If you are asking about the White House petition to "veto" the FDA
regulations, there is a LOT wrong with it and that is why I haven't let
it be posted in the group yet. I will submit it to the rest of the CASAA
Board of Directors to get an official ruling on whether or not we will
endorse it, but it is unlikely. We'd rather our members start preparing
to submit comments to the FDA, where it really counts.

If it was
well-written and factual, I wouldn't hesitate to recommend signing it,
but that is not the case. You can sign it for the sake of "doing
something," but you will be adding your name to a petition that is
filled with misinformation and a fundamental lack of understanding of
the regulatory process and the FSPTCA. The media and ANTZ could easily
use the fact that so many vapers signed such an inaccurate petition
against us. Showing a powerful, mass front is good, but showing it on a
petition filled with so many errors may only serve to make us look
uninformed and unorganized. So, in a way, is actually could "hurt" to
sign the petition.

Additonally, I am concerned that too many
people wil sign a petition and when it comes time to send in a comment
to the FDA, they will mistakenly think "I already signed something about
this" and not do it. That would be less people submitting comments
directly to the FDA and that could hurt us, as well.

After all
of that, the FDA will likely never even look at it. We've done White
House petitions before (about the FDA and e-cigarettes) and the
Administration just kicked it over to the FDA to answer us!

The
FDA comment period is a part of the actual process and essentially IS
our petiton. It's the time to get our voices heard by the right people.

We have OVER TWO MONTHS to get our comments in and that is plenty of
time. The process does not favor those who "get there first," so we have
no need to rush into things. Calm, rational and factual comments are
needed and that takes a little time to organize.

Anyone who has
been a member for some time and attended the member meetings over the
years will tell you that we expected to have to analyze the rules and we
wouldn't issue a statement, nor advise our membership to take certain
actions, without first having a clear understanding of not only the
language of the rules, but their greater implications. We are just
asking for members to please be patient for a few DAYS, while we
scrutinize the rules and craft a comprehensive Call to Action to assist
members in submitting their comments.

I'm sorry if people feel we
should be doing things faster or doing other things besides focusing on
the FDA comment period, but we are doing the best we can. Julie, Carl
and Elaine were working on it as soon as they got it this morning, with a
short intermision to listen to the FDA Q&A call. Please remember
that we are all volunteers with jobs and families, not paid lobbyists.
Even so, rest assured that this IS a high priority and is not being
ignored.