according to a letter I received from my local Congressman, Bob Filner.

I had emailed Congressman Filner objecting to bill S 1177 that I had read about on Forces.org. Essentially my email said S 1177 is discrimination against smokers and if Congress wanted to be fair EVERYTHING purchased on the net should be taxed.

This is the reply I received.

"Dear Lori:

Thank you for contacting me about S 1177, the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking (PACT)
Act.

I agree that Congress shoulc continue to all in its power to limit barriers to Internet commerce.
However, cigarette trafficking has become a source of income for organized crime and terrorist organizations and Congress must act to prevent this illegal activity. Please be assured that I will keep your views in mind should this bill come before me in the House of Representatives.

I appreciate hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Bob Filner,
Member of Congress"

I have been LIVID for 2 days! Everytime I sit down to compose a reply to this...this...THIS COMPLETE & UTTER LOAD OF CRAP I just can't think straight!

Once I can read it without wanting to go down to his local office & light up in the middle of it!, I'll be able to compose an intelligent response.

Just had to vent.

I hate stupid people. I hate them the most when I become one of them.

Lori

I know how you feel. Most (but not all) legislators I've written to have been unresponsive. Some of these unresponsives have sent me a form letter which made it clear they didn't even read my letter to them.

Then there was the time that I phoned my U.S. Senator (Bob Graham of Florida, the same Bob Graham who is now running for the Dem. nomination). I phoned to oppose the anti-smoker bill he was proposing (one of the most outrageous of the tobacco settlement bills). His office connected me to an "assistant" in the office who was taking calls on the bill. The "assistant" turned out to be an American Cancer Society registered lobbyist who was "on loan" to Senator Graham. Imagine that--funnelling constituents' calls to a LOBBYIST who was working right there in his office!!!!

Yes Wanda, it's obvious that most people who push hard for smoking prohibition on and within private property in the hospitality industry must be employed or connected with
"big anti-tobacco."

If tobacco products were not so outrageously taxed there would be NO BLACK-MARKET!

The government, not smokers are fuelling and supporting terrorism with their flagrant greed.
Their addiction "evil" tobacco "blood-money" is
insatiable.

They are the biggest hypocrites on this planet.
So much for moality, ethics or the "greater good of all."

The bottom line is: always the almighty, dollar!

quote:

---

Originally posted by Wanda Hamilton:
The "assistant" turned out to be an American Cancer Society registered lobbyist who was "on loan" to Senator Graham. Imagine that--funnelling constituents' calls to a LOBBYIST who was working right there in his office!!!!

---

Nothing wrong with that Wanda. We all know the ACS and the rest are really Florida's quaint little grassroots anti tobacco squad. We should just think of these 'national' organizations as active Floridians following their civil conscience to give us a better, a healthier, a safer state constitution.

re: Graham's having a lobbyist field phone calls

If we had a single lottery winner among us, we'd have enough money to lure a constitutional lawyer to our cause who could bring down this damn government-charity complex!

If I hit the Lotto, it's gonna happen!

If they know buying cigarettes on the internet supports terrorism or organized crime they must know which ones do. If they don't, they could easily find which ones are okay, otherwise who knows if say buying a Dell or an IBM or an HP is also supporting terrorism.

So, ask these idiots which internet stores we SHOULD buy from.

Personally, I'll keep buying from Switzerland (yesmoke.com). Anti-tobacco hates them, politicians hate them, and Philip Morris hates them.

When I do compose a reply that is NOT loaded with venom, I'll ask you wonderful people to read through it first.

Dennis that is a great idea. Wish I had won that 91 mil lottery a couple of weeks ago.

Lori

Unfortunately, too many people, never mind legislators think this is too trivial an issue to deal with. A lot of folks think it is more important to concentrate on firearms issues or protecting pre-born babies and think we 'waste' our time defending our alleged 'vice'. The property rights, sound science and health issues (diseases decline when more people smoke) related to tobacco are never considered.