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Please forgive the delay in this response to the discussion regarding CRA, which I've actually enjoyed reading, and been looking forward to posting this reply. First, like anything that touches the political arena, I believe all those that enjoy great cigars should be a part of this process, whether through CRA or their own personal actions. This is truly the "perfect storm" with regard to tobacco issues, at every level of government.
Smoking ban and taxation battles loom across the country, and it will only get worse. It's the reason CRA exists, and the reason the industry came together to form it. From a personal perspective, it's one the largest industries of its kind without a grassroots movement to back it up. We intend to change that. First, "what are we doing?" and why should you join? Let me put this in some perspective.
As I lobbied for the Cigar Association of Virginia before joining CRA, I stated that the cigar industry needed to politically allign themselves with forces greater than themselves. They needed to team up and build coalitions, in order to win on the issues most important to it. That has been the cornerstone of my strategy since joining the organization in December '08. "What are we doing?": I have been meeting with organizations, developing research and executing a new approach to building coalitions for the industry. That includes: Meeting with the National Restaurants Association, American Gaming Association, Licensed Beverage Councils, National Federation of Independent Businesses, and communication with groups such as the US Chamber and related pro-business groups that philosophically ought to be allies of the cigar industry.
Further, I have met with the embassies of Honduras, Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic to address the role of this industry in their national and regional economies. We intend to work with them to convey to Congress that further adverse taxation and regulatory measures from them, will do (more) harm to the Central American economy, and the related supply chain in this nation, all the way to the local community cigar shop.
Without strong support from the retail tobacconist community, it will be far more difficult to have an effective effort for CRA. To that end, we launched the National Tobacconist Program, which has as its centerpiece the Great American Cigar Shop program, which will simultaneously be a political network for cigar retailers, and offer a new marketing venue via the CRA web site for your community cigar shop. It also includes the first ever advisory board for retailers across the country to be engaged in the work of CRA. We have now built an electronic network that has been engaged in tax and smoking ban battles in over a dozen states, while working to link retailer and consumer, to the elected officials in their respective capitol or courthouse, with the same being the case at the federal level.
We launched the creation of the Cigar Rights Political Action Council, as a means for our Ambassador program participants to be more involved in the local political process. There are smoking ban battles in over a dozen states, and OTP tax battles in another dozen. To that end, we are teaming up with groups such as state tavern and bar associations, gaming associations, cigar bars and lounges, and where they accept our position, restaurant associations to fight or work to roll back existing smoking ban statutes. Just today, I was on the phone with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on such a bill, and the same with fighting tax legislation in Florida, working to team up with the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
We are gradually building a national network of retailers and consumers that have proven to be quite responsive to our calls to communicate with elected officials on pending legislation. We're also working to form state retailer associations, such as the new effort in North Carolina, and with technical assistance in another half-dozen states, as well. This will allow tobacconists at the state and local level to form their own political action committees, and hence begin more direct involvement at that level. We are connecting them to legal and lobbying representation, and facilitating meetings with concerned parties throughout the country. We are also providing model legislation for exemptions and amendments to existing legislation, that work in the favor of retailer, consumer, and manufacturer.
As for SCHIP and what I read here, it certainly is not true that "they" said to "be happy" with the .40 per cigar. In fact, every person close to this battle was fighting any tax at all, and/or fight for the best possible deal with Congress. Believe me, NO ONE close to this industry is happy with the current SCHIP rate or process, which has only been further complicated by the plethora of state OTP increase proposals. It's (SCHIP) also what helped bring them together for the next fight...and there will be another.
As for Matt and "blind adherence," I wouldn't follow any organization with such "blind adherence" either. But I would work to be involved; to be engaged in the process; and yes - give time and resoures toward the fight to preserve the "right" to enjoy a cigar in those places that also welcome me. Yes, there is power in numbers, and yes, we want to demonstrate a strong political base to get our message across. That is PoliSci 101.
I further believe that one should give to a cause that works to defend something that presents the solitude that enjoying a cigar does for one's life. As another "tangible" in that regard, I would hope that in short order, that CRA can properly capitalize its Political Action Committee so that it can be directly engaged in supporting and defeating candidates for public office based upon their views on "our issues." That will, indeed, come.
Secondly, I want to see CRA create a Legal Defense Fund, to that we can begin engaging some of these smoking ban battles in court. If you follow the CRA web site, in the last 60 days, numerous smoking ban battles have been taken to court, and we should be a part of that process, too. That is not a "brazen" request for money. That's putting dollars to work to defend our ability to enjoy cigars, to help elect politicians that can assist our cause (and defeat them, as well), and building a national network of retailers and consumers, working on concert with the manufacturers, for the good of this cause. Nothing "clandestine" about that. We want to win, Gary. I believe that's explaining, in part, what funds would be used for. But there's more.
Yes, we're throwing some parties, participating in Big Smokes, giving away some tee shirts and working on some "fun" events for members. That's just good outreach; good marketing; and membership development. There will be dinners, cigar events with manufacturers, and opportunities to promote the issues close to us, while having a cocktail and cigar. Further, for that $35, CRA members are about to have the opportunity to have (less transportation) expense covered trips to the Latin American countries producing those cigars. Through our new State Cigar Rights Clubs, and a national drawing, we will be giving away over a dozen trips to Honduras, Nicaragua, Bahamas and the Dominican Republic, so that members can see first hand, what goes into making those cigars you enjoy. Further, we're about to roll out the first "members only" cigars, where our member manufacturers are blending cigars just for CRA and its members. Sorry, you have to be a member to get them. It also has its privilages.
We will be adding a section to the web site soon on how you, personally, can be engaged in the process on the issues closest to us. It will be a section dedicated to the "how we work," to some degree. One thing is for sure, though, in short order we hope to galvanize cigar smokers across the country that are tired of nanny government dictating where we can enjoy a cigar, and tired of targeted taxation that can destroy an economic staple of this hemisphere's economy. We can change some elections, and we will. Just ask "former" state senator Brandon Bell of Virginia, and I would be glad to send you the story of how one local cigar shop changed an election. That's money well spent - creating a "former" state senator and the godfather of smoking ban legislation in Virginia.
We will keep this forum posted on our efforts, and we hope that you will be a part of that process....It's going to be exciting.
J. Glynn Loope, Executive Director
Cigar Rights of America
