www.senate.gov/contacting/index.cfm
www.house.gov/writerep/
Zman
Here is another link that seems to be very organized:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.cigarrights.org/
We really need to destroy this bill. Yes we are cigar smokers and we vote!
Zman
Here is some food for thought I wrote on cA,
ReplyDeleteI have never been against the idea of providing a plan to help Children that don't have Health Insurance. I always believe we need to help own people that are in need. But this current SCHIP Bill in its current form is going after a small group of people. As mentioned by Bear why not provide a Bill where everyone or at least a majority will contribute to this SCHIP Bill. For instance the Fast Food industry. A tax of only 5 to 10 cents per order would not hurt anyone financially and a majority of people would actually take part in paying for this insurance program. By signaling out the tobacco industry they are proposing a Big tax increase to a small group or should I say a minority group. When smokers start to buy less do to this tax increase, this would create a smaller form of revenue to fund this bill and our govermnet would go after another source to tax to fund this program. Our Representitive are looking at a short term solution that will not work. Go after something that a majority would contribute and provide a smaller tax percentage as I have mentioned before but eveyone would end up helping this cause. This is why WE need to oppose this SCHIP Bill in its current form for they are unfairly targeting us the minority. Contact your Elected Officals and let them know where we stand. We need to inform these one sided ignorant Representitves that there are other solutions if they really believe in helping THE Children. I smoke and I vote!
Zman
Thank you for providing this. This is a huge issue. I'm writing both my Senator and Rep
ReplyDeleteZman - Thank you for posting about this. I personaly think if this passes and includes cigars it will not only unfairly target smokers and the tobacco industry but it will gut the hand made cigar business. I have written my state senators and congressman before and I will continue. I would remind people that breif and to the point is going to get read. If a letter is long and detailed it probably will be moved to the bottom of the pile.
ReplyDeleteThe SCHIP breezed through the House of Representatives so fast it was hardly noticed. Now it goes to the Senate and it doesn't look much better there. If you havent written your Senators of Congresswomen/men it's never too late to express your opinion.
ReplyDeleteI sent my rep and senators my $.02, but these are gun-grabbing liberals who do not really concern themselves with [b:ff3294336e][i:ff3294336e][/i:ff3294336e][/b:ff3294336e]what their constituents think[i:ff3294336e][/i:ff3294336e], they believe that people need to be [b:ff3294336e][i:ff3294336e]thought [u:ff3294336e]FOR[/u:ff3294336e][/i:ff3294336e][/b:ff3294336e][i:ff3294336e][u:ff3294336e][/u:ff3294336e][/i:ff3294336e]. ... the Senators anyway.
ReplyDeleteEven if we have a cap of $.40, it's still just the first [b:ff3294336e][i:ff3294336e]crack-in-the-dam[/i:ff3294336e][/b:ff3294336e][i:ff3294336e], and these people will accomplish their, underhanded agendas piece, by incremental piece... just like [/i:ff3294336e]Gun Control[i:ff3294336e]. [/i:ff3294336e]
Here we are on the eve of the day Cigar makers, retailers and Cigar Smokers have dreaded. The SCHIP tax will go into effect as of midnight tonight and will mean higher prices to people like you and me who love the leaf. Tobacco in any form is politicaly incorrect. Therefore politicians are free to tax as they see fit. There is no thought given to the people who will lose jobs or small business that will go under. The government is free to attack an industry that isn't protected by public opinion and their actions should be a warning. Politicians are about power and the more control they have the more they want. If you think they are looking out for your best interest, I have a bridge for sale.
ReplyDeleteI think that punitive taxation and "Luxus" taxation are the earmarks of Socialism, and I believe that when a president can fire or otherwise compel ANY man to leave his job, outside of the White House Cabinet/Staff, that a sickening precedent has been set.
ReplyDeleteGM'S Board of Directors should have made THAT call,no matter HOW bad he was. NEVER should the President of the United States Of America have this kind of authority; I believe this is a Big Constitutional issue, and I have misgivings as to when and where it will or worse yet, will not stop.
Everybody wanted change... well grab your ankles.
Why did we fight the socialists of the USSR, and the entire Cold War, just to become like the enemies of free enterprise and FREEDOM that we so fiercely defended our great Nation against?
WTF?
Hi WT, I firmly believe the current government feels the people are there to behave as the elected officials see fit instead of being there to serve the will of the people. They seem to feel we cannot make decisions for ourselves and they can rule us and make decisions for our own good whether we like or not. There is a movement to send our elected officials each a tea bag. A symbolic gesture to remind them of what can happen when the people feel the government is abusing them and not listening to what the people truly want. Freedom! Our ancestors both distant and more recent have fought and died to protect the freedoms we hold dear. Many of our citizens seem to feel the government will "take care" of us and we can trust them to do the "right" thing. I have no such delusions and am truly concerned that the freedoms our people have fought and died for are in great danger of passing into memory and not something of the present.
ReplyDeleteOh yesss. The need to [b:4c01224a48]PROTECT US FROM OUR [i:4c01224a48]STUPID[/i:4c01224a48] SELVES!!![/b:4c01224a48]
ReplyDeleteThe Government, with its precedent of overstepping its boundaries and authority denigrates this great nation, and denigrates every man and woman who has ever served to protect this Nation from all threats, within and without of our borders.
Obama and Mc Cain were the "D-List" candidates, and the quality of the former's [i:4c01224a48]leadership[/i:4c01224a48] is truly evidence that we are on our way down to the bottom of the barrel.