Why is Senator Burr on our side?

[CassiusCloud]

I was underage when I started....and old enough that the tobacco companies likely were marketing to youth.
That was regulated out of existence decades ago.....yet we still have teenage smokers...

Insanity is repeating the same actions and expecting different results....

I know exactly why i started,it had nothing to do with smoking tasting really good,in fact taste had nothing to do with influence..
Fruit did however have something to do with it..
Forbidden fruit..
Also i remember advertising for smoking and alcohol, i remember those being moved from the good areas to the inner city billboards in poor communities..
That really is something that bothered me when i noticed that..I worked in those areas for years.
In those areas you would have never thought any advertizing laws were passed on smoking and alcohol.

I also remember once i was old enough to legally smoke is when i started to try quitting,once the thrill of it was gone..
That is kind of what i see with lots of younger people that smoke at work today..

 

[zoiDman]

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

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

Support?

That man is Getting a Fruit Basket and a Thank You Card!

I think he Nailed it when he Sited that the Issues with Underage e-Cigarette use will be Addressed. And that No One is Advocating that e-Cigarettes should be Sold to Children.

But that we Finally had a Viable and Proven Alternative to those who use Combustible tobacco. And that the FDA has Lost it's Focus of Harm Reduction to the Public in the Area of Combustible Tobacco Use.

 

[RosaJ]

And exactly who should pay health costs for those of us who made the switch after cumulative damage from many years of smoking?

If you presuppose that tobacco taxes are set aside in a special fund to cover smoking related illnesses that is, but the reality is that the money is deposited in a "general" fund that pays for anything the States deem necessary. I don't recall at any time I visited my doctors that they coded their insurance bill for smoker medical insurance coverage.

The money may go to schools and to Hollywood to make "educational" commercials against the "evils" of smoking.

 

[Bobbilly]

They also don't take it in as incremental costs. Remember no one gets out of life alive

Sorry just a tax grab opportunity

 

[iowajosh]

I don't know precisely why but he is like our perfect spokesman at this time.

 

[3mg Meniere]

If you presuppose that tobacco taxes are set aside in a special fund to cover smoking related illnesses that is,..The money may go to schools and to Hollywood to make "educational" commercials against the "evils" of smoking.

I am aware of unfortunate reality. That is the way politicians bounce.

 

[klynnn]

One thing about those people in DC they never go with the lowest bid for their affections. You have to have the big bucks to buy them.

 

[Ripshod]

I wouldn't say Sen. Burr is on our side. More likely he's just done the research and tells it the way he sees it!!

 

[CassiusCloud]

Honestly,i see these hearings as nothing more than a show for us the public to get a chance to see our politicians in our corner dance a little..
We had a representation of all 4 of the main food groups on the panel up there..
A meal where there was a bit of something for everyone..

yet the ones that remained the longest seemed to be on the same page as each other while the others went off having other important matters to deal with..

“All warfare is based on deception.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

 

[AgentAnia]

Honestly,i see these hearings as nothing more than a show for us the public to get a chance to see our politicians in our corner dance a little..
We had a representation of all 4 of the main food groups on the panel up there..
A meal where there was a bit of something for everyone..

yet the ones that remained the longest seemed to be on the same page as each other while the others went off having other important matters to deal with..

“All warfare is based on deception.”
― Sun Tzu, The Art of War

This is typical of most congressional hearings, of which there are two main types (in my experience): 1. The truly "investigative" hearings that treat hot topics and usually get massive press coverage and most likely full and complete attendance by membership (e.g. the recent VA hearings), and 2. What I call the dog and pony shows put on as ammunition for a particular member's favorite issue (e.g., Harkin's HELP hearing). In Category 2, most members, if they attend at all, will show up, make a statement, ask a question or two, and leave. They do this so their attendance and statement will appear in that day's Congressional Record, which they can then point to as an example of their activity.

Sen. Burr's attendance and questions seems to be a happy exception to this (tho I wish he'd stayed for the Q&A...).

(BTW, before television came to Congress, most members for Cat. 2 hearings would simply write a statement and ask the chairman to insert it "for the record." Ergo no need to attend, but the CR would show their "presence.")

 

[Baldr]

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

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

I am glad for his support, but I'd like to add a caveat. My guess is that he isn't on *our* side, he's on big tobacco's side. North Carolina, where he's from, is one of the states with a ton of tobacco being grown.

Big Tobacco doesn't want the FDA to shut down the vaping market. But they do want to regulate it so that all the small mom/pop shops can't stay in business, leaving the market to BT.

(And now, as I read farther down the thread, I see that others have mentioned the same thing.)

 

[Baldr]

I wouldn't say Sen. Burr is on our side. More likely he's just done the research and tells it the way he sees it!!

Most likely, big tobacco gives him huge piles of money and he says whatever they tell him to say.

 

[GaryInTexas]

If he fights to keep vaping alive I don't care what his motivation is.

 

[Baldr]

If he fights to keep vaping alive I don't care what his motivation is.

It's not that simple. If he's doing what Big Tobacco wants, and he gets it, then vaping as we know it is over. Done. Kaput.

Big Tobacco doesn't want it shut down. But they do want it regulated. They don't want people to be able to order juice online, and they don't want mom-pop stores being able to mix juice to order while you wait. They don't want refillable tanks at all. They want cig-alike systems, non-refillable, where you have to buy new cartridges over and over.

They'll use "It's for safety, we need oversight, we need control to make it safe" arguments, but what they mean is "Unless you are a big huge company like us, you shouldn't be allowed to sell e-cigs or anything related".

They'll use it to shut down the vaping maket we already have, so that they can make money.

They'll get the politicians on their side by promising to tax the hell out of everything and that they'll continue to hand them big bags of cash.

This is *not* good for you, or me, or the millions of people who are still smoking but may one day switch to vaping if they get the chance.

 

[GaryInTexas]

IF he is supporting BT only cigalikes. I didn't hear that from him. It seemed to me he was supportive of vaping in general. I think on rare occasions even a politician can do something just because it's the right thing to do. At this point in time I will accept any help to stop the Harkin Durbin bulldozer. Who contributes to his campaign? Don't know, but he appears to be an effective road block to the FDAs save the children drive. I will accept that.

 

[Amraann]

Without reading all of the other replies?

I am going to be optimistic and say it is maybe because he actually has two brain cells to rub together?

Or maybe as a politician he realizes that e-cig users are untapped political constituents and sees the opportunity in supporting their interests?

 

[Coelli]

I am glad for his support, but I'd like to add a caveat. My guess is that he isn't on *our* side, he's on big tobacco's side. North Carolina, where he's from, is one of the states with a ton of tobacco being grown.

Big Tobacco doesn't want the FDA to shut down the vaping market. But they do want to regulate it so that all the small mom/pop shops can't stay in business, leaving the market to BT.

(And now, as I read farther down the thread, I see that others have mentioned the same thing.)

Yup, that's what I think too. Democrats are against vaping because they're getting lobbied by BP, who doesn't want a better alternative than what they're providing. Republicans are getting lobbied by BT, who see an opportunity to survive and profit while combustible tobacco continues to be demonized and decline and want to monopolize the market. No one's clean here.

 

[wv2win]

It's not that simple. If he's doing what Big Tobacco wants, and he gets it, then vaping as we know it is over. Done. Kaput.

Big Tobacco doesn't want it shut down. But they do want it regulated. They don't want people to be able to order juice online, and they don't want mom-pop stores being able to mix juice to order while you wait. They don't want refillable tanks at all. They want cig-alike systems, non-refillable, where you have to buy new cartridges over and over.

They'll use "It's for safety, we need oversight, we need control to make it safe" arguments, but what they mean is "Unless you are a big huge company like us, you shouldn't be allowed to sell e-cigs or anything related".

They'll use it to shut down the vaping maket we already have, so that they can make money.

They'll get the politicians on their side by promising to tax the hell out of everything and that they'll continue to hand them big bags of cash.

This is *not* good for you, or me, or the millions of people who are still smoking but may one day switch to vaping if they get the chance.

You are right. But we do not know if Senator Burr is just doing BT's bidding or actually has done some research and understands the issues. He also might understand that there are hundreds of small vapor shops across NC and he is for government staying out of our lives on issues that harm no one and in this case help millions.

 

[wv2win]

Yup, that's what I think too. Democrats are against vaping because they're getting lobbied by BP, who doesn't want a better alternative than what they're providing. Republicans are getting lobbied by BT, who see an opportunity to survive and profit while combustible tobacco continues to be demonized and decline and want to monopolize the market. No one's clean here.

I doubt any politician outside of the large tobacco growing states are looking for support from or willing to stand-up for BT. Just not a politically smart thing to do. But unlike Democrats, Republicans are generally for small government and business in general. If that is the "hook" that can be used to get support for vaping to stay mostly as it is, that should bother no one who vapes.

 

[Fitzie]

From reading some of the legislative history of the current law, I'd say it's because he genuinely believes in tobacco harm reduction.