Canada plain packaging

[Bijan]

2 minutes ago, PigFish said:

So how much is a Monte 4 in Canada? You see, they haven’t actually banned them!!!

Are we not blessed by the nanny state? How did we ever get it so good? ?

So expensive... Much cheaper in the US where they have banned Cuban cigars 

6 minutes ago, PigFish said:

When I was in banking (lending) it alway struck me as queer that ethnicity was asked on FNMA standard loan applications. So why exactly, if it was illegal to lend or not lend on an ethic bias, was it included in forms required by market makers that were GSEs?

 

That is odd.

Definitely not the situation, but I was in a fraternity back in university. Reading up on the history there was a big issue with race in the 60s finally resolved at the start of the 70s. Rules wouldn't allow non-whites to join, and it required more than a simple majority to change the rules so the southern chapters wouldn't allow it. It was getting to be a big issue with chapters splitting off due to not being able to pledge whoever they wanted to, when someone had the bright idea to throw out the forms with the ethnicity details that were sent to headquarters and not hand them to the people who had to approve new brothers for membership. Soon after the rules were changed, once they were rendered ineffective and could only tarnish the Fraternity's reputation but not prevent anyone from being admitted.

Probably more relevant, though I once interviewed with a large American corporation and didn't get the job. They then sent me a form asking about my race, I think to prove that they didn't discriminate against minorities (as an equal opportunity employer). I think based on their categorization my Middle-Eastern heritage (Iranian) put me in the caucasian category, and so I probably helped their statistics.

[Chibearsv]

5 hours ago, PigFish said:

When I was in banking (lending) it alway struck me as queer that ethnicity was asked on FNMA standard loan applications. So why exactly, if it was illegal to lend or not lend on an ethic bias, was it included in forms required by market makers that were GSEs?

@PigFish I know we're getting off topic a little, but you hit a nerve.  Check out the new demographic collection requirements for mortgage lending.  Best part is that if the borrower selects the option to "I do not wish to provide this information", loan officers are REQUIRED to add their best guesses based on either visual observation or surname.  Isn't that fun based on the options available?  Then the borrower is required to sign the completed form based on the loan officer's "observations" when the loan is closing whether they provided the info or not.  This won't create any embarrassment or anger when the loan closes, will it?  By law we're not allowed to discriminate but by law I'm required to point out identifiers where I could have discriminated.  They haven't added sexual preference or religion yet, but I'm willing to bet they will.  So stupid, we want to approve mortgages!  I don't care if you are green and identify with being a pineapple, if you can prove income, property value, and assets, we're happy to give you a loan and what lender wouldn't?

[PigFish]

18 hours ago, Chibearsv said:

@PigFish I know we're getting off topic a little, but you hit a nerve.  Check out the new demographic collection requirements for mortgage lending.  Best part is that if the borrower selects the option to "I do not wish to provide this information", loan officers are REQUIRED to add their best guesses based on either visual observation or surname.  Isn't that fun based on the options available?  Then the borrower is required to sign the completed form based on the loan officer's "observations" when the loan is closing whether they provided the info or not.  This won't create any embarrassment or anger when the loan closes, will it?  By law we're not allowed to discriminate but by law I'm required to point out identifiers where I could have discriminated.  They haven't added sexual preference or religion yet, but I'm willing to bet they will.  So stupid, we want to approve mortgages!  I don't care if you are green and identify with being a pineapple, if you can prove income, property value, and assets, we're happy to give you a loan and what lender wouldn't?

.... been there! Was gonna' go on but like you said we have wondered too far. If I go any further people are going to get mad at me!!! -LOL

-Piggy

 

... one more thing... -LOL 

Treated fairly...! Lady Piggy was one of the highest producing wholesale reps for a big eastern bank. It is where we met. I can tell you some underwriting stories about being 'fair' that will curl your nose hairs!

[BroadwayCharlieWagner]

On 1/26/2021 at 7:03 PM, vhampl03 said:

So if the Canadian govt forces cigar smokers (effectively) to buy online, in Cuba, etc, aren’t they going to take a hit in tax collections? Not sure how this makes any financial sense (since we know despite their moralizing that politicians do care about the cash...)

I used to work for a cigar company (wholesale and retail). I actually did the tobacco tax remittances to the various jurisdictions. I thought they were substantial to provincial tobacco tax revenues.

In my later job I saw the volume of tobacco tax revenue to the provincial coffers. I was surprised at how small cigar tax revenues were as part of the whole tobacco tax revenue. Cigars barely make a dent in the tobacco tax revenues that are collected.

In my opinion by hammering a very small (and vocal segment) of the tobacco industry without doing major damage to tax revenues helps the government appease the anti-tobacco crowd while still feeding the monkey.

[Fosgate]

Politicians don't see the big deal. How else to you expect them to extort a business for a kickback other than by raising taxes on said business. If a business doesn't contribute, raise taxes on them or the entire industry to get them all to cough up by threatening to pass laws against them. Peckerwood in my state is a cigar smoker, pushed and passed a bill raising the age to 21 for tobacco and now wants online retailers to collect sales tax. I have no choice but to either buy heavily taxed limited selection local or international. Reason for this is, because of the new laws, no online retailer within the USA will sell or ship to this state anymore. Genius, shear genius.