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Comments: 38
09/14/2009:The FDA outlawing flavore cigarettes because they supposedly encourage the youth to smoke is bogus. I am 21 years old and have been smoking since I was 14. If they want to outlaw anything they should illegalize actual candy and bubble gum cigarettes they sell to little kids. Plus, I made the decision on my own to start smoking; no one else made me. Plus, people need to wake up and realize that all of these laws and taxes are unconstitutional and are being passed without our knowledge or consent. The smokers are being picked on now, and it won't be long before other liberties and freedoms are taken away. Now is the time to stand up!
09/14/2009:I was in New Orleans for 3 months, reside in Miami, FL., Marlboro Lights were 36-$38.95 a carton. I came back to 48.95 + a carton were is the consistency with our Government?? I smoke 2 packs a day for 30 years and the Doctors say my lungs are normal, How can that be I asked? You must be a freak of nature was the reply. Please help with the costs, as I cannot afford this cost much longer. Any alternatives beside quitting??? Thanks Rocky...

 09/14/2009:While travelling on biz in colorado august 13 & 14, 2009, I stopped off at the Smoker Friendly store on 120th street & colorado in thornton, co. I met Dustin, the manager, and most of his "crew". What an unbelievable bunch! They treated me & a friend like we were "old friends". They were awesome! Dustin made sure we were enjoying ourselves telling us about his store, the cigars and future plans. If you are ever in Denver....make sure to stop and enjoy a visit with these GREAT folks!!! Bruce Swank

 09/14/2009:GET YOUR FLAVORED AND CLOVE CIGARETTES BY SEPTEMBER 22ND !!! AFTER THAT DATE THEY WILL BE ILLEGAL.

 08/05/2009:FSC SUCKS!!! The only way I found to beat it is to Make My Own. I thought I would be sticker shocked with all the tax hikes but the tobacco company's found a loop hole. Name it Pipe Tobacco. Not only does it taste better it smells better,satisfies,low price, oh ya NO FSC!!! SF employee even did a demo for me and let me try first. Now my average carton cost is $11 WOW

 08/05/2009:ANYONE HERE POKER PLAYERS? IF SO I FOUND A WEEKLY GAME AT THE THORNTON SMOKER FRIENDLY AND THOUGHT WHAT THE HELL LETS GIVE IT A SHOT. I WAS SUPRIZED THEY ACTUALY HAVE A NICE SET UP. DEALER,TABLE,ASHTRAYS!!! I LIKE THE FACT I CAN ENJOY A NICE SMOKE AND PLAY POKER. FIRST TIME PLAYING THIS TABLE AND WON $210.00 IN CERTIFICATES FOR ANY SF STORE. I BOUGHT MORE CIGARS AND FILLED MY GAS TANK A FEW TIMES. GOOD DEAL TO ME! THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THE FIND. RELAX! ENJOY A CIGAR ! WHILE WE STILL CAN.

 08/04/2009:I am so tired of how they pick on smokers yet not alcohol. I watched a health channel show that stated that the number 3 killer is drinking, and yet it is ok to advertise it on television and they are not bothered with the taxes we have to pay.

 07/17/2009:Oh by the way. Hasn't anyone noticed the cigarettes are now FSC cigarettes. Fire Safe my butt...the fire just fell off of my cigarette and ruined a $50 blouse. Want to know how they are trying to poision us further. Just type "FSC Cigarette" in any search engine and see the marvels the government has pulled on us without our permission., Thanks Rose M

 06/16/2009:I feel tobacco smoker have been singled out. As smokers. what are our civil rights. They don't have these kind of taxes on alcohol or any other product. Isn't this Taxing a certain kind of people only.I can't get health care yet I am suppose to support childrens health care that aren't even mine.

 06/02/2009:The president is raising taxes on tobacco products to pay, in part, for the so called Universal Health Care for our children. OK, lets say it "might" be a good idea. But... question: Should non-smokers, then, start smoking to support the mentioned plan so they can help the government for the present and supported actions by many non-smokers? The ambiguity is overwhelming. Mr. President, get real, get it right, please.

 05/29/2009:The president is raising taxes on tobacco products to pay, in part, for the so called Universal Health Care for our children. OK, lets say it "might" be a good idea. But... question: Should non-smokers, then, start smoking to support the mentioned plan so they can help the government for the present and supported actions by many non-smokers? The ambiguity is overwhelming. Mr. President, get real, get it right, please.

 05/13/2009:5/12/2009 Taxation without representation. What do the smokers get in return for the tax?

 05/12/2009: 05/12/2009 I have only one thing to say on this today without blowing my cool. I CAN SMOKE A CIGARETTE & DRIVE A CAR AND NOT KILL A FAMILY OF FIVE !!!! if they are going to tax smoker's to death. why have they not taxed all the ACHOLOL. because all the people that makes are laws are all pickled of over use of acholol. there drunk's and they don't want to pay the increase taxes or they don't want the "DT'S" i'm sick of having my liberty & right's taken from me. this is my COUNTRY & AIR too !!! sorry it's hard to stop yelling when you have no right's anymore. they should call this, " the unfair act to 1/2 of america"

 05/11/2009:I just want to know how they can charge me Federal tax then State Tax on cigarettes then charge me Sales Tax on the Federal and State Tax I just paid. Is this not Taxation upon Taxation? I don't mine paying Taxes at all but why do they get to Tax my Tax. And why am I singled out to pay more Taxes than the next guy.I have been screaming about them taxing my tax for years. This is why gasoline does not have sales tax it's already in there. The lady I work for is 90yrs old and she smokes, she's not on medicaid so does she get her Taxes back. SO FED UP

 04/14/2009:The House of Representatives in the State of Colorado are trying to slide in a new tax on cigarettes. Of course not calling it a tax, it's actually sales and use tax exemption on cigarettes, which means they will be able to charge sales tax on cigarettes....$8.40 per carton of excise tax in the state and $10.10 federal excise tax isn't enough for the blood suckers they want another $1.30 a carton.....Wow! Your local Smoker Friendly store in Colorado has the names and numbers of the Finance Committee posted, call them and tell them they are crazy!

 04/13/2009:First the Reps. in DC. took away the interest income from Senior citizens, now, they are taking whatever is left from the Seniors in Cigarette taxes, when does the revolution start????

 04/13/2009:The reason our "representatives" don't listen to the people is because they no longer believe in or are guided by the Constitution which holds the individual ABOVE the government. Beginning with Woodrow Wilson and Teddy Roosevelt - our Constitution (read that as liberty) was thrown away. Want liberty? Let's get our Constitutional form of government back!

 04/10/2009:I heard a guy on the radio last week that said he buys his tobacco by the pound and rolls his own smokes. He stated that before the new tax it was $1.20 tax/pound of tobacco... now it's $22 tax/pound. That's nutz!! Could you imagine $22 tax/pound of ANYTHING? There are tea partys all across the country on the 15th... I think a TOBACCO PARTY is more fitting!!

 04/08/2009:When will Rep. Henry Waxman(D-CA) be banned?

04/06/2009:I'm really PO'd. Cigarette smokers are always targeted. As if our President charging .68/pack isn't enough, our Florida Govenor Charlie Crist has approved an additional $1.01/pack cigarette tax. He said on local TV April 1, that he doesn't like the word "tax", so he wants to use the phrase "User Fee". This is most confusing to me, as how does he separate the cigarette "User Fee", from the toilet paper "User Fee"?? I believe that with that kind of a raise in cigarette taxes, he should have the gonads to call it what it is...a cigarette tax. He also said in the same interview that while he does approve a cigarette tax increase, he doesn't want cigars to be touched. Right!! He doesn't want his cigar cronies mad at him for taxing cigars. He knows that poor folk like me couldn't afford cigars when they WERE "cheap". He also said that there are no plans to tax alcohol. Of course not! His drinking buddies would be mad at him for that too. Cigarette manufacturers have already increased their prices because they anticipate a loss in sales with the new tax. The retailer also added their charge on top of that because they also anticipate a loss in sales because of the new tax So, all these increases are passed along to the smokers now left that can afford to smoke, then the cigarette tax comes into effect. Our govenor says they anticipate at least $480 Million collected in the cigarette tax increase, yet they are paying out over $1 Billion in medical care for Medicaid tobacco related illnesses. Not every smoker will have a tobacco related illness, and not every smoker is on Medicaid. Make sense to you?? So how do they figure that?? I know I'm not on Medicaid. Have never had a tobacco related illness and I've been smoking 54 years. I'm now down to my last 7 cigarettes, and I refuse to pay $70 for my next carton of cigarettes. I'm forced to quit. It's like forcible gang rape between what the manufacturer, the retailer and the government has done. And, it just goes against my grain to be forced to do anything. I think it all just sucks. It sure sounds to me like our government is cutting off its nose to spite its face when they don't get the kind of income they want from this cigarette tax increase. Our government is trying to make Florida a smoke free state, but for heaven's sake, when Florida depends so much on the tourist dollar, will the smoking tourists be allowed in?? Isn't that stupid??? Florida was just awarded $12.2 Billion in President Obama's new stimulus package. News reporters are calling it $13 Billion. But, that's not enough for Florida. If they took just $1 Billion to put in the State Medicaid fund, there would be no need to raise cigarettes $1.01/pack. But, they want more!! They talk about paying out mega bucks on programs to teach kids not to smoke. Big deal. Why not let the parents just say "NO" to their kids like mine did. I had to wait until I was 18 and made my own money to buy them. What's wrong with that??? Does the State really think kids are going to listen? Talk about which sin is taxed and which sin isn't!! That's Florida for you. I'm now down to six cigarettes left and counting. P.S. I wrote our Govenor and also my Congressman about this issue and so far I haven't heard from the Govenor, but my Congressman thanked me for my opinion. I wrote him back and told him it wasn't an opinion, it was a plea, a P-L-E-A. They don't listen to the people they are supposed to serve. They think we're supposed to serve them.

 04/03/2009:FDA passed today in the house. If this legislation goes through there is estimated to be another $7 billion in "User Fees". Guess who gets to foot that bill?? Tobacco consumers get hammered again!!

 04/03/2009:Strength in numbers.If they are going to keep doing this to us lets give them a HUGE Headache. Call/Email/Mail/Call Again.They will never stop unless do something NOW.Dont wait untill the last minute! If you want to use these unfair taxes as a way to quit then thats fine,What happens next is they find something else to OVER TAX and that item or items is something you can't give up. Notice how the media is not covering all the Tea Parties around the country? Want to know why? Call the media and ask.The government does not want the people to come to there senses. Many brave Men and Woman gave their lives for the rights we a losing,We need to speak out and act! Let take our rights back!!!

 04/03/2009:I remember when the debates over helmet laws first started. The motorcycle riders warned us that we were headed down a slippery slope. What do helmet laws and tobacco laws and taxes have to do with each other? These laws have nothing to do with safty..or even money..it is all about control. The moment we gave government the right to legislate our safty, we gave them the power to control our lives.

04/03/2009:The government sticking to us again!! It is tax---why doesn't the government go after liquor, fast food, drug companies and give us smokers a break for a change!!! WE PAY MORE THAN OUR FAIR SHARE ALREADY!!!

 04/02/2009:What're we going to do about this? I'm irritated (to say the least), which makes me want to smoke more. There's snow everywhere, gas isn't feasible for the car, and who knows when I last had beef. I think they're trying to make us all mad by starvation and taking away our only vices, because they raised the beer prices, too. The only thing that hasn't raised is our income. Need to go bang the President over his head to make him see that all he's doing at this point is raising the crime rate by irritating people. What should I do now? Thank you.

 04/02/2009:well here it is... the powers that be that think that it is in our best interest (smokers/adults) that find another way to control our lives, tell us what to do, and what to pay to live as "free" americans (notice no caps)we have been reduced to sniveling snots, bowing down to them. I have signed and have wrote everyone, but to no avail, the tax was still passed. next thing you know... beer/whiskey will be taxed to death... the crazy thing about this is... this stuff is LEGAL! we as adults should be able to pick and choose what we want to do with our life, not some hokey pol dude(s) telling us how to live it... ok, I won't smoke where you don't want me to, just as i won't drink where you don't want me to, hell I won't get naked where you don't want me to... but leave me the hell alone where I can do what I want to do where I can do it. In my opinion this is all it boils down to.. truth, yes most smokers don't live to be 75-85 yrs,(my grandma was 97 and, as they put it died a natural death), the longer you live, the more you will pay taxes. think about it... wear a seatbelt, you live you get to pay more taxes, wear a helmet while on your bike/motorcycle, you live longer to pay taxes, eat better, live longer, pay more taxes etc, the list could go on. it is a merry go-round. sorry for the rant but I wished more people that do the things that they choose to do with their own lives would have spoke out in force. I really feel you guys up north, damn almost 8.00+ a pack.

03/24/2009:I have put my name on a wait list at my local SF store-Brighton CO for this electric cigarette starter kit. Although the initial kit is costly, it does not compare to anywhere near the cost of our tax-hiked up cigarette costs so far. I wish I could try before I buy is the downside comment I make for the electric cigarette manufacturer. I do hope that I can enjoy it though!

 03/23/2009:I recently discovered and began using a new electric cigarette, which delivers me the nicotine I crave without all the tar and carcinogens - it is a great product. I haven't touched a regular cigarette in two weeks. I have recommended the product for the Smoker Friendly stores and it does not appear to be effected by the tax laws anticipated to blow prices through the water - I know they have gone up here over $1 a pack in the past week.

 03/04/2009:3/3/09: These new taxes remind me of when liquor was made illegal. Crooks had a great time with it. And now they will again, except it will be tobacco instead of liquor that will be talen advantage of. Where ever tobacco is stored in large quanities in there finished state, there will be robberies. Overseas tobacco will be packaged to look like american tobacco. All kinds of scams will be going on. When the US Government gets stupid with taxes and tramples the rights of the american people, some of the people(the bad guys)get smart and make a bundle off of the Government. If I were younger I might even concider it myself.

 01/16/2009: Imagine going to the cereal aisle of your local grocery store and finding out that the box of cereal that you normally pay $4.99 for has just gone up to $30.99 per box. This is the scenario that smokers who roll their own tobacco are now confronted with. This is no exaggeration. Imagine going to your local beer & liquor store and purchasing a six-pack that you normally pay about $5.99 for and it has just gone up to $31.99 dollars per six-pack. This is the scenario that smokers who roll their own tobacco are now confronted with. This is no exaggeration. Imagine going to McDonalds and purchasing a value meal that you normally pay $4.59 for and it has gone up to $29.59 per meal. This is the scenario that smokers who roll their own tobacco are now confronted with. This is no exaggeration. With a proposed $23.53 per poundﾠtax increase on roll-your-own tobacco, this scenario requires no imagination, because it's about to happen and this is no exaggeration. The stakeholders in this industry arent just Big Tobacco, as we once knew it. They are many small family-owned businesses which employ tens of thousands in the country. They are the consumer, who struggles to make ends meet only to be confronted with the wrath a Big Government program expansion. They are all of us, who have little or no power to stop the avalanche of spending by our US Government.

01/09/2009:Opening act for Congress: raising taxes A tax increase on smokers soon, and tax hikes on others in 2011 By Tom Curry National affairs writer msnbc.com Thurs., Jan. 8, 2009 WASHINGTON - While tax cuts are an integral part of President-elect Barack Obamas stimulus plan, the newly convened Congress and the incoming commander in chief are nonetheless preparing for a tax hike. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer announced Wednesday that the House will vote next week on expanding the State Childrens Health Insurance Program, which will be funded by an increased excise tax on cigarettes and cigars. A tax increase may seem counterintuitive in a recession  especially since Obama and congressional Democrats are simultaneously touting tax cuts as part of the cure for the ailing economy. But its likely to be down played as a tax increase only on smokers, who, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, comprise roughly one-fifth of the population. A spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee said this bill mirrors the one passed by Congress in 2007, and subsequently vetoed by President George W. Bush. A 156 percent tax increase The legislation would impose a 156 percent tax increase on smokers, raising the 39-cents per pack federal cigarette tax to one dollar. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the bill passed in 2007 would have raised about $53 billion in revenue over ten years. But it will be a relatively small tax increase compared to the tax cuts that Obama has proposed  those may end up amounting to more than $300 billion over two years. The tax increase is also tiny compared to the projected $1.2 trillion deficit in the 2009 fiscal year. But the cigarette tax points to one way to raise revenue without broad hikes on middle-income workers  increase duties on undesirable activities and products. How about, for instance, a federal excise tax on sugar-sweetened beverages? A recent CBO study of various health care policy options says there is more than $50 billion in revenue over ten years to be gained from taxing soft drinks. The problem, of course, is that cola drinkers can shift to non-taxed liquids, such as apple juice or ice water. And while $50 billion in revenue may seem like a large amount, it is really quite small compared to the $3 trillion in deficits which the CBO forecasts from now until 2019. ﾩ 2009 msnbc.com

01/08/2009:January, 2009 SCHIPs Tobacco Taxes: An Economic Disaster If Congress considers a bill early in 2009 to expand the State Childrens Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) by significantly increasing federal cigarette and tobacco taxes, the fallout from the tax increases will include major sales reductions, massive employee layoffs, numerous store closings and many more robberies because of the much higher value of tobacco products. The trade organizations listed below collectively represent more than 135,000 local retailers, wholesalers, importers and manufacturers, all of whom oppose, and have serious concerns with, the magnitude of the cigarette and tobacco tax increases to expand SCHIP. It is important to understand that our organizations support the reauthorization and/or expansion of the SCHIP program which is scheduled to expire on March 31, 2009. What we collectively oppose is substantially raising the federal excise tax on cigarettes, cigars, pipe tobacco, smokeless tobacco and roll-your-own tobacco to fund the expansion of SCHIP. If the cigarette and tobacco tax increases that Congress may consider to fund an expanded SCHIP program in 2009 are the same as or similar to the tax rate increases considered in 2007, the economic impact on the entire tobacco industry will be disastrous. First, a 156% tax rate increase on cigarettes compounded by tax rate increases of up to 6,000% on large cigars, 2,197% on little cigars, 710% on roll-your-own tobacco, 156% on smokeless tobacco and 156% on pipe tobacco will lead to aggregate tobacco sales declines at the retail level of as much as 10% or even higher. This large reduction in sales will have a corresponding impact on industry jobs. According to 2002 U.S. Census Bureau statistics, 1,172,179 union and non-union employees are employed by tobacco manufacturers, wholesalers and retailers. With upwards of a 10% tobacco sales decline, industry estimates project up to 117,000 jobs lost due to the tobacco tax increases plus numerous wholesalers and retailers will be forced to close. In this current economy, such severe job losses would be extremely painful not only to workers and their families, but also to the national economy. Second, the SCHIP tax increases will significantly raise the value of tobacco products held in inventory by wholesalers and retailers with the unintended consequence of making wholesale warehouses, delivery trucks and retail stores a more likely target for theft or robberies and endangering the safety of employees. Third, the escalation of taxes on tobacco products will lead to a corresponding rise in purchases of tobacco products by consumers over the Internet and on the black market where vendors illegally sell tobacco products tax-free and do not verify a customers age to avoid selling to minors. Moreover, this migration of sales to illegal suppliers will further exacerbate the downturn in sales that will be experienced by law-abiding retailers and worsen the revenue shortfalls to the states and the federal government. Fourth, according to a Budget Options report issued by the Congressional Budget Office in February, 2007, increasing the federal excise tax rates will significantly reduce state cigarette and tobacco tax collections, sales tax revenue and national tobacco settlement payments. This will put additional budgetary pressure on all state governments negating the very benefit of expanding SCHIP. Finally, because most Americans who purchase tobacco products are in the low or middle-income range, raising cigarette and tobacco taxes will affect the poor more disproportionately. The ironic result is that these tax increases will force those least able to afford it to shoulder the burden of paying for SCHIP while many of these same individuals make up the very group of low income Americans that benefit from SCHIP health insurance coverage for their children. Moreover, President-elect Barack Obama needs to keep his campaign promise and not raise taxes, including cigarette and tobacco taxes, on any American who earns less than $250,000. As a united voice for convenience stores, gasoline service stations, grocery stores, tobacco stores, truck stops, wholesalers, importers and manufacturers, our organizations implore Congress to reauthorize SCHIP without imposing disastrously large tax increases on tobacco products. Scott Ramminger Jimmy Stewart President President American Wholesale Marketers Association (AWMA) Southern Assn. of Wholesale Distributors (SAWD) Lyle Beckwith Sherri Cabrera Senior Vice-President, Government Relations Director of Legislative Affairs National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) Petroleum Marketers Association of America (PMAA) Thomas Briant Lisa Mullings Executive Director President and CEO National Association of Tobacco Outlets (NATO) National Association of Truck Stop Operators (NATSO)

01/08/2009: TAKE ACTION  SAY NO TO UNFAIR FEDERAL TAX INCREASES ON TOBACCO PRODUCTS! Once again Congress is talking about raising federal cigarette taxes. Last year Congress tried for a $6.10 a carton increase to fund a multi-billion dollar expansion of the SCHIP Health Program. This year it could be more! Your action is needed today! Philip Morris USA (PM USA) believes that a federal excise tax increase would have a negative impact on the entire tobacco industry including wholesalers and retailers who sell tobacco products. PM USA is opposed to this increase and believes that this tax will promote purchases through untaxed or lower-tax venues, create incentives for contraband tobacco trafficking and harm legitimate businesses including retailers and wholesalers. We strongly encourage you to express your opposition to your federal elected officials. Please take moment to Take Action by visiting www.stoptheFETincrease.com to send an e-mail to your legislators or by calling (866) 527-4494 to get patched directly to your legislators office. Thank you for your support! Making your voice heard in Washington can make a difference! Paid for by Altria Client Services on behalf of Philip Morris USA Please do not respond to this email. I do not wish to receive communication about this issue from PM USA.

01/08/2009:No more taxes!! This will cause more jobs to be lost. Taxing Tobacco again and again will only drive us to get it through the black market,then what will the Government do when they fall short on money for these programs.I think it would be fair to put a small tax on everything and stop looking at tobacco users as the only answer.Some would think this tax would help them quit tobacco and they are probably right,but it is not fair to the rest of us that CHOOSE to smoke. We must contact our elected officials and let them know this is not cool.It only took me 3 minutes to make this call. They will not answer the phone but you can leave a message. Thanks A Smoker/Tax Payer

 12/30/2008:Visit a Smoker Friendly near you, you can call your legislators office directly from the store and let them know you oppose SCHIP and any more taxes on tobacco!

 12/05/2008:As usual- these per centages are of-the-chain! I do intend to go to the site and let my legislators know what's up. What other product in the world is taxed to the extent of the price being raised 6000% That's whack to say the least. I used to frequent Store # 132 in Thornton, Co. The managers Dustin Wilson and Courtney were really good about passing this kind of info on to customers as I'm sure they still do. Outside of Smoker Friendly you don't hear much discussion about it at all. This forum is a good thing and if people would just use it more often to stay informed we'd all be better off Thanks, Beau Shelby

 11/17/2008:Did you know that one of the first action items in 2009 for our new President is to raise tobacco taxes? Cigarettes would go up 6.10 per carton Large cigars would go up 6000% Little cigars up 1.00 per pack Chewing tobacco would be raised 156.4% If you enjoy using your tobacco products and think that we should not take the burden of financing childrens health care on our own go to wwww.mysmokersrights.rjrt.com and let your legislators know how unfair these tax hikes are!
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