Sin taxes are a ridiculous and insulting relic of the past. I'm telling you, it's a nanny state out there and it's only getting worse. Anyone getting that "1984" vibe?
There actually is a lobby group, The Pipe Tobacco Council, and they have been lobbying since before the initial excise change took place in 2009. Here's a brief article (http://www.csdecisions.com/2010/09/21/pipe-versus-ryo-tobacco/). Paul Creasy (President of the new Sutliff Tobacco Co.) has been particularly instrumental in articulating the issue to members of congress.The thing that strikes me is that the cigar lobby is already all over this and talking about how this is such a negative thing. Where is the pipe tobacco community in all this? I'm Canadian so there's not much I can do to fight US legislation, but in the largest market in the world for virtually any product where is the pipe tobacco lobby?
Sorry to hear it. I hope for your sake it doesn't happen, but I too wonder how long I can last in this hobby. I cannot afford to stock up for the next 10-20 years. The best I could do is maybe 2-3 years. After that, tobacco may become so expensive that I will have to give it up.If it does go through it will be the end of the hobby for me. I cannot afford tobacco in Australia and there is only about 3 choices of pipe tobacco anyway. If the price goes up worldwide, I will have no choice but to give up this hobby which I have really enjoyed the past year. It is not possible to stock up with expensive shipping costs and only being able to order around 300 grams at a time.
Good catch Sam - I hope you're right.However, the article from the original poster is just RUMOR that the tax will be increased on all tobaccos.
In a republic this rule ought to be observed: that the majority should not have the predominant power.
I think only in the most idealistic sense is this true. Politicians won't stay in power or have the funds for elections unless they are willing to play ball with wealthy patrons (corporations, etc). The avg politician represents the ones who get them into office, and that's not the voters but the ones with the deepest pockets. All we voters get is a lot of lip service and a bunch of broken promises....we do live in a representative republic,
Mike, I don't see how a tax proposed by and approved by Congress and the President could be considered taxation without representation. The rest of this quote is exactly my point: there is no popular support to roll back tobacco taxes, and increasing tobacco taxes would almost certainly gain a legislator favor from his constituents, not reduce it. I don't like it any more than you do, but I really believe that is the way it is. We pipe/cigar smokers are a tiny minority in this country, and there is nothing in the Bill of Rights that says "Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of a tobacco tax," and thus we have no protection from the will of the majority. More people want (or don't care about) higher tobacco taxes.As for the taxing of them....I think "taxation without representation" was mentioned in some document or another, a long time ago, and that's exactly what this is. Our......President, is counting on smokers to not have any support in DC (they don't) and for this new tobacco tax to fly through almost completely unchallenged, and it probably will, considering he has the republicans so concerned about the gun control fight they probably won't give this a second thought. Other things might get yanked from the budget, but this is one that'll probably make it through because smokers seem to be either too meek, or too stupid, to raise the hell necessary to put a stop to things like this.
I don't have time to read the actual budget right now, but Sam brings up a good point. I wouldn't say that the website linked at top is untrue, but the author does state:Did anyone besides numbersix read my post? The article mentioned at the top is false and untrue.
The keyword is "if". The author of the article is merely speculating, but even if he's wrong this time as Sam believes (and I hope he's correct), it does seem to be only a matter of time anyway.So don’t be at all surprised if the proposal from the Obama Administration includes tax hikes on pipe tobacco and large cigars, imposing substantial new costs on consumers and retailers.