Political Quotes

“in my home State of Florida, we have a rich history in manufacturing hand-rolled premium cigars. For those who aren't familiar with them, a hand-rolled premium cigar is not the same thing as a cigarette. Number one, premium cigars are an expense product, and they are consumed very differently from a cigarette or some other tobacco product. I would say that they are more like wine than they would be like a cigarette, for sure. The interesting thing about the cigar industry and its history--not just in Florida but in this country--is that, almost exclusively, the manufacturers of premium hand-rolled cigars are small family-run businesses. By the way, so too are the retailers that sell them. This is not the kind of thing you go and buy at 7-Eleven. There are stores that specialize in the sale of premium cigars. They cater to a clientele that can afford to buy these things. They are significantly older than someone who would walk into a convenience store and buy a pack of cigarettes from behind the counter. The companies that are involved in this endeavor are not the big companies that we see involved, generally, in the tobacco industry. They are family-owned business, both at the retail level and also at the manufacturing level. In addition to all of this, they represent a rich part of the cultural history of the Cuban community in Florida. Ybor City in Tampa is an example of it.…”