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38
TOBACCO OUTLET BUSINESS
MAY/JUNE 2012
went from not knowing her to hanging
out with her on the fairway,” Cass
says.
Are premium cigar retailers out
there listening? Cass hopes his is an
inspirational story for the one-on-one
networking opportunities that exist
with congressional representatives.
It all starts with the proverbial
letter or phone call. “Go write your
Congressman” (or Congresswoman)
may sound trite, but it is actually the
best advice for stogie purveyors who
want to keep being just that.
“We’re all going to live and die by
legislation and taxation,” believes
Cass, who is also on the board of
directors for the International Premium
Cigar & Pipe Retailers Association
(IPCPR) (See IPCPR profile, p. 70).
“We have to be involved, we’re small
business; we’re the fabric of America.
We are the modern-day version of the
old country store.
Consumers come in, they buy our
products, but they don’t leave, they
stay; they sit in our lounges and
talk of their events of the day,” Cass
continues. That process is partly
what shapes cigar retailers as small
business, according to him. “We hire
people and we pay taxes and we have
a voice to be heard, especially in this
economy.”
Light Bulb Moment
And that voice is surprisingly well-
received, Cass discovered. “I found
that legislators want to hear what I
have to say, it’s amazing,” he says.
“The first time I went to Raleigh and
walked the halls of the State Congress,
it blew me away that the doors were
open and they received me warmly.
It was a light bulb moment that they
want to hear from people in their
district. It gives them cover when they
vote a certain way.”
Sign the Petition
Cigar Rights of America (CRA) and the International Premium Cigar & Pipe
Retailers Association (IPCPR) have jointly filed an official petition with
The White House asking the Obama Administration to contact the U.S.
Food & Drug Administration in support of protecting premium cigars from
regulation.
The petition reads:
Dear Mr. President:
The FDA is considering the creation of regulations for the premium
cigar industry. These regulations will jeopardize over 85,000 American
jobs, destroy America’s “mom & pop” premium cigar retailers and
manufacturers, and risk over 250,000 jobs in Latin America that produce
cigars, impacting the economic/political stability in the region.
We hope you will stand up for small businesses that dot Main Street
America and recognize that premium cigars are enjoyed by adults, are not
addictive, and therefore, do not conform to the Congressional intent of the
Family Smoking Prevention & Tobacco Control Act.
Tell the FDA to leave our premium cigars alone. With this nation’s more
pressing issues, harming my simple ability to enjoy a cigar should not be
a priority of the government.
To participate and sign the petition, which needs 25,000 signatures by
May 11, 2012, all readers are urged to do the following:
1) Go to The White House Petition website, http://wh.gov/Qtz
2) Click on the “Create Account” button (For White House security
reasons, this is mandatory);
3) You will receive an email from the site. Click the link in the email;
4) Once your account is active, SIGN THE PETITION.
Thank you for your participation. This issue is of critical importance
to everyone in the premium cigar industry, as well as the rights of all
American citizens.