What Are You Waiting For?

[Craig Mac]

Your membership with Cigar Rights of America is now active! Here are the details:

Membership Type: Individual Membership
Start Date: 11/11/2011
Renewal Date: 11/10/2015

It's really a no-brainer guys, show your support!

http://www.cigarrights.org/

 

[kockroach]

It's really a no-brainer guys, show your support!

http://www.cigarrights.org/

You just joined???? :eyepoke:

 

[Craig Mac]

You just joined???? :eyepoke:

Just renewed, lapsed a month, but been supporting for a few years now, you?

 

[gibbleguts]

Just renewed, lapsed a month, but been supporting for a few years now, you?

Lapsed member but with the sampler's should not be. I figure as long as they get my money not much I can do from here.


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[kockroach]

Just renewed, lapsed a month, but been supporting for a few years now, you?

Of course...in fact, up for renewal next month.

 

[orangedog]

I've often thought about joining, but always wonder what it really accomplishes... What successes have they had? I'd like to know that I'm not throwing my money down the rabbit hole.

 

[Craig Mac]

I've often thought about joining, but always wonder what it really accomplishes... What successes have they had? I'd like to know that I'm not throwing my money down the rabbit hole.

SCHIP tax was reduced to $.40 a cigar thanks to the efforts of the CRA, down from the proposed $3 a cigar. CRA is currently fighting the FDA... FDA wants to basically put an end to small batch and boutique company runs by having a waiting period for evaluation of new products, this WILL slow the production of new cigars! The FDA wants to limit nicotine levels in cigars, thus effecting blends for full bodied cigars, they want to make it so you have to pick your cigars out of a catalog instead of using a walk-in humidor. They want to put grotesque images on cigar boxes to deter smoking. The CRA fights for your rights as a cigar smoker and has had some great success doing so.

 

[Skitalets]

CRA's efforts to get co-sponsors for the bill limiting FDA's power to regulate cigars has been truly impressive. I think they have almost 200 cosponsors, which I never would have guessed they could do in an ultra-PC environment.

I'm a member and will continue to support them.

 

[AlohaStyle]

Old news.

I've been a member for a couple years but the CRA does jack crap in my state of WA even though I've been told otherwise by the Director. I'm friends with a guy that just became an ambassador here in WA and said they haven't done a thing here...

 

[thegoldenmackid]

I'm still not sure what CRA has done in terms of success, but that's really not the reason why I send my $35 to other legislative groups.

CRA refused to support Kendrick Meek as a list of their "Smoke the Vote" candidates last year, that was fairly non-sensical and a bit too partisan for me.

Because if you aren't supporting the guy that gets attacked for his support of the cigar industry, I'm really confused as to what you are for.

 

[AlohaStyle]

Since someone didn't appreciate my comments above:

The 1st sentence... a joke. I'm a member. Again, a joke.

As to my comments about WA, that's what I have heard. Simply saying I wish they would do more in my state and yet I still support them.

 

[ciggy]

Been there done it :tiphat:

 

[Crypto Sailor]

It's really a no-brainer guys, show your support!

http://www.cigarrights.org/

I need to figure out how I received a new membership since I don't recall renewing mine.

 

[Craig Mac]

It's definitely your choice whether you want to get behind them or not. I've seen first hand how some people on the board of CRA fight for my rights as a cigar smoker so I don't mind lending my support to them. I have wasted money on a lot worse causes than this one.

 

[gibbleguts]

I know people get very passionate about this subject and CRA has amassed a vocal following and the idea that you're not passionate about cigars and individual liberties if you're not a member........ but I'm in the same camp, Matt.

I haven't seen CRA accomplish much. Their members tout stories like the federal court case win against more intrusive tobacco labeling... but that was because Altadis sued the FDA. They talk about SCHIP, but lost that battle... and reduction in taxes attached to SCHIP had little or nothing to do with CRA's meager existence at the time. S. 1461 and H.R. 1639 were started by IPCPR and not CRA... and haven't actually gone anywhere yet, if they ever make it out of committee.

Now, I WILL grant that CRA did indeed jump on and call for support for S. 1461 and H.R. 1639... they DID at least START the process of forming a consumer advocacy group behind cigars when the SCHIP stuff popped up... they DO maybe at least bring some government infringement issues into the minds of cigar smokers who maybe wouldn't have heard about them. For that, they are certainly to be commended.

I just still dunno... right now, I just think my time and money is better spent in writing letters and meeting with my Congressman to chat about the issue. I'd like to see BOTLs write personal letters to Congress about S. 1461 and H.R. 1639 now that IPCPR found a couple Congressmen to sponsor them. I'm still holding out on throwing my money at a group I know far too little about (and have heard rumors of partisanship) that hasn't accomplished anything besides a website that points to news stories where others have accomplished things they support.

I know... I'm prepared for the PMs telling me I'm a terrible human being and must not be a true cigar lover...... but I'm also a critical thinker and not an automatic bandwagon jumper just because the cause says "cigars" on it. I'd just like CRA to explain more about what they're really doing as consumer advocates (besides attaching their logo to other people's causes and taking out magazine ads in publications that already target cigar smokers)... how much money they bring in... what exactly they spend it on (to include salaries for their execs)... etc...

I'm cynical and skeptical and just haven't seen good arguments and/or results yet. Hopefully, my feelings are proven invalid one day... and I'll jump in with a nice donation!

Cheers! :cbig:

No one group will ever be the end all answer but any onganized group advocating on your behalf is better then none like we have here in Canada. Even if it is just spreading the news hoping that others less vigilant then yourself realize whay is coming down the pipe. Compared to here in Canada the US is still quite free with their smoking laws, minus the embargo. I only know of a few places here in Canada that you can legally smoke and we have some of the worst taxation on tobacco anywhere in the world. For me the $35 membership is the same cost as a pretty good cigar here and let's me hope that the next time I visit the US I will still be able to find a place to smoke and some dirt cheap cigars.

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[Crypto Sailor]

It's definitely your choice whether you want to get behind them or not. I've seen first hand how some people on the board of CRA fight for my rights as a cigar smoker so I don't mind lending my support to them. I have wasted money on a lot worse causes than this one.

Hey that's about 5 mugs of DFH...