Cigar Smokers Fighting Back?
In Florida, cigar smokers are beginning to see the point in fighting back against an all-out assault by our government on cigars. It’s a start but I think they are going at it the wrong way. Here’s a couple of cigar smokers’ arguments:
Argue for your freedom to partake in a pastime that is (still) legal!
“It’s not going to affect my average smoker as much. It’s going to hurt the little guy.”
“If you read [S-CHIP], there’s so much pork in it.”
“Why pick on the cigar industry? Why don’t they tax McDonald’s or Wendy’s or Burger King? These are the industries affecting the health of the children. Not us.”
“[If we got out of Afghanistan instead of taxing cigars] we could have health insurance for all Americans, not just children.”
Look, I feel for these people. They are getting attacked and they’re trying to protect themselves however possible. But trying to divert the attack to another group or arguing for a better way to socialize our country is not the way to go!
The nanny-staters will gladly go and attack Burger King and McDonald’s but they are still going to continue taxing cigars. I firmly believe that the only way to defend against this type of drastic, revolutionary encroachment by our government is to oppose it every chance we get.
Trying to divert the attack to another group or arguing for a better way to socialize our country is not the way to go!
Because, like I have said before, S-CHIP and other entitlement programs our government creates for the “benefit” of those who “can’t” fend for themselves is just a way for that government to increase its power and influence over every aspect of our lives.
Right now they are just talking about taxing “sinful” products like cigars and trans-fats but tomorrow they will be talking about outlawing these products as a way to prevent future health care costs. Then what will your argument be? “Make fries illegal but keep robustos legal”? That won’t work.
Cigar smokers, I plead of you, don’t try and divert the government’s taxes to another segment of Americans as a means to argue against cigar taxes. Don’t try to figure out a better way for the government to take control of yet another aspect of our lives. Don’t accept their premise that we need the government to provide health care for Americans.
Instead, argue for your freedom to partake in a pastime that is (still) legal! Do it before it is too late.
S-CHIP Coming
Over the weekend I was looking around online for cigar news and, unfortunately, I ran across this story from Charlotte, North Carolina News 14 that features a cigar owner and some customers predicting what will happen when our country’s new administration takes the reins. Let me tell you right now, it does not look good for cigar smokers.
From the story:
And Washington lawmakers are looking to tobacco buyers and sellers to give it the boost it needs by proposing a tax hike on tobacco products.
Two previous S-CHIP funding bills called for a 53 percent tax on cigars and a minimum price cap.
Those bills were passed in the House and Senate, but were vetoed by the president.
Cigar shop owner Lindalyn Kakadelis said once President-Elect Obama is sworn in, a new S-CHIP bill should pass, since he previously voted in favor of it.
For more information on the proposed tax increases on cigars go HERE for more information. In short, taxes will go up a lot.
What does it all mean? Like I said in my post from last week, Third Hand Smoke, us cigar smokers are screwed. Taxes are going to go up through S-CHIP, regulations are going to increase because of new-found threats to health (the laughable “third hand smoke”), and I believe that all of this is leading to an eventual prohibition of tobacco. After all, it’s not healthy.
For those of you who are not smokers you need to realize something. Right now the government is after us smokers. You may think this is great because you don’t like cigar smell or because you think that being within twenty miles of a smoker will cause you to have cancer and die at thirty (you’re insane, get over your bad self if you believe that). But once the government is done with smokers they will need to get more tax money from another source.
That other source will be you. Something that you do will be considered to be a danger to children (it’s always about the children), as is smoking today, and they will start taxing you and regulating away what you are doing. That’s what the government does and I have no doubt in my mind that an Obama Administration is going to tighten the screws on the tobacco industry.
I guess the question you non-smokers have to ask yourselves is “Do you value freedom?” If you think it’s super that the government is relegating cigar smokers to darkened allies then you will eventually get your just desserts when the government levels their cross hairs on an activity that you currently like.
Does Cigar Aficionado’s Big Smoke New York City Mark the end of an Era?
I have never been to one of these things before but, now that I look at the lineup, I can easily see why people go. For the low price of $240 for a ticket you get cigars from nearly thirty cigar makers, food, and all the spirits that you can keep down. Want to see the lineup of cigar makers and spirits? CLICK HERE.
One of the major reasons why I am writing this is because I found it extremely sad that Cigar Aficionado had to include this line: “We are in compliance with the NYS guidelines.” How very sad indeed.
Cigar Aficionado had to include this line: “We are in compliance with the NYS guidelines.”
New York use to be the epicenter of illicit fun. When prohibition swept across the land speakeasies popped up all over New York. Didn’t the people from the great state of New York (and basically every other state in this country) that people like to enjoy their freedoms?
Guess not. Now, one of the only times you can smoke a cigar in a major city is when Cigar Aficionado throws an event. I can’t remember which city it was, I think it was Chicago, but in order for the city to allow cigar smokers their right to smoke a legal product Cigar Aficionado had to get special permission to have their party.
All of this is headed in a very scary direction. I guess that since we are in the minority our “leaders” feel safe enough squashing our rights for the “betterment” of a few whiners who hate the idea of adults enjoying cigars in their presence. My God.
A year ago we dodged a bullet with S-CHIP but our bodies have already been sliced by thousands of little laws and codes banning our presence in that restaurant or that building. We are bleeding out now and unless something miraculous happens I don’t know how much longer cigars will even be legal products.
