How's that new S-CHIP cigar tax working for you, Barack?

[Tarheel]

Did you 'create or save' any jobs today?

Hav-A-Tampa cigar plant closing, eliminating nearly 500 jobs

By Jeff Harrington, Times Staff Writer
Posted: Jun 23, 2009 12:58 PM

The parent of the Hav-A-Tampa is closing its Tampa cigar production plant, idling nearly 500 employees.

Altadis U.S.A., Inc., which owns the longtime cigar-making operation, plans to cut a total of 492 jobs at its facility at 3901 Riga Blvd by Aug. 24, according to a mass layoff WARN notice filed Tuesday with the state.

A company spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/article1012666.ece

[Pell City Tiger]

I can't understand why folks smoke those nasty things when decent Dominicans can be had for a few pennies more a stick.

JR cigars has kept the pricing down on their Cuban alternatives thus far. Hopefully that continues. Their shipping boxes are smaller. That's the only change I've seen so far.

[Tarheel]

I can't understand why folks smoke those nasty things when decent Dominicans can be had for a few pennies more a stick.

JR cigars has kept the pricing down on their Cuban alternatives thus far. Hopefully that continues. Their shipping boxes are smaller. That's the only change I've seen so far.

I started smoking Hav-A-Tampas back in the eighties; hate to see that old, traditional company close with those jobs lost.  I really can't smoke them anymore but the machine-made cigars are still top sellers in that category of tobacco product.  Very unfortunate and it's a direct result of the S-CHIP tax.

Like you, I'm sure, most of the cigars I smoke now are the handmade ones from Dominican Republic, Honduras, and Nicaragua.  JR Cigars has gone up just over $12 dollars a box for La Gloria Cubana -my personal favorites- also due to the damn S-CHIP tax.