Thread: Pipe TobaccoTax

Hi Friends,
Our pals in Government are at it again. After the last tobacco tax hike, people started rolling their own cigarettes. Manufacturers of roll-you-own tobacco started calling it pipe tobacco to avoid the 775% tax hike.

Our ever vigilant Congressmen and Senators caught wind and have written a new bill (HR4439) to tax all pipe tobacco at 775%. So the current tax of $2.83/lb will increase to $24.78/lb. It seems that there will never be an end to this, and the obvious goal is to tax this into prohibition.

Below is a link to conveniently write our Senators and sign a petition. Please support this effort to stop HR4439. Thanks.

Stop the Pipe Tobacco Tax | Stop the Pipe Tobacco Tax |

I've always thought that these taxes are nothing more than an easy revenue for the government. Our mob do the same thing.

"We're trying to help you and let you live healthy lives free from tobacco! Thats why we're taxing it at close to 1000%, not because we've mismanaged the books and need the money. Honest!"

If they wanted to stop people smoking for the health benefits, they'd just outlaw it straight off the bat. But they dont because they're making far too much money from it.

And you can be sure that once tobacco has been hammered into oblivion, it'll be the booze next. And then we'll rapidly descend to caffeinated drinks, then soft drinks and so on until we're all living on a diet of brussel sprouts, de-ionised water and forced to run everywhere. And our clothes will be made from environmentally friendly sheep and our homes from recycled cola bottles. And heated using flatulent cows. Because thats the number one source of greenhouse gas, don'tcha know..?

Of course, the politicians will still be able to get their duty free booze, ciggies and petrol from the House of Commons, and their homes will not have to smell of Bessies lunch, because Lord knows, they shouldnt have to obey the laws they instate....




And breath..!

Um, Stubear - the vegans don't want you to eat sheep or anything that had a face. So you can forget your leg of mutton.

Aw, man...

What will I do without a nice juicy steak...?

Stubear,
I think you hit the nail right on the head. It will not stop with tobacco.
My problem with it all is why don't they work on the real problem harder. We have a lot worse problems in this and every country than tobacco. Drugs ,Terriosm and Crime,are the big problem not tobacco, or alcahol or bad food etc. They need to forget about political correctness. They need to put ALL of their efforts into the biggest problems first.

I totally agree.

I think they spend all this time hammering tobacco, booze and things like speeding drivers because they're easy targets.

Nicking 50 drivers for speeding is, the way its reported here at least, 50 crimes solved. A draconian copper could probably nick 50 drivers in a week? A murder takes loads of policemen and months to solve, and is only shown as one crime solved.

A mate of mine in the Police was telling me about the crazy way they report crime numbers. A speeding driver is, for the sake of the numbers, the same as a murder. Our Police are doing a tough job, but the system really doesnt work for them, it just hamstrings them in a load of red tape.

For the government its a no brainer. They just send people out to catch speeding drivers, and people who litter and so on, and the conviction rate shoots up. So the government can sit there and say "Look, we're tackling law and order. Look how high the conviction rate is! Its the best ever year!"

The fact that the only people they've nicked are those doing 32mph in a 30 zone, and some hoodies for flicking their cigarette butts on the pavement is neither here nor there.

And they love fining people I've noticed. You can get fined for anything over here, its crazy. But they keep hammering it, because Joe Bloggs usually will pay up with little fuss. Now Fingers McGraw on the other hand, he'll just refuse to pay up, claim he lost the ticket while he was out burgling or something, and its too much bother to chase him down.

And all the while, the money from the fines keeps rolling in...

I just have NO confidence in our government at all. Now we've got an election coming up we're getting all the usual BS about how great it will be if they get re-elected yadda yadda yadda.. Sorry guys, you've had 13 years and you've been an epic failure. Bye bye now.



Anway, back on topic, I'll be signing the petition. Assuming they'll let me as a non resident anyways..!

Now that smokers are in the minority they are fair game.

As bad as tobacco is I am not pleased with this type of fiscal misappropriation.

I was just ordering a new pipe at smokingpipes.com, and spoke with my sales person Joyce. She told me that the bill got canned on Thursday. So it's quiet for now, but they expect that it will be resurected some how.

So I would still continue to write the letters.

I did not mean to get everybody worked up, and maybe this should have gone into the "Conversation" forum. But I put it in the "Finer Things in Life" forum to draw attention from all of you who like me, want to enjoy everything life has to offer - in moderation.

Except str8 razor shaving - buy as many of those as your little aquisition disorder desires.

You know, there are those among us who believe that we can tax ourselves out of any predicament we find ourselves in. Whether it be not having enough money, coughing our lungs out, drinking ourselves into besottedness, or eating ourselves to death, enough taxation can and will cure those problems.

Just think how healthy we'll be with no tobacco, no booze, no food, and no fun. Now will the new health insurance cover the cost of the coffin? If so, why then we've got it pretty much whipped.

-- oops, I forgot

Am kind of wondering what the Dems and pres will do after November when we could possibly see not a Rep majority, but a veto proof majority in one or the other body. I guess they know what's best for us. And we will be reminding them of what's best for them. Since I smoke both pipes and cigars my voice (read as vote) will be heard in November...