and is this why dhl has been comming to my house?

here the a post from another board:

Every retailer in the next week or two will be forced to sign a contract with UPS and Federal Express stating they will not ship tobacco products to unlicensed individuals. The USPS is still available for now. There was a bill in Congresss last session to make it a felony to use the USPS to ship a tobacco product. It will most likely be passed this year.

What does that mean? You as individuals can ship to each other, but you cannot buy from a retailer in another state. Some of the big mail order houses will pick and choose the states they want to do business in and will collect and remit the taxes to those states. No more tax free cigars.

If the the states get this, then the sky is the limit for cigar taxes and knowing our states, it will make Canada's taxes look like a bargin!

Join the fight against this insanity. the states depends on the cigarette settlement funds each year. Don't smoke cigarettes - they don't know that and if you actively help point cigarette smokers to the site and convince them to switch brands to effect tax changes, then you are helping the cause. To do nothing is let let the states tax this wonderful little industry out of busienss.

http://change101.tripod.com/ 

Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope all of you will join in the fight to take our country back from the tax and spend nannies.

posted 2xs cuz error ocurred durring prosessing. can mods deleat one?

I'm reading two things here??

one is shipping to unlicensed individuals, which would make it a felony?

and two.. about taxes going to the moon?

I know it's late, but what actually is going on here? I recall last year there were two bills to be heard on this? many of us were asked to write their elected officials about it.. I did and I got response back from a couple of them but not all... anyway from the responses I recieved it was my understanding these measures wouldn't pass?? did something change or is this a outdated chain letter??

Hog

I have a letter ready to go tomorrow...I hope it helps...thanks for the 'heads up' on the topic...

This makes no sense at all ...

"This is a list of brands that are owned by the big signers of the MSA. Please, smoke other brands!"

They are telling you to boycott certain brands cigarettes, but also gives you a list of the ones you can buy ...

... what a joke.

Hope you guys are all running good spyware killers/blockers when you went to look at that site. It tried to drop "Gator" into my computer. Gator grabs onto everything after a while.

My first thought was that this is an urban legend type deal. Like every couple of years people try to spread around that the government will require special postage stamps for email. Never happens and never will.

Anything this big that has to do with the tobacco industry will surely be on the national news! If it shows up on fox news I will believe it.

I'm afraid there is something to this. I received a call from UPS a couple of days ago. They are sending an agent to meet with me to go over details. I have no idea what it is all about but I will let you know. I also received a letter from UPS a week or so ago telling me I can't ship to Michigan. Something screwy going on. I went on to a discount cigarette site, from Switzerland, and they are no longer shipping to the U.S. as of Jan.05.

well why can't we hear from someone on CBid about this?

awhile back this was a discussion like I said above two bills in congress were adopted about the measures...

a letter to your elected officials was drafted up and I wrote to all my elected officials... at which I got reply's back from Shimkus (rep) and do nothing (sen) Durbin's office even replied... both assuring me these measures would probably not hold water and pass without major changes being made??? although they said they would keep me informed on these measures I haven't heard squat until now??

Hog

Hmmm.

http://www.ups.com/content/ch/en/resources/prepare/prohibited.html 

http://www.fedex.com/us/services/termsandconditions/ground/prohibitedgoods.html?link=4 

Both websites show "Tobacco, cigarettes, tobacco products" as being prohibited. Oh, and pornography too.

https://sss-web.usps.com/gxg/jsps/showStdProhibitions.jsp 

USPS mentions nothing about tabacco.

http://www.dhl.com/wrd/commod/commod.html 

Nothing at dhl either.

Quote...

"I'm afraid there is something to this. I received a call from UPS a couple of days ago. They are sending an agent to meet with me to go over details. I have no idea what it is all about but I will let you know. I also received a letter from UPS a week or so ago telling me I can't ship to Michigan. Something screwy going on. I went on to a discount cigarette site, from Switzerland, and they are no longer shipping to the U.S. as of Jan.05."

Oh $hit!!!

I've started to see rumblings about a memo sent by UPS to several B&Ms about not accepting tobacco products for shipment. There are several states that already have prohibited tobacco product shipments into their states. I'd like to see some authoritative information.

Just a quick addendum to my post above. My local guy, who does no mailorder, says a mailorder prohibition would be the greatest thing to ever happen to his business. I have the feeling that a shipping prohibition will be fully supported by every B&M that doesn't have an internet/mailorder presence.

ahh then networking comes into play. Glad I keep making new friends.

Just got off the phone with my favorite uncle.

The bill targets cigarettes, smokeless, and RYO products. The bill's purpose is to stop kids from buying cigarettes and chew online. He says cigars are pretty much ignored and nobody has thrown a fit about them yet. He has some interesting conspiricay theroies about how this is a bill to get back at the Native Americans(Indians), but who knows.

He has been called and has met with UPS reps about this. Basically cigars are exempt. In 30days, he is supposed to have an official statement from UPS. Of course, he says that if this does affect cigars, they will be shipped out as "books" and "scarves"

UPS disclaimer - I get shipments from them.

Shipping prohibited articles on a contractual basis with UPS

Certain items we list as prohibited will be accepted by UPS on a contractual basis for shippers with regular volume and the ability to comply with all applicable regulations.

The items we can carry under certain criteria are:

Alcoholic beverages

Perishable goods

Plants

Seeds

Tobacco and tobacco products

I sent Trish an email a bit ago. She said she forwarded it to Keith. He should chime in in a little while.

Just got this through my email...

didn't see anything about the shipping of Tobacco products??

Hog

MySmokersRights made great strides in 2004 by acquiring new members and helping to defeat numerous proposed cigarette tax increases and smoking bans. The effectiveness of MySmokersRights continues to grow as our membership grows.

In 2002, twenty-one states raised cigarette excise taxes an average of 55 cents per pack. Following that disastrous year, MySmokersRights was born and, by the end of 2003, boasted a membership of over 70,000. During the 2003 legislative year, the number of states adopting cigarette tax increases dropped to 15, with an average 33-cent-per-pack increase. In 2004, attempts to increase cigarette taxes failed in 20 states and succeeded in only nine states, with three of those taxes approved by ballot measures in November.

Also in 2004, the tobacco quota buyout bill became federal law without including Food and Drug Administration control over tobacco products, a tremendous victory for all smokers. This achievement might not have been realized without the help and determination of MSR members and smokers everywhere.

We believe MySmokersRights members' involvement was instrumental in the downward trend of states adopting new cigarette taxes. In 2004 alone, MSR members sent over 20,000 e-mails to their elected officials and local media, an astonishing achievement to say the least. If you think MSR members can't make a difference, think again. Let's keep up the good work and make sure the downward trends continue through 2005 and beyond.

Cigarette Tax Increases Failed in 20 States in 2004

In 2004, a total of 33 states proposed 143 bills to increase cigarette taxes. MySmokersRights members' resistance to tax increases was apparent this year because nine states increased smoker taxes, an improvement of six states over 2003.

State increases per pack passed in 2004:

Alabama 26 cents

Alaska $1 over three years (60 cents on 1/1/05, 20 cents on 7/1/06 and 20 cents more on 7/1/07)

Colorado 64 cents

Michigan 75 cents

Montana $1

New Jersey 35 cents

Oklahoma 80 cents

Rhode Island 75 cents

Virginia 27.5 cents

Even in the face of these increases, smokers made a difference. E-mails sent by MySmokersRights members helped reduce the amount of taxes passed in Alabama (from 40 cents to 26 cents), Michigan (from 81 cents to 75 cents), New Jersey (from 45 cents to 35 cents) and Virginia (from 97.5 cents to 27.5 cents).

Making a difference at the local level: For the first time in Richard Daley's 16-year tenure as mayor of Chicago, the mayor failed to get a unanimous vote for his budget from the Board of Aldermen. Again, MySmokersRights members pounded the mayor's office with e-mails. We're making incremental progress, but faced with a huge budget deficit, the mayor pushed through a 200% increase in the cigarette tax, in addition to increased sales taxes, parking fees and fines, entertainment taxes, hotel taxes, natural gas taxes and a special tax on tires.

What's in Store for 2005?

Several states are experiencing budget problems even though the economy is improving. Legislators with fresh terms may be more inclined to pass tax increases now that the elections are behind them. You can be assured that budget deficits will not go away, and many states will target smokers with tax increases to foot the bill. At this point, we predict the biggest threats to smoker incomes are from the following states:

Idaho (increase of up to 43 cents per pack or $4.30 per carton)

Illinois (increase of up to 50 cents per pack or $5 per carton)

Iowa (increase of up to $1 cents per pack or $10 per carton)

Kentucky (increase of up to 70 cents per pack or $7 per carton)

Louisiana (increase of up to 50 cents per pack or $5 per carton)

Maine (increase of up to 50 cents per pack or $5 per carton)

Massachusetts (increase of up to 50 cents per pack or $5 per carton)

Minnesota (increase of up to 50 cents per pack or $5 per carton)

Mississippi (increase of up to $1 per pack or $10 per carton)

New Hampshire (increase of up to 15 cents per pack or $1.50 per carton)

North Carolina (increase of up to 25 cents per pack or $2.50 per carton)

Ohio (increase of up to 75 cents per pack or $7.50 per carton)

Oregon (increase of up to 45 cents per pack or $4.50 per carton)

Texas (increase of up to $1 per pack or $10 per carton)

Utah (increase of up to 25 cents per pack or $2.50 per carton)

Vermont (unknown amount)

Washington (increase of up to 50 cents per pack or $5 per carton)

Although additional states may attempt to increase smoker taxes in 2005, MySmokersRights' commitment to you will remain. When legislators need to hear from smokers on unfair cigarette tax increases, we will let you know. We will continue to provide you a convenient way to contact your elected officials to let them know how unfair it is to single out a minority of citizens who smoke to pay for issues and problems that affect everyone.

In addition in 2005, Connecticut, Georgia, Idaho, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Utah and Washington are expected to consider bills that will seriously restrict or outright ban smoking in most public places -- restaurants, bars, bowling alleys, pool halls and workplaces. Many cities and counties are expected to consider some form of smoking restrictions as well. Again, we will keep you informed when the time is right to contact your political representatives at state or local levels.

Our continued success depends heavily upon your participation and the growth of MySmokersRights membership. If you have friends or family members concerned about smokers' rights, tell them about MySmokersRights.com and encourage them to visit and join.

Remember to use your personal Web page of legislators provided to you when you signed up with MySmokersRights to contact any or all of your legislators on any issue at any time.

Thank you for using MySmokersRights to protect the rights of adult smokers.