CHUCK TARGETS ‘CYBER' CIGS

New York Post ^ | November 11, 2002 | JENNIFER GOULD

[sarcasm]

November 11, 2002 -- Sen. Charles Schumer is proposing new legislation to crack down on Internet butt-heads who sell cigarettes to teens.

The proposal comes after sting operations cut the number of New York shops and bodegas that sell cigarettes to minors, Schumer said yesterday.

[NYCVirago]

"Internet-savvy kids are surfing the Web as easily as I played stickball," Schumer said. "They're flocking to Web sites to buy cigarettes while parents think they're doing homework."

New legislation would require cigarette buyers to verify their age twice - once with an ID that Web site operators would confirm through government databases and again when cigarettes are delivered.

Is it too much to expect the New York Post to look critically upon Schumer's claims? Generally speaking, you need a credit card to buy things online, and most teenagers don't have credit cards. In addition, the cigarettes would be shipped to the teenager's house, and they'd have to hope that mom or dad didn't pick up the mail that day. Finally, it seems that the real agenda here is creating government databases to track cigarette smokers who are avoiding exorbitant taxes by buying online. Yet the Post uncritically swallows Schumer's nonsense. Unbelievable.

[NYCVirago]

Ping.

[sarcasm]

It's for the children.

[JudyB1938]

My son just received his order of Marlboros - shipped from a European country. Fifteen bucks a carton.

Makes me laugh - let's see Schumer go after THEM.

[marktwain]

I doubt that Schumer is really interested in the chilrun. I think this is just another tact to try to get government control of the net.

[Focault's Pendulum]

My son just received his order of Marlboros - shipped from a European country. Fifteen bucks a carton. Makes me laugh - let's see Schumer go after THEM.

Agreed...I somehow don't think Switzerland is gonna cooperate.

[steve50]

People in Ohio claim to have recieved bills in the mail for taxes on internet tobacco sales, my ex says her co-worker got nailed. Seems like it would have made the news somewhere if true tho

[jedi150]

It's for the children.

No, it's for the TAXES!

[Wolfie]

Its called the Jenkins Act, and every indication is that the Feds are getting serious about it.

[dalereed]

We were hounded by the state of California for taxes on cigs that we bought over the internet and just ignored the letters and they finally quit.

We don't have them delivered to our address any more but to a friends in a different postal zone since it was the postman that ratted on us.

We figured it out because i'm the only one that ever placed the orders and they were always addressed to me but the letters came addressed to my wife and she was the one that always received them from the postman.

be wary of your federal snitch daily delivery man!

[albee]

"We don't have them delivered to our address any more but to a friends in a different postal zone since it was the postman that ratted on us."

Gee, I guess your Postman won't be getting a Christmas envelope this year!

[GAGOPSWEEPTOVICTORY]

Clymer Upchuck, time to put out a press release again and grovel for media attention like the attention whore that you are. It's been a while since the minority senior Senator from New York has been mugging for the cams.

And kids can't buy cigarettes in convience stores? Or get a buddy over 18 to buy it for them? Maybe we should close down all the convience stores too and ban friends.

[SheLion]

"Internet-savvy kids are surfing the Web as easily as I played stickball," Schumer said. "They're flocking to Web sites to buy cigarettes while parents think they're doing homework.

I still say "What parent in the right mind is going to give their credit card to any kid to buy cigarettes over the net! And if they do, who's business IS it!" This Chuck is just blowing smoke up everyone's butt, IMHO!

[ApesForEvolution]

Schumer's own state has already lost this battle to the Oneida Sovereign Indian Nation regarding tobacco sales...next.

[SheLion]

Yet the Post uncritically swallows Schumer's nonsense. Unbelievable.

You KNOW this is more smoke blowing up people's butts. Excuse my terminology. And like I have said: they can't just target cigarette vendors on the net. They will have to go after EVERYONE that sells ANYTHING! How about online auctions? Let them start there first!

This is all BS because they are pissed off because they aren't realizing the Big WindFall of Money they thought that raising the taxes would bring them. Americans aren't sheep and Americans aren't stupid. They can all pound sound.

[Xenalyte]

Does anyone have the link to that old story about Chuckie's worry of computer viruses bringing down the nation? I can't find it anywhere. The title was priceless: "Cheesy Chuckie Phears the Virus."

[SheLion]

Its called the Jenkins Act, and every indication is that the Feds are getting serious about it.

Well, lets get the Jenkins Act after all these online auctions first! How about it? I tell you, people better just start rolling their own. Save all this grief from online cigarette sales.

I know some vendors are turning in their customer lists, but most are not. I just stick to rolling our own.

and

Smokers United

[SheLion]

[metesky]

But...But this isn't just about New York, this is about chi'run nationwide.