Dear Idiot Elected Officials…
Dear Idiot Elected Officials,
Yes, keep raising taxes on tobacco… keep raising them until you get your way and no one will be able to afford to smoke any longer. And when no one buys tobacco products any longer, your government will not be able to collect the billions of dollars it generates in tax monies every year. And when that pool is dried up, you will undoubtedly move onto things like alcohol, food, and everything else that’s available to tax.
Governor David Patterson of New York (a man blind in many ways) raised the tobacco tax to 75% last September 1. He wanted to raise it to 90% but somehow, New York State’s tobacconists were spared total annihilation – for the time being. The New York legislators know damned well that people will go online and to neighboring states and Indian reservations to buy their smokes for less than half the price, and they know damned well that cigar stores and tobacconists will without question go out of business. Why would a state do that to it’s valued retailers? Because in their eyes, anyone having anything to do with tobacco is NOT valued, and are in fact, from the devil. Massive pressure is put on the government by the AMA and anti-smoking groups and the real goal is to eradicate smoking in all forms, at any cost.
Now in New York City, a pack of cigarettes is a whopping $14.50. Yeah, that’s per pack. Remember as a kid, your uncle’s and neighbors who smoked three packs a day? Well, that’s now $1,300 a month. Okay, I don’t smoke cigarettes and never have, but I sure as hell do love cigars and have bought many a premium stick in the neighboring Empire State. While that is now a costly venture, I can’t even imagine purchasing a box where $75 has been added to every $100. How will these family owned shops survive? I think the answer is apparent.
Now the goal of the tax hike in New York was to collect an additional 511 million dollars for hospitals and research. But Mr. Einstein Patterson, if the cost increase makes it prohibitive for people to buy their smokes in New York State, how will you collect the additional half a billion? Answer: You won’t.
And then there’s New York City’s swell mayor Bloomberg who extended the city’s public smoking ban to all parks, plazas and beaches across the city, including the entire area within Times Square. Okay, the absurdity is beyond f@#king comprehension. Every single day in Times Square alone, tens of thousand of cars, buses and trucks moves through at a snails pace emitting enough dangerous carbon monoxide to destroy Mother Terra, yet if you are caught walking across the street with your Macanudo Robust, it’s a $50 fine.
Now get this… Whoopi Goldberg, a known cigar lover, has gone on a public rampage denouncing mayor Bloom-doom and the city council for treating smokers like 4th class pariah.
“I’m done with this (anti-smoking) because I feel I pay taxes here just like everybody else. There should be a designated place and I’m tired of being treated like some damn criminal. If they’re really worried about the smell in the air, give us electric buses, give us electric cars, and then I’ll understand! But you know, (give smokers) a little respect because I understand that not everyone wants to smoke, I get that, but you can’t keep treating people like they don’t matter.”
Goldberg says she’ll defy the law everyday if she has to, all in the name of people’s rights.
“I’m going to take the hit, I’m gonna write the check, do everything until you guys do what you need to do to stop this nasty smell of cars and all the other nasty stuff… I’m sick of this!”
Now there’s a VIEW you didn’t expect to hear (even though she forgot to mention bum urine. Oh, I’m sorry, ‘homeless person’ urine.)
Every day is a fight for us lovers of the leaf and if you enjoy your precious cigars, you’d better continue to make some noise and let these demi-gods know that WE the People elected them, and WE will take them out.
Idiots, every damned one of them.
Walk softly and carry a big premium, hand-rolled stick, my friend.
Tommy Z.
JR Cigars Blog With the Zman
MACANUDO ROBUST CIGARS
Handmade DR Wrapper: CTSH
Binder: CTBL Filler: DR/HON/NIC Medium Bodied
The Macanudo Robust was reblended to be a stronger, more flavorful cigar. This new recipe begins with a bolder combination of Dominican, Honduran, and Nicaraguan long leaf filler tobaccos secured by a sweet tasting Connecticut broadleaf binder. The wrapper is a well-grained, exceptionally dark grade of Connecticut shade leaf that is a deep Colorado in hue and plush in flavor. Slightly stronger than medium bodied, this is a deeper, richer blend than its predecessor.
