VISTA: Florida Call To Action

[Razgul]

I got a bit of information last night about a Bill yesterday in Florida, here's what Kevin Skipper (VISTA President) has to say about it:

"I have learned (thanks to VISTA's lobbyist in Tallahassee) of a potential huge blow to the vaping industry in Florida. Yesterday the House Finance & Tax Committee discussed as part of their agenda, a Bill for this legislative session that would define electronic cigarettes and eliquid as tobacco products, thereby possibly making them subject to licensing requirements, and also imposing an 85% of wholesale tax on all eliquids sold in Florida. See the last three pages of the document (follow the link below).
VISTA has been doing all we can to stay afloat and monitor this type of stuff at the state level in Florida, and we were able to catch this on the first day it was available (far ahead of where we were just one year ago); however, there is NO POSSIBLE WAY we can get involved further without additional members (businesses) from the vaping industry in Florida. Tackling this is going to be a HUGE task, and it will cost money. We need you on board immediately. Visit www.vistatruth.org today - even if you can afford quarterly payments instead of a lump sum, we will work it out...but it is imperative that we get membership in gear, NOW. There is no time to waste, no excuses to make, only action to take."

http://www.myfloridahouse.gov/Sections/Documents/loaddoc.aspx?PublicationType=Committees&CommitteeId=2856&Session=2015&DocumentType=Meeting+Packets&FileName=ftc+2-3-15.pdf

Here are my thoughts: As consumers we cannot fight this alone, what we can do to help is support Florida owned businesses, as you would support the businesses in your own area if there were you, and try to convince those shop owners to support VISTA in any small way they can.

[Earthling789]

Businesses may have the $ (usually not as much as everyone thinks), but "We the People" have the VOICE and POWER. I contact my state and federal representatives so often, their secretaries know me by the sound of my voice

Let your representatives and congressmen know exactly where you stand, and remind them they work for YOU. Taxation without representation is what brought about the revolution that founded this great nation... and our "betters" in office need to be reminded OFTEN of this fact... and the fact that their cushy jobs can be taken away at the ballot-box!

Our voices must be heard, and heard loudly and often. Classifying e-liquids as "tobacco products" is a two-fold win for our government... it brings the cash-cow of the vaping industry under the regulation / oversight of the FDA (and puts big-tobacco in the driver's seat), and it allows our greedy government to reap benefits of sin-taxes, to the tune of 85% (free money for their pet-projects, as they see it).

Posting this here is a good start, but you'll be better served in FL if you pass the word along to your friends/family/co-workers, and urge all residents of FL to flood their representatives' offices with emails, letters, and phone calls to let them know the residents of FL will not stand for this bill (or anyone supporting it).