PACT ACT or SPY ACT?

The text below is taken from the PACT ACT that just cleared the Judiciary Committee on November 19, 2009. Now it moves on for debate.

The US is fighting terrorism and spending billions. Let’s go ahead and add $34 million over the next four years to spy on American citizen's tobacco purchases while we are at it.

Sen. Hatch [R-UT],Sen. Sessions [R-AL], and Sen. Cornyn [R-TX] are new co-sponsors to this bill with the remaining 13 co-sponsors democrats. 

Its intent is to fight illegal cigarette and smokeless tobacco trafficking and terrorism that is being funded through sales of contraband cigarettes. And of course, it is also to 'save' the children.  Never mind that high taxes have created the black markets in the first place and will continue to do so.

In full disclosure, I am not or ever have been a cigarette smoker. I am an occasional cigar and pipe smoker. As such, I have an interest in the matter of tobacco taxation.  It seems such a basic freedom to purchase and consume a legal product.  I believe this excellent article from Pipe Tobacco magazine explains it better than I could. "Prohibition by increments" reviews "Velvet Glove, Iron Fist" by Stephen A. Ross.

 PROHIBITION BY INCREMENTS

This links to the entire bill:

S. 1147: PACT Act

SECTION. 7. ENHANCED CONTRABAND TOBACCO ENFORCEMENT.

(a) Requirements- The Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives shall--

(1) not later than the end of the 3-year period beginning on the effective date of this Act, create a regional contraband tobacco trafficking team in each of New York, New York, the District of Columbia, Detroit, Michigan, Los Angeles, California, Seattle, Washington, and Miami, Florida;

(2) create a Tobacco Intelligence Center to oversee investigations and monitor and coordinate ongoing investigations and to serve as the coordinator for all ongoing tobacco diversion investigations within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, in the United States and, where applicable, with law enforcement organizations around the world;

(3) establish a covert national warehouse for undercover operations; and

(4) create a computer database that will track and analyze information from retail sellers of tobacco products that sell through the Internet or by mail order or make other non-face-to-face sales.

(b) Authorization of Appropriations- There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out subsection (a) $8,500,000 for each of fiscal years 2010 through 2014.