Everyone NEEDS to read Sylance’s post on “ No shipping of cigars” The link is below, or just scroll down and read what I have cut and pasted from another sites newsletter I received today.
Sylance’s post:
http://www.cigarbid.com/...geDisplay=0000000018634 For those of you who seem unconcerned because it supposedly only covers shipping through USPS, then how long do you think it will take them to pass another bill outlawing all package carriers? On another note, there are many BOTL on this forum that are military and stationed overseas. The cigars they order from C-Bid and other on-line retailer MUST be shipped through USPS. UPS, FexEd, etc. do not ship to APO addresses. They will be screwed and be forced to buy all there cigars locally. Also, most of us use USPS when we send out trades, birthday club cigars, box passes, etc. That will come to an end and we will be forced to use UPS or FedEX.
(Sorry for intruding on your post Sylance, I just thought this subject needed a more attention grabbing topic because it seemed very few were reading the other.)
=====================================================================
Greetings Fellow Cigar Lovers!
The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee is considering House
Bill HR2824 which is slated for mark up TODAY! This bill, which has
already passed in the Senate (S1177), would, in effect, virtually
eliminate your right to receive cigars through the U.S. mail and
perhaps other shippers. Moreover, should this legislation go through,
it will most certainly result in higher cigar prices. Why are we telling you this now? Most of us in the cigar industry were not even made aware of this situation until late this past Monday, January 19th.
House Bill #HR2824 does NOT presently contain the "cigar" and "all
tobacco products" language contained in the Senate bill which was
added at the very last moment to a bill designed to combat cigarette
counterfeiters. Therefore, if the House does NOT alter its current
language, then and only then will you be able to continue ordering
cigars. However, if the "cigars" and "all other tobacco products"
provisions added to the Senate Bill at the last moment are added to
the House Bill HR2824, then all mail order cigars will become ILLEGAL.
If you believe in the free enterprise system and the ability to choose
the retailer you want to buy cigars from, email the representatives listed below. Also below is a sample letter. Feel free to modify it or write your own version. Please don't sit back and expect the next guy to write as we're all in this together and will all be greatly affected if this bill passes. Please also forward this message to a fellow cigar smoker.
======================================================================
On December 9, 2003, with little debate, the U.S. Senate included a last minute deal to ban all sales of cigars through the U.S. mail. This provision was quietly slipped into the cigarette anti-counterfeiting bill (S.1177), even though the rest of the bill had nothing to do with cigars (the focus is on cigarettes and smokeless tobacco). The House Judiciary Committee will soon consider its version (H.R.2824) of the same bill.
There is no reason for cigars to be part of this bill! There is not a
counterfeit cigar problem in this country. There is not a youth cigar
smoking problem in this country. And there is no reason to limit consumer choices or competition between mail order/internet sellers of cigars and store-based merchants (some of whom supplement their sales with mail order business).
Please do the right thing and don't let the federal government tamper with my right to receive legal cigars through the mail. Thank you.
Sincerely,
[your name]
======================================================================
Below is a list of the Congressmen on the House Judiciary Committee. They will consider this bill either TODAY or Jan.28th. It is critical that ALL cigar smokers e-mail, phone, or fax these representatives and request that "cigars" and "all other tobacco products" NOT BE ADDED TO HR2824.
HOUSE JUDICIARY COMMITTEE
Spencer Bachus, Alabama
http://www.house.gov/bachus
Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee
http://www.house.gov/blackburn
Rick Boucher, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/boucher
[email protected] John Carter, Texas
http://www.house.gov/carter
Steve Chabot, Ohio
http://www.house.gov/chabot
Howard Coble, North Carolina
http://www.house.gov/coble
[email protected] Tom Feeney, Florida
http://www.house.gov/feeney
[email protected] Jeff Flake, Arizona
http://www.house.gov/flake
[email protected] J. Randy Forbes, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/forbes
Bob Goodlatte, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/goodlatte
[email protected] Mark Green, Wisconsin
http://www.house.gov/markgreen
[email protected] Melissa Hart, Pennsylvania
http://www.house.gov/hart
John Hostettler, Indiana
http://www.house.gov/hostettler/
[email protected] Henry Hyde, Illinois
http://www.house.gov/hyde
William L. Jenkins, Tennessee
http://www.house.gov/jenkins
Ric Keller, Florida
http://keller.house.gov
Steve King, Iowa
http://www.house.gov/steveking
Mike Pence, Indiana
http://mikepence.house.gov
[email protected] Robert C. "Bobby" Scott, Virginia
http://www.house.gov/scott
[email protected] F. James Sensenbrenner, Wisconsin
http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner
[email protected] Lamar Smith, Texas
http://lamarsmith.house.gov
[email protected] Melvin L. Watt, North Carolina
http://www.house.gov/watt
[email protected] House of Representatives Judiciary Committee web page:
http://www.house.gov/judiciary
Thank you for taking the time to write and get involved in this very
critical and important issue.
Sincerely,
Arthur Zaretsky
