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replay to president tobacco commission - Haywood J.Hamlet, 3/27/01 2:27PM  

DARK TOBACCO SALES COOPERATIVE
P.O.BOX 447
FARMVILLE,VIRGINIA    23901
PHONE (804) 392-3785                                                            
FAX (804) 392-8586
 
Dark Tobacco Sales Cooperative which represents Virginia Dark-Fired Type 21 and Virginia Sun-Cured Type 37 would like to offer
the following views on the Preliminary report of the President's Tobacco Commission.
 
Our Association strongly supports a quota buyout that would pay a reasonable price to quota owners and put the quota in the
hands of growers. We also support a continued price support program. The preliminary report with recommendations for Flue-
Cured and Burley has several recommendations that differ from what we would support in a settlement or buyout.
 
We do not support the U S Food and Drug Administration regulating tobacco production.
 
We want to continue to produce tobacco for adult consumption and believe adults should have that freedom of choice to purchase
and consume traditional tobacco products.
 
We strongly oppose granting any new regulatory authority with respect to tobacco products without strong safeguard to guarantee
that such authority is exercised reasonable and cannot be used to achieve outright or back-door prohibition. Numerous government
reports today tell us that illegal youth usage of smokeless tobacco products are low and decreasing.
 
We believe that we should be included in the settlement, and would expect to have the opportunity to have input in any legislation
that the commission and congress takes. We strongly recommend the commission support assistance for all tobacco growers
in any proposals made by the President or Congress on spending the budget surplus.
 
Thank you for the opportunity to make our views known to the commission.
 
 
 
Sincerely,
 
 
Haywood J.Hamlet
General Manger