Chesapeake Smoke

Well, fellow cigar lovers, big brother is at it again. Being a worldly, astute bunch, I’m sure you’ve heard all the news about the S-CHIP (State Children’s Health Insurance Program)Bill, a piece of proposed legislation ostensibly aimed at providing health care to poor children. President Bush vetoed the bill last year, but with President Obama and a Democratic majority in both House and Senate, it will probably pass this year, despite efforts by the Republican minority to derail it.

A new piece of health care legislation? More spending? Gotta pay for that somehow.

Taxes, that’s how.

As of January 13th, both the IPCPR (http://www.rtda.org/legislation.html) and Stogie Guys (http://www.stogieguys.com/2009/01/01132009-stogie-news-schip-cigar-tax-increase.html) are reporting the following:

Congress has introduced the reauthorization of the SCHIP bill–HR2. The cigar tax proposal is as follows:

52.4 percent on large cigars (most premium cigars follow under this federal classification) with a cap of no more than 40 (forty) cents per cigar. This is far lower than the original proposal from the Senate of $10 per cigar and $3 proposed by the House.

This has been a long, tough fight for all of us, and considering we are still being hit with a tax increase on cigars, our industry feels the proposed 40-cent maximum (cap) is sustainable and certainly better than the original proposals.

We expect HR2 (i.e., S-CHIP) to move smoothly through Congress and will not face defeating opposition. As more news develops we will continue to keep you informed.

Bad news, but not catastrophic. Considering that many of my favorite cigars retail for upwards of $8-10, a 40 cent tax is small, percentage-wise. Worse than the actual dollar cost of the tax, however, is that we are being pushed further into pariah-land. “Tax those damned smokers, they make the little kids sick with their second-hand smoke.” I heartily encourage everyone who reads this rant to stay plugged in to the IPCPR’s legislative action page and write your Congressmen in opposition to this discrimination.

Yeah, I know, it’s been a while. You know how things get away from us, what with holidays and family obligations and such. But I’m back, and I’m back with a vengeance.

Why, you ask?

I’m glad you asked.

My son came through for me at Christmas. Among the plethora of gifts awaiting me was a copy of the Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/11/12/pre-order-huffpos-guide-t_n_143286.html). I’ve been devouring the book whenever possible, and soon I’ll have all the resources I need to take this blog to the next level, posting on a much more regular basis, and expanding my base of contributors. I’ve got ideas for a couple more blogs, but more on that later, when I’m ready for implementation.

Contributors – I really want to get some cigar-savvy contributors here. I’ve come to the realization that I don’t do tastings and cigar reviews very well. I get smooth and harsh, I get spicy, I get mild-, medium- or full-bodied. I get good-tasting and dog-rocket. What I seldom if ever get is floral, grassy, woody, leather, citrus and all the other flavors some folks get from a cigar. Mike, my colleague at Titan, has a magnificent palate, he can pick up those subtleties. I don’t.

Hence, this blog will continue in its “ramblings and philosophizing by a cantankerous curmudgeon who loves his cigars and his single malts” mode. If you want refined cigar reviews, wait until I get Mike posting here on a regular basis, or you can visit Gary’s Cigar Advisor blog (http://cigaradvisor.blogspot.com/) or The Cigar Inspector (http://www.cigarinspector.com/).

Until next time, happy smoking!