Hello Everybody,   
      
   President Barack Obama sided with Big Tobacco by signing H.R. 4348, the   
   Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act, which includes a   
   rider designating roll-your-own (RYO) tobacco shops "manufacturers" for   
   tax purposes.   
      
   Don't believe me?  Read the amendment.  Here is the text, in full -   
      
   SEC. 100122 ROLL-YOUR-OWN CIGARETTE MACHINES.   
      
   (a) IN GENERAL -- Subsection (d) of section 5702 of the Internal   
   Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following   
   new flush sentence: "Such term [cigarette manufacturer] shall include   
   any person who for commercial purposes makes available for consumer use   
   (including such consumer's personal consumption or use under paragraph   
   (1)) a machine capable of making cigarettes, cigars, or other tobacco   
   products.  A person making such a machine available for consumer use   
   shall be deemed the person making the removal as defined by subsection   
   (j) with respect to any tobacco products manufactured by such machine.   
   A person who sells a machine directly to a consumer at retail for a   
   consumer's personal home use is not making a machine available for   
   commercial purposes if such machine is not used at a retail premises   
   and is designed to produce tobacco products only in personal use   
   quanitites."   
      
   This designation is totally unfair to RYO machine shop operators   
   and their supporters, as it will force many of the shops to go out   
   of business and drive customers back to buying cigarettes at stores   
   and other retail outlets where the cost of cigarettes is much higher.   
      
   Some folks are blaming "Big Tobacco" for te rule changes, as those   
   changes make it impossible for small RYO shops to remain in business.   
   IOW, the tobacco companies bought the politicians and those politicians   
   passed the Transportation Bill and made small RYO owners manufacturers.   
      
   In addition to "Big Tobacco" benefitting from the lack of competition   
   from RYO machine shop owners, small convenience and fuel stores are   
   forced to charge higher prices, thus further benefitting "Big Tobacco".   
      
   Yes, my friends.  "Big Tobacco" has President Barack Obama in their   
   pocket.  Along with politicians of both political parties.   
      
   The only way now for RYO machine shop owners to be able to comply   
   with the law (and hope to make a profit) is to apply for a trademark   
   on their product(s) and pay higher taxes, thus making the cost of RYO   
   cigarettes cost prohibitive for customers.   
      
   Now that it is too expensive to smoke cigarettes and/or cigars,   
   what other pleasure of life will President Barack Obama take away   
   from us?  Will it be coffee, making the grinding of coffee beans   
   cost prohibitive?  Or maybe he'll make us pay higher taxes on   
   water (and air, if he could get away with it).   
      
   --Lee   
      
   --- MesNews/1.06.00.00-gb   
    * Origin: news://felten.yi.org (2:203/2)