BIG NEWS: Letter from Rep. Cole to V.P. Pence on FDA

[metzmo]

I just received a copy of a letter from a reliable source that was sent by the influential Senator Tom Cole to our new Vice-President Pence concerning the FDA regulation of pipes and pipe tobacco. I seem to recall that the two of them are friends from back in the days when both of them were in the House together. It should also be noted that Vice-President Pence voted NO on the original legislation.
Unfortunately, Rep. Cole did not specifically mention pipes and pipe tobacco in the letter but did mention the deeming rule and that it allowed the FDA to regulate "all remaining tobacco products...". I believe that once the issue is investigated by the Vice-President's Office it will become clear that pipe tobacco and pipes face the same or, at least, very similar regulatory difficulties.
I don't believe that this letter has received wide circulation. I also believe that my source is not so closely connected to the Representatives Office that he or she is the only one that has received a copy to date. Consequently, I do not feel constrained from distributing the letter on request. If I could attach it to this post I would and avoid a lot of e-mail traffic. Since I can't I suggest you e-mail the St. Louis Pipe Club Pipe Show e-mail site at: pipeshow2017@gmail.com.
EDIT FROM KEVIN. LETTER IS HERE:

http://pipesmagazine.com/forums/topic/tom-cole-letter-to-vp-pence
Don't forget our show the 18th of February, 2017. Its a great show and gets tons of traffic. I will attach the show flyers for anyone that is interested.
Thanks,
Bob Metzler

Show Coordinator

St. Louis Pipe Club

314-434-0920

 

[pagan]

Things could be looking up, hell I've noticed a spring in my step the past few days :mrgreen:

 

[cortezattic]

metzmo,

Please send a message to Kevin, or use the Contact Us page. He can probably publish the letter in PipesMagazine.com.

 

[metzmo]

The message has been sent per your request.
Bob

 

[daveinlax]

Email Sent but I'm more worried about the GOP's possible plan to change the SS and medicare retirement age than I am about the FDA. 8O

 

[seagullplayer]

I'm old enough now not to worry about them moving the retirement age for me, I think.
They already did that to my age group once, surely they won't again... :D

 

[aldecaker]

SS and Medicare retirement AGE? I'm still struggling with the concept of, "We're going to forcibly take X amount of your money, then we'll decide when and how much of it we'll give back to you". Worrying about the age threshold seems like eating a bowl of shit, but stopping halfway through because there's a hair in it.

 

[perdurabo]

If they don't abolish SS and Medicare, along with the FDA then our economic issues will continue. Kill the Fourth Branch and entitlements. Can't have free market with this crap. Government can't do, without stealing from you. Think about it.

 

[jefff]

This is not a free market administration.

 

[aldecaker]

It's also not a free market country. Good, bad, or indifferent, no matter what side of any fence you're on, our country has a regulated market.

 

[ashdigger]

Aldecaker, but, but, what about my talking point?
Clearly facts are less important than sides anymore.

 

[cranseiron]

True unregulated markets can get really messy. The Guilded Age had more or less unregulated markets with extreme spikes in the economy. In theory, regulation smoothes the extreme ocillation and probably does, for the most part. It's kinda like choose your poison-- wild market fluctuation or controls.

 

[toobfreak]

SS and Medicare aren't going anywhere, but surely you know that these programs are already long insolvent? The trick now is to pay down the debt enough to stop the bleeding before 100% of our GDP goes into just paying the interest. As to free markets, I guess no one heard that they just announced yesterday that they are looking at doing away with 75% of present regulations and slashing taxes, but a strong, healthy market is one that builds growth of the economy here, not somewhere else.

 

[perdurabo]

Jeff, yep this isn't a free market administration, no doubt. It's a progressive admin with ties to New Deal Policies, yet will cut taxes and cut regulations, but will invoke American Legion tactics like telling business and consumers to only "buy American or else". Pull Atlas Shrugged bad boy technocratic Jack boot policies cornering CEO's in an office to tell them they can't move their corporation out of country, regardless (Bernie anyone?). It's Schizophrenic, yet more of the same would have been assured disaster. The trade and tariff policies will destroy us, Congress wake up and fight for free market not protectionism.
Mike Pence would have been a better Prez, but hopefully while they're tearing up Executive Orders, they'll Write one to do away with the FDA loonie policy on Ecigs, Pipes, Cigars etc.
As far as regulation, no one knows what a unregulated fee market looks like, we have never lived under one in our life time. Even old codgers haven't a clue. Let's keep the facts straight about regulations. We can pretty much see that regulation is a hindrance on Liberty. If it's Liberty we truly want.

 

[cranseiron]

There's plenty of historical evidence of mostly unregulated markets that provide the facts. I was a business major/economics minor and have seen plenty of historical fact. The Guilded Age of the late 19th century is our latest example. It was very volatile economic period. Imagine having to save for retirement/college, etc with wildly fluctuating markets. Know your history or we'll be doomed to repeat it-- mistakes and all.

 

[ashdigger]

Perdurabo, "jack boot"?? Good grief.
This thread can be closed.

 

[cranseiron]

If anyone is interested in economic history read The Great Wave: Price Revolutions and the Rhythm of History by David Hackett Fischer. Mr. Fischer tracked price/economic data all the way back to the eleventh century and explores the connections between economic trends, social tendencies, political events and cultural consequences. Lots of economic history in this book.

 

[toobfreak]

It's Schizophrenic, yet more of the same would have been assured disaster.

We are at 20 trillion in debt. In 2008 we were only 9 trillion. At 24 trillion we become Spain. If doing more of the same would assure disaster, stopping it is hardly schizophrenic.

 

[woodsroad]

If it's Liberty we truly want.

Ah, there's the rub.

Who in this country really knows what Liberty is? Is universal Liberty even possible in this country? I would argue not.

 

[toobfreak]

You can never know what something is until you lose it. Want to know what Liberty is? Go to Gambia, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iran, Venezuela, Slovenia, North Korea or a whole host of other countries and you will find out.