Why is Senator Burr on our side?

[DC2]

Watch this...
FDA Regulation ECigarettes | Video | C-SPAN.org

Can we all send him an email to thank him for his support?

 

[Coelli]

While I am grateful for his support, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see campaign contributions from the BT companies that have ventured into e-cigs.

 

[tj99959]

Who knows, maybe he vapes & has a Provari in his office. ...OR... maybe someone forgot to send in their campaign contribution on time and needed a reminder.

 

[nube creador]

Ive been surprised to see burr on our side as well. Although i do know living in NC, it is a huge smokers state. As such vape shops have exploded in our state in the last year. The popularity has become ridiculous out of the blue it seems. I have been vaping for roughly 5 years now and the change in what I have been able to purchase local vs online is huge in the last two years. Im wondering if that is not a strategy for reelection. There seems to be very little push back in our state compared to others when it comes to ecigs, or ejuice and being on the right side of what seems to be the majority here would be a good idea. Either way I feel for you guys in other states where it has not been so easy.

 

[2coils]

DC, I sent him this letter last night. I had also posted in another thread, but very relevant here for obvious reasons! Hopefully it will inspire others to do the same!!

Dear Senator Burr,
I want to start by saying THANK YOU for being the voice of reason during the hearing on 5-15-14 in regard to Tobacco Control and E-cigarettes. There are over 15,000 small businesses nationwide selling e-cigarettes and promoting harm reduction. The current e-cig was created by Hon Lik (a pharmacist), who wanted a safer alternative to combustible cigarettes. This idea was initiated after watching his father die from lung cancer.
E-cigarettes CAN NOT be deemed under the Tobacco Control Act as it is currently written. This will be a death sentence to the ENTIRE industry. The TCA was designed to restrict Big Tobacco from introducing more deadly products to the market. This is done by a burdensome and expensive application process among other things. This same process will decimate the e-cig industry, and hand over what little is left, to Big Tobacco. The Same BT that we have been fighting to get Americans away from. In essence they will be rewarded while all small business will suffer.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE! There is no arguing that some sort of regulation be placed on the e-cig industry. These regulations must be reasonable and affordable, so small business can sustain them.
You spoke about wanting to see the science. I implore you to look at science being done all over the world that shows nothing but promising results in regard to this new industry. The CDC has been driven by specific agenda. For example, the study that cites e-cig use had doubled among High school kids.....what Mr Friedan fails to mention, is that 90% of all kids that ever tried e-cigs were already smoking. We can not let the science be cherry picked to fit a specific agenda. Please hold everyone involved in this regulation process to a higher standard. Insist that small business not be shuttered because of over-expensive regulation. Let Americans continue to choose. The free market got this industry to where it is today.
Warmest Regards,
Tom Pavlou

 

[Virtual Life]

While I know this sounds like an oxymoron, what if he just believes it? You know, an honest politician?

 

[FACE MEAT]

While I know this sounds like an oxymoron, what if he just believes it? You know, an honest politician?

That's sort of the impression I got. It didn't come off like he's "on our side", he just sounded logical and reasonable.

 

[AveryW]

You know, an honest politician?

Gasp! How can you say those two words in the same sentence!?

Sent from the mothership.

 

[DC2]

That's sort of the impression I got. It didn't come off like he's "on our side", he just sounded logical and reasonable.

So a logical and reasonable politician who made it up the ranks and got the support of his party by being logical and reasonable?
Sounds like a fairy tale to me, but I've always loved a good fairy tale.

 

[3mg Meniere]

North Carolina is the largest tobacco producer. Senator Richard Burr is from North Carolina. Senator Burr has an interest in the economy of his state. Revenues from the tobacco industry are going down, because fewer and fewer people are smoking. Nic is extracted from tobacco. Senator Burr sees an economic opportunity in the long run, because vaping is less risky than smoking. He is looking at the long-range forecast for his state. Instead of selling tobacco for cancer-sticks, the industry can switch to extracting one of the least harmful components of tobacco, thus preserving the economy of his state. It is actually quite simple.


Can you see BT becoming the biggest producer of purified nicotine?

What I saw in the video (and I couldn't watch it for very long because my computer audio is bad) was a bunch of people who are afraid of technology. They see something that is moving too fast for them to control. Senator Burr is seeing opportunity in change.

 

[DetraMental]

I did send a 'Thank You' for being a supporter of innovation and technology where there has been none.

 

[Ken_A]

I sent a thank-you myself..

but please, don't start calling politicians honest.

The country started out that way, and as you know, as you begin... so you end.

If our politicians started being honest, it would signal the end of the country. "lol"

 

[Vaslovik]

I noticed that Harkin started right off linking e-cigs to smoking and invoked the kiddie angle on it, so I guess I know who's side he's on. As for Sen. Burr, I'm glad he's on our side, whatever the reason, but I expect that in time those with an anti-vaping agenda will set the attack poodles on him for departing from the official narrative and speaking against the corporate anti-vaping agenda.

 

[DaveP]

The thing I hated most about the whole discussion was Harkin's continued emphasis on kids, candy flavors, and vaping. It's AGAINST THE LAW for them to buy ecigs. Enforce the law and make it extremely unprofitable for a store to sell ecigs and supplies to teenagers. Make it a $10,000 per occurrence fine for minor sales.

When I was a teen, we liked Cherry Vodka. If there had been a mandatory 30 day jail term for buying it for minors, we wouldn't have been able to get adults to buy it for us. What I see is that Senator Harkin would rather people die from smoking than allow a vehicle for transitioning OFF tobacco. If kids want candy flavors, then they can buy candy.

 

[Moedog]

If you are inclined to send Burr a "thank you," perhaps you should also ask him to talk to the Republicans of his state who have proposed a state tax on e-liquid and other regulations. Actually, it was R. J. Reynolds Tobacco who proposed the tax, but the Republicans are running with it.

 

[Stosh]

Whatever the reason he's on our side doesn't matter, keeping him there is the important part. Everyone should send him a thank you, I did shortly after the hearing was over.

For the vapers in North Carolina, if you can afford it, send him a thank you and $5 contribution to his campaign war chest. Politicians love big contributors, but a VOTER that contributes, they can count on their VOTE....just have to turn them out to the polls. They look at it as "If they like me enough to send actual cash, they will vote for me in a heartbeat"

 

[Stringplucker]

Here's the list I compiled as to why he's on our side...

NC is a large tobacco producer
He sees this new industry as bursting with money
He sees BT as becoming a supplier to the industry
Republicans are traditionally for business growth and creation
Burr is against heavy government regulation
He's researched and found out how many jobs this industry has created, and is capable of creating in the US borders
He's educated on the topic and the industry
He's coming to this with a common sense approach
He backs State Rights


The list could go on for about another 50 entries, but there isn't a need for that. I've noticed that this topic isn't really bound by party lines in the US. There are supporters and opposers on both sides of the political spectrum, which is a rarity in DC circles.

Maybe instead of questioning it, we should be cheering him on, and finding other supporting pols to take up our fight against Federal Regulations in an age where bad behaviors are legalized, yet safe alternatives to smoking aren't.

 

[DaveP]

If you are inclined to send Burr a "thank you," perhaps you should also ask him to talk to the Republicans of his state who have proposed a state tax on e-liquid and other regulations. Actually, it was R. J. Reynolds Tobacco who proposed the tax, but the Republicans are running with it.

You have to wonder if Senator Burr, being from NC, is pressured to go with big tobacco given that they are transitioning into ecigs and need for them to be legal and unencumbered. His enthusiasm may not extend to Mom and Pop stores selling Chinese products that don't contribute to BT profits. The local B&M or online store is just competition for the big boys.

We'll have to wait and see how government configures the rules and if they craft some regulations that preclude profits for small business.

 

[Stosh]

The thing I hated most about the whole discussion was Harkin's continued emphasis on kids, candy flavors, and vaping. It's AGAINST THE LAW for them to buy ecigs. Enforce the law and make it extremely unprofitable for a store to sell ecigs and supplies to teenagers. Make it a $10,000 per occurrence fine for minor sales.

When I was a teen, we liked Cherry Vodka. If there had been a mandatory 30 day jail term for buying it for minors, we wouldn't have been able to get adults to buy it for us. What I see is that Senator Harkin would rather people die from smoking than allow a vehicle for transitioning OFF tobacco. If kids want candy flavors, then they can buy candy.

It's AGAINST THE LAW for kids to buy 'combustible' tobacco flavored cigarettes, yet it was never mentioned once how many kids are smoking cigarettes.

 

[Fizzpop]

Blu is also headquartered in Charlotte, NC. NC is a very vapor-friendly state. When they passed a (reasonable) law banning sales of e-cigs to minors, they also explicitly classified them as "vapor products" and not "tobacco products" - a distinction I find interesting and positive.