Joe Doakes, de Como Park, envía un correo electrónico:
I recently vacationed in Mexico. The shops advertised Cuban cigars. I remember President Obama normalized relations with Cuba so Americans can now bring home Cuban cigars worth $100 for personal use. Great, I bought a box.
Except . . . I’ve learned not to trust that guy. Before I brought the cigars on the airplane, I did a little more checking. Media accounts were what I remembered but Newsweek mentioned “Americans eligible to travel to Cuba” can bring home cigars. Hang on, that’s lawyer speak, what’s that doing in the article? What does it actually mean? Finally found the Customs website.
If you buy Cuban cigars in Cuba, you can bring them home; if you buy Cuban cigars anywhere else, they’re still illegal. Attempting to bring them home is smuggling, a federal crime with a whopping fine and prison time.
Typical for this President, just like his big talk about closing Gitmo, slowing the rise of oceans, gun control . . . it’s announced to great fanfare but amounts to small beer. I left the cigars for the hotel maid in addition to the cash that I tipped her for looking after our room. I hope she finds a use for them.
Joe Doakes
Back in 2008, when people said “Obama will be a splendid president, because constitutional lawyer”, I used to respond “a President needs to know the same about the Constitution as a good cop, or maybe a high school civics teacher. Politicians who are lawyers like to play games with the law. Never trust them.”
I take no pleasure from getting the last laugh.
In 1999, I worked at worked for a local IT services company that had sales offices in Canada. One could buy Cuban cigars there and our Customs would let Canadians to bring them into the U.S. for personal use. If I remember correctly, they could only bring a five pack.
Whenever we had a sales meeting, the sales people there that didn’t smoke, would take orders. They made an insane profit, because they could buy them for eight Canadian bucks (which was about 4.50 U.S. then 😄), then sell them to us for $20.
Worth every penny!
It might be noted as well that differentiating between “Americans eligible to go to Cuba” and those who are not is one HUGE reason that the overall cost of government is far greater than the “official” number, starting with the cost of regulations and those 7.6 billion hours spent complying with the income tax. Gosh, think the economy could use that time more efficiently? I think so. How much time did Joe spend figuring out that he could not, indeed, have those cigars?
I know a guy who buys them from a web site and has them shipped right to his house. Never had a problem.
Then there’s NAFTA, supposed to give us free trade, no tarries. Except if you are going fishing in Canada. Then you pay duty on any booze over a quart/liter.
How come with all these great things nothing ever filters down to me?
tarries = tariffs.
I once bought a box of Cohibas. They were good, but not much better than Dominicans or fine domestics.
I like my clothes to be made in a sweat shop in Bangladesh by someone making 20 cents an hour, and I like my cigars to be made in a sweat shop in Cuba by someone making $20 a month.
You sound like a value shopper. Apparel by Trump?
Now there is a post you know Emery didn’t cut from somewhere else. Two short sentences, no content = authentic.
Let’s remind everyone of who Tom ‘Swiftee’ Swift is. You do your best work alone Tom.
“Self Portrait of a Troll”
http://static.flickr.com/23/33908462_f72484ce82_o.jpg
Aww. You mad, cupcake? Tissue?
lol
Say Emery? Johnny Cash calling…says its urgent, you better take it
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41WwjcvTtPL._SY300_QL70_.jpg
Say Tom, who is this fetching clotted hipped big gal on your arm?
“Love Comes in all Sizes”
http://oi23.tinypic.com/folpl.jpg
Wow Emery! I bet you think that’s the best comeback you’ve had since you licked your mothers face, but we all know you’ve been dumpster diving in Prof Kreapy’s little interweb insane asylum. Copy and paste pretty much describes the sum total of your little world, don’t it, cupcake?
But listen, big girls are not your thing are they? Don’t get that picture mixed in with your special kiddie collection, whatever you do!
Oh, hey! Ronald Reagan calling now, Emery…sounds pretty important, you better take it
http://rlv.zcache.com/ronald_reagan_middle_finger_case-r9ab38281ccea4d91bd65883d782fce12_zz0f5_324.jpg?rlvnet=1
Emery,
I don’t have many “rules” in this comment section, but “no abetting creepy stalkers” is one of them.
Especially as you are, y’know, anonymous and all.
Say Tom, try to be more concise, your sarcasm doesn’t improve with length.
MBerg: With all due respect, that’s hilarious coming from Swiftee’s biggest enabler.
Emery, your date called…looks like it’s off for tonight http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4022/4471284165_312a1a4875.jpg
I, for one, would love to be “missing” Emery comments if “don’t post creepy stalker photos” is really too hard for him to understand.
Just saying.
I was wondering how long it would take for Chupacabra to pipe up.
“respect, that’s hilarious coming from Swiftee’s biggest enabler.”
And yours.
Don’t deflect. Families are out of bounds.
Clear enough?
Let’s get back to the subject; because the blatantly illegal way the Obama administration has gone about trying to normalize relations with Cuba, smokers and cigar-makers alike are paying the price. Typical socialism.