Hey guys. Looky what they trying to do to us now.

H.R. 4439, the Tobacco Tax Parity Act of 2010 was introduced on January 13, 2010 and would raise the tax on pipe tobacco 775% from $2.8311 to $24.78 per pound.

Introduced by Representatives Steve Cohen (Dem., TN) and Lloyd Doggett (Dem., TX), it has been referred to the House Ways and Means Committee of which Mr. Doggett is a member.

This bill punishes pipe smokers and retail tobacconists. It will destroy an industry of pipe craftsmen, small farmers, tobacco blenders and retailers. Pipe smoking is an historical, time-honored tradition in America that goes back to colonial days.

This is nothing more than an attempt to rope in taxes from roll-your-own cigarette tobacco. The roll-your-own industry has re-labeled cigarette tobacco as pipe tobacco to be taxed at a much lower rate.

This is not the way to fix that problem. For those of us that enjoy real pipe tobacco, this is unfair. A tax increase of 775% on anything is ludicrous. This will kill many small businesses and an historical tradition.

Good gosh man... Someone get those damn Democrats out of my pocket. Why is the tobacco industry being hit so hard? I think they need to find someone elses pocket to stick their grubby little hands in... GEEZZ

I got the same e-mail today.

It is depressing. The stuff will become so high no one will be able to afford it. These things are habits, not addictions. People will just quit or reduce dramatically. Why not make a gradual increase (i.e. 10% tax)? I don't think these guys that are running our country (into the ground) have any business sense. Someone has to stand up to these guys and I don't think they feel anyoe will. What can we do?

food is next.

It is for your own good.

I am growing my own cuban seed tobacco as we type.

no lie.

How is increasing the tax on something that people use as a relaxing element after a long day at work going to be better for anyone's health? Now I am going to be all stressed out and die at 50 from high blood pressure rather than mouth cancer at the age of 85.

This is insane. I love a good pipe, and this will kill the industry. It hurt small business the most.

This feels like a slow form of prohibition. Didn't anyone in our government learn from this the first time.

even if smoking can be a health risk, who says a longer life without is better than a shorter fuller one with it.

but that doesn't matter, didn't anyone tell these morons that the surgeon general found in two different studies that pipe smokers live longer than non smokers.

http://www.meerschaumstore.com/health.htm