U.s.a: Pact Act 2009

[Christopher]

So let me get this part started. I have now created the Campaigning forum so to kick it off let talk about a bill thats in progress many of you may not know about. The PACT Act 2009 (cute name hu) From ecf here is some information:

THE SITUATION: Right now there is legislation pending in the United States Senate - the Prevent All Cigarette Trafficking Act of 2009 (“PACT Act”) (S.1147) which contains, among otherbad ideas, a provision to make ALL cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products nonmailable. This legislation has already been passed by the House of Representatives and is currently in a Senate Committee that could send it to the Senate floor at any time for a vote!

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU: By making all cigarettes and smokeless tobacco products nonmailable, the Senate is ensuring you will no longer be able to purchase these products by

mail-order, telephone order, and/or the Internet because the United States Postal Service, along with UPS, Fed-Ex and all other carriers will be prohibited by law from delivering your orders

to you. Taking away your options means forcing you back to buying over-priced tobacco products from your local retailer once again.

WHAT YOU CAN DO: Contact your Senators and tell them not to pass the PACT Act. Your Senators should be protecting your interests, but it is up to you to let them know what you think about the PACT Act. There are three easy ways to contact your Senators - by telephone, email, or regular mail - all of which are explained below. Every state has two Senators - please remember to contact BOTH Senators for your state. At this point time is crucial, so a phone call is by far the best means to use!

THE POSTAL SERVICE: The price of stamps is being raised practically every year. The PACT Act will take an entire class of legal, non-hazardous goods and make them nonmailable. What this

means is a huge loss of business (potentially hundreds of millions of dollars) for the Postal Service. Will they continue to raise the price of stamps and other mail services to compensate for their lost

income? The United States Postal Service is already suffering a fiscal crisis due to the downturn in the economy. If the PACT Act is passed and millions of dollars of revenue are taken away, there could be serious consequences for consumers, including reducing the number of delivery days from 6 per week down to 5 or perhaps only 4 days per week.

COST: When the PACT Act of 2003 (S.1177) passed the Senate, the Congressional Budget Office prepared a Cost Estimate for the Bill. The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the PACT Act

of 2003 would cost about $140 MILLION over the 2004-2008 period to enforce. $140 Million over four years - and that estimate is already six years old. How much will the PACT Act of 2009 cost to enforce? Isn’t there a better way to spend our tax dollars?

[keenan]

The Volstead Act of 1919, was the brainchild of a group of self-serving narrow minded holier than thou individuals.

From Wilkipedia -

Though the Volstead Act prohibited the sale of alcohol, it did little to enforce the law. The illegal production and distribution of liquor, or bootlegging, became rampant, and the national government did not have the means or desire to enforce every border, lake, river, and speakeasy in America. In fact, by 1925 in New York City alone there were anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 speakeasy clubs.[2]

Prohibition became increasingly unpopular during the Great Depression, especially in large cities.

Once again, a group of self serving narrow minded holier than thou individuals are in power. If we ignore our past, we will repeat it. And as I recall my history, the 1920s and 30s were some of the most lawless bloody corruption filled years in our countrys history. I think a LOT of people at the time thought it would never really happen. And of course, a lot of people didnt even know about it, as news wasnt instantaneous back then. It took DAYS if not weeks for some news to travel across the country, and by the time anything could be done to make the peoples voices heard, it was too late.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE HERE ! WE HAVE THE TIME to do something. We have the means to do something. We just need to lose the "My voice wont matter" mentality ! Too many e mails are NOT being sent because of it. EVERY e mail counts ! This is NO different than prohibition, in fact, it IS prohibition by definition. Imagine, what would Al Capone had done for a living if the people spoke up and Prohibition never happened ? And, who will the NEW Al capone be if this thing passes ? ( I nominate Chris ). I hope EVERYONE reads this and I hope it inspires EVERYONE to respond.

"Governments first duty is to protect the people, not run thier lives " - Ronald Reagan

Edited October 10, 2009 by keenan