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H.R. 5912, To amend title 39, United States Code, to make cigarettes and certain other tobacco products nonmailable, and for other purposes
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Visitor Comments
Ben Timpley
This bill is ridiculous. It serves only to force American tobacco users to buy tobacco from the big domestic companies like Philip Morris. Are we sure this bill wasn't introduced by big tobacco?
The bill has no edifying or logical purpose in our society and is a prime example of congress wasting time.
Honestly; who really cares whether tobacco products are mailed?
As for myself, I enjoy periodically purchasing Swedish tobacco, mailed from a Swedish manufacturer. This bill threatens to kill my right to do that, and it disgusts me.
Philip Pena
This bill is a violation of our civil and personal rights. It is not only that but our country is turning into an anarchy where we have to live by their rules and if we don't comply, we will be prosecuted to the full extent of their stupid laws.
Robert Evans
This bill is ridiculous. It looks like a "Big Brother" attempt at taking away more freedoms.
Bill
This legislation needs to be amended to BAN THE TOBACCO DRUG! Tobacco is a weapon of mass destruction that kills 5,000,000 addicts and hundreds of thousands of INNOCENT people (who breathed toxic tobacco smoke) around the world every year. Smoking and tobacco must be banned, NOW, and the tobacco pushers should be executed!
Vince Carter
By jimminy, what's next? Trying to get people to be responsible? Next, the government will be telling us that we can't drink and drive or beat our kids. What has happened to freedom? This is becoming Communist Russia!
Renee
This bill is insane! I agree that it smacks of Big Brother in an attempt to make us by from the big companies. "Do it our way or no way!" America the FREE??? Bull! We're losing bits of our freedom every day!!
Christi
The people in this country need to stand up and tell the government that they are here to help us, not run our lives. When they take all these small liberties away from us they are denying us our rights that our forefathers fought for many many years asgo.
We are becoming a police state.
We need an uprising against big brother. The federal government needs to be knocked down. It has to stop trying to run the lives of law abiding citizens or face the threat of a national uprising.
Kathy
I hope this bill does not pass. I am handicapped and having this product mailed to me is a great convenience. The federal government needs to keep their nose out of my business and do something useful with their time oher then taking my liberties away and denying me the right to purchase where I desire.
Laura
I totally disagree with this bill. What a waste of time, banning a legal substance from being mailed to a consumer? Totally disgusted with our government, and what they consider priorities.
Frances
They say, "but it's for the children!" Well, I'm not their mother. If parents can't or won't keep cigarettes out of the hands of their children, it's not my problem. My freedoms are being taken away because of someone else's bad parenting. Make no mistake, this bill will pass. The Smoke Nazis have the upper hand.
Mary Bishop
congress needs to keep its business off the poor persons. we do vote, don't they remember.
keep your laws off our private lives.
Grandpa John
Just what we need...attack this tiny little issue and IGNORE the unenforced U.S. border with Mexico, through which pass nearly all illegal drugs and people.
Sue
Saying this will stop children from smoking is just a ploy to get people to listen. If they want to smoke they will find a way. Cigarettes are legal to buy and should be allowed to be mailed to your home. If you can't do cigarettes then stop everything on the internet, then the majority of people that don't care about the smokers will suddenly voice their opinion when it affects them!
Bruce
In common with another writer, I am disabled (due to MS). Being able to order cigarettes by mail is more than merely a convenience for me. Such a law would greatly interfere with my day-to-day activities, with no realistic benefit to anyone aside from major tobacco companies and assorted retail vendors. Making the lives of the People more difficult, without benefit to the People, is antithetical to the purpose that the Representatives of the People ought to fulfill. Quite aside from concerns about further government interference in citizens' rights, this legislation is a slap in the face of the disabled.
Judy
Is it reasonable to ban one item by mail order and not everything else? Is it legal? One would think this is the beginning of total regulation (or the end) of the mail order business. Kind of scary.
Ginger
I dont think this vote should pass. It seems like smokers are getting pushed to the wayside and have no voice anymore. What else is Government going to take away from us?
Gloria
Our rulers can't control the borders, can't stop illegal drugs, can't build a fence, can't bring down the price of gas, can't allow more refinery to be built, can't drill for our own oil, can't lower our taxes, can't protect our food supply, can't control their wild spending of our money, BUT they can fine new ways to restrict what we smoke, what we eat, where we spend our money, how we can raise our children, what light bulbs we can use, what TV (or convertor box) we must have, and most of all how to shake us down for more money. When are the American voters going to put these dictators out of office?
JR
The Gov. raises the taxes beyond control especially in NY where this bill originates from. The taxes in NY on cigarettes are outrageous. $7,$8,$9 a pack, yet in NC, SC you can buy them for $3 or $4 a pack. That is all TAX in NY. The high tax causes people to buy online, which then have to be mailed. This is why they want this bill to pass. They are losing tax $$$ Why are cigarette taxes so high and not Alcohol? Cuz all the law makers DRINK!!! That's why. A case of beer In NY, NC, FL or CA is all about the same, why aren't cigarettes?? Greedy law makers that want to target smokers for their lack of a balance budget. This is no longer land of the FREE, where are our rights. Stop telling us what we can and cannot do!!! This bill Sucks!!! Period!!
Dale Rooster
Please see the smokers united website. I say, start buying cigs illegally. If these whiny socialist liberals want another black market, we should give it to them. Smokers Unite! To hell with intolerant "liberal" socialists!
BERT FOWLER
I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING EVERYONE HAS SAID IN THEIR COMMENTS. WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY...WE CANNOT AFFORD GAS, FOOD, ETC,. AND YET THEY WANT TO CHARGE US, SO THEY WILL GET THE TAX MONEY TO DO WHATEVER WITH, PROBALLY GIVE THEMSELVES MORE RAISES.. ...COME ON WHY DONT THEY GET A REAL LIFE, AND SEE HOW THE COMMON PEOPLE LIVE AND HAVE TO STRUGGLE TO GET ANY KIND OF ENJOYMENT OUT OF LIFE.....
noel
oh good lord let's band-aid the situation instead of inforcing the laws on the books regarding children/cigs. Let parents teach their children they are bad or not... The government keeps taking away our rights....at least it's just a cig NOT a drug that REALLY DISTROYS us.... (rolling eyes) I'm sooooo fed up with our government right now. They need to spend time/money fixing what is realllly wrong like the gas/jobs/economy!!!! ARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!
David
Doesn't this insane bill show you just how rediculous this government has become? Dictators past & present are laughing their butts off because this smacks at the Constitution rights of freedom. What's next, turtlenecks from L.L. Bean banned from the postal service because some bimbo in Congress doesn't like the way they look or because the company didn't cough up some under the table pocket money for them. With a Congress we have these days, no wonder this country is being flushed away. Jerks!
Lisa
I agree with a lot of the comments here...one thing is for sure. There are more important issues that the gov needs to address than banning the mailing of smokes. The gov. can but refuses to control the street sales of prescription drugs such as vicodin, percosets, oxycodone etc. because they dont realize the impact it has to their medicaid programs. The states pay for them. Instead, they want the tax dollars on cigarettes. I think if they pass this bill, they should also ban the sale of alcohol. I guarantee that ban would be changed quickly. Let the people get together and take back some of our rights but the only way is by voting these people out of office. They are hitting the low income people whenever they can with the gas prices, etc. So I say lets hit them where and when it hurts them...election time. Initiating "Post office police" is taking things a bit too far. By the way, our new democratic candidate Obama is also a smoker. So go figure.
Cynthia
I am disabled and homebond. All my groceries and needs are delivered or mailed. This Bill would create a extreme difficulty for me.
Ray
The government has all ready limited our locations we can smoke by The Clean Air Bill. Now they want to limit how we purchase our cigarettes. This infringement on Free Enterprise is unacceptable. Also I can not afford $30.00 a carton due to the high taxes on cigarettes. That is why I purchase my cigarettes online through our Native American establishments. I did have to change the brand but that's OK, because I can purchase cigarettes for $15.00 a carton. There are more important issues that need to be focused on besides takeing away legal purchases aimed at the low income citizens. The people that vote on this bill either are non smokers or can afford the price of cigarettes in the stores. I CAN NOT!!
MeShell
I have a better idea for the government nannies: Instead of going after a limited base of smokers for taxes and fines and fees using childrens safety as an excuse, lets pass a bill that puts a $3 tax on each serving of food that has more than 300 calories! That way everyone in this country could participate in their desire of sin tax revenue enhancement, especially the fat cats in Washington!
DaveDavis
The American public is loosing its freedom, step by step. Soon we will have less "individual" freedom than Nazi Germany. Europe and Russia has bypassed in individual rights and America has adopted Nazi Germany Police policies. So when you hear the words "democracy" it means free choice for business (economic freedom) but not personal "individual" freedom. Wake-up America but don't worry too much cause "The Democrats in Congress" will take good care of you as the Commies did of their citizens.
Fact is: If Congress dislikes cigarettes so much, they could simply ban tobacco, (which would be OK with me) but that would hurt revenue. This bill is designed to force you to buy locally to create revenue. Congress needs smokers or the lost revenue must be replaced with different types unpopular taxes.
ZUNO
DICTATORIAL!!!