Convention Activities

[Cigar Diva]

I am really grateful that Stogie has provided a place where we can share information. This board has been more informative on legislative issues than the hours I have spent surfing. Thank You!

I am encouraged by the activities that took place at the RTDA convention this year concerning state-wide smoking bans and proposed tax legislation whether it is by your state government or, as we face now, our elected U.S. legislators. In past years as many of the states have enacted bans, there has not been any mention of forming a grassroots effort to combat the erosion of our liberties and rights. This year it was front and center and RTDA has stepped up to the plate.

The manufactures are uniting and forming strategies that fit their business needs and the RTDA is supporting them. I would love for one of the manufactures to post their efforts and goals on this forum so you can hear it from them.

Texas retailers met Tuesday Morning (special thanks to Patsy, owner of the oldest pipe and cigar store in Houston, The Briar Shoppe), voted on a 5 person steering committee with committee members from Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, San Antonio, Austin, and a broker that reps several manufactures. It was also agreed that Frank Taylor of The Cigar Parlor, LLC in Humble, TX would also attend the steering committee meetings to advise since he has volunteered his services as our attorney (whatever the name). It was also agreed that a website will be put online that will be focused on the above stated agenda. The RTDA committed to match retailers donated funds which should help jump-start our efforts. This is no small task. It will take efforts from every community and every retailer in order to be effective.

I left the meeting feeling really good about the team that had been voted on. As we left, I told Patsy, Dan and I would be willing to help in any way we could as did many of the other attendees. Later that night, I shared with Stogie the above content and he offered to set-up and put our website online NOW.

TEXAS / TEXANS SOOO ROCKS!!

At the same time Texas retailers were meeting, Virginia retailers were meeting. With RTDA's commitment to match funds, I believe more and more states will become pro-active instead of re-active.

Texas State-Wide smoking ban:
As a native born and raised, die hard Texan, I never saw it coming. To find that both my state senator and my state representative were co-sponsors of a bill that would effectively put me out of business, blew me away. I am not a speaker, I am very uncomfortable in unfamiliar crowds, and yet I testified (clumsily) before both the house and senate committees.

I sat, biting my tong, listening to Dr. Vu from the Texas (whatever they call it now) health department STATE factually "NO BUSINESS WAS IMPACTED" (El Paso). I listened as Dr's testified that "SECOND HAND SMOKE IS THE MOST DEADLY THING ON THE PLANET". I listened as MY elected legislators that want to ban the use of tobacco justify their proposed legislation because We the People are to STUPID to make informed decisions for ourselves so THEY HAVE ANNOINTED THEMselves our keepers. HELLO!!!!!

Good things happened, write or call your legislators, PLEASE get involved!

Hugs, Lynn

[tx_tuff]

Hey Lynn thanks for letting us now whats going on, its good to hear everybody is getting on the same grove with this. You know If Robusto's every has any kind of Fund Rasier for this I will do whatever I can to help. If you need scurity or anything like that I would donate my time for free. Hell if you need me to help mop the place up before hand I'm there just let me know.

[dHUTCH]

Originally Posted by tx_tuff

Hey Lynn thanks for letting us now whats going on, its good to hear everybody is getting on the same grove with this. You know If Robusto's every has any kind of Fund Rasier for this I will do whatever I can to help. If you need scurity or anything like that I would donate my time for free. Hell if you need me to help mop the place up before hand I'm there just let me know.

And I'll be his body guard :mrcool:


In all seriousness though....whatever we can do the help to keep your shop and our place of relaxation open, let us know! You have the connections that some of us don't and anything you and Dan can pass on for us to help, would be awesome! If Texas inacts a smoking ban...its only a short time therafter that the entire US will have a smoking ban.

[Mowee-cl]

Just a note. Plano is revisitin their smoking ban Monday August 13. Business is off 40% at bars and restaurants. Several bar/restaurant owners are going to get signatures to put the issue on the ballot...but first they want the city to reverse itself. (It tried a ban before and recanted after a month several years ago.) I still feel a suit in federal court on the property rights issue is the way to go. Make it Constitutional. These bans violate the Madison view of limited government.