On NPR's Morning Edition today, reporter Debbie Elliott offered a fair and well-balanced story on the effects of the S-CHIP tax increase on the cigar industry, told primarily from the point of view of Tampa-based cigar companies.
Highlighted was J.C. Newman (pictured), and I especially liked the quote from Eric Newman, the president of the company:
“In the days they are offering $25 billion bailouts, we don't want a 25-cent bailout. We just want the government to leave us alone to run our business the same way we've been doing it for 114 years”
Hopefully our favorite cigar and tobacco shops around the country won't be affected too badly by the increase. I know a number of shops are trying to blow out their inventory to avoid an especially onerous floor tax, which takes effect this Wednesday, April 1.Of course, the tax is to pay for healthcare for children whose families don't qualify for Medicaid but can't afford to buy insurance on their own. And who wouldn't want to support "the children". The irony is that if everyone were to stop smoking, there would be no income from a tobacco tax, so Congress would just look to tax something else.Not that I'm for increased taxes, but it seems to me that if Congress needs to increase revenues to pay for such a broad, sweeping new program, it's a little unfair to target a particular segment of the population.Anyway, give the NPR story a listen - some good reporting with both sides of the issue represented.Cheers! - Bob
We had another great gathering at The Tobacco Hut today. In attendance today were Lou (of course), Joe K, Peter G, Barry C, Paul V, and myself as well as friends we haven't seen in awhile like Scott R and Darryl G.
Cigars were fired up and the discussion turned to, well, proctology. Okay, enough said.
Lou did want to clarify that he now is a firm believer that his mobile phone is a cell phone and not a satellite phone. Just had to get that out of the way.
While I enjoyed my David Jones rough finish billiard with a bowl of Tinder Box Reserve 1928, Scott R and I talked a little about how to avoid tongue bite when smoking a pipe - it's all in the packing and "sipping" the smoke from the pipe. If it's smoked fast, it builds up heat and moisture which causes the stinging sensation on the tongue. I also gave Scott a sample of the Reserve 1928, which is a delightfully mild aromatic tobacco with a nice room note. Good luck with it Scott!
While Scott was still there we also talked a little about trap shooting, where he and Paul had just come from. I'm admittedly a newbie when it comes to guns, but one of these days I'll take them up on their invitation to go out to the Silver Dollar Gun Club in Odessa and try my hand at it. I am pretty good at the Wii version!
The afternoon wouldn't be complete without the Peter/Barry sports rivalry emerging. Paul joined the fray as well with his disdain for "America's Team", the Dallas Cowboys, of which Barry is a fan in the truest sense of the word (fan being short for fanatic). As Peter pointed out, it is puzzling why Barry wasn't a fan of the Jets, Giants, or Bills since he was born and raised in upstate New York. But Barry's loyalty to his team doesn't waver, nor does Peter's for his beloved Patriots and Red Sox.
Paul and I got into a spirited yet friendly political debate. He and I are probably at completely opposite ends of the political spectrum. Paul is close to become a libertarian, and I'm more of an NPR-loving, tree-hugging, godless Commie liberal. Paul does make some interesting points, especially about the Federal Reserve its history. He recommended a book which I've forgotten the title to, but maybe he'll leave a comment on the blog with the title, as it sounds like a fascinating read.
The beauty of the Hut is that it brings people together with a common interest, and as Lou likes to say we sit around solving the world's problems and maybe create a few more along the way. But I wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm certainly not looking to convert people to my way of thinking, but I wouldn't mind if more people took up the pipe!
Based on a comment left on the last posting, it looks like Joe's son James K will be coming into town. Hopefully he'll make at least a brief stop at the Hut so we can tell him what we really think of him!
Until next time - cheers!
- Bob
P.S. Comments are now available. Operator error (that would be me) was responsible for only allowing comments from people who had established accounts. Now they're available to anyone - just click on Anonymous in the profile list.
Welcome to The Sweetest Smoke, home of my reflections and ruminations about smoking, mostly pipe and the occasional cigar. The title comes from an Irish proverb, "The old pipe gives the sweetest smoke." And while I'm sure there's a double entendre in there somewhere, I'll be sticking with the literal sense of the word in my postings.
My intent is to keep this a casual rambling conversation but comments are welcomed and encouraged so it doesn't end up one-sided. The intended reader is any pipe or cigar smoker and I'll try to keep it on-topic, but occasionally I might veer off into a bit of philosophy or history or trivia.
I also see this blog as an extension of the goings-on at The Tobacco Hut, my local cigar and pipe shop in New Port Richey, Florida. Saturday afternoons I can be found hanging out at the shop enjoying a pipe with a gang of regulars (and irregulars). Discussions started there may end up here but I'll keep everybody on a first name- or initials-only basis to ensure a little anonymity.
I'll spend a little time sprucing up the joint here in the coming days, putting my limited graphic design skills to use and then jump in with some postings.
Thank you!
- Bob
