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Getbig Main Boards => Politics and Political Issues Board => Topic started by: Soul Crusher on August 28, 2011, 04:37:05 AM
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Report: Gibson Competitor is Dem Donor; Uses Same Wood, Experienced No Federal Raids
by John Nolte
Via Andrew Lawton at Landmark Report:
One of Gibson’s leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Company. The C.E.O., Chris Martin IV, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the DNC over the past couple of elections (though, to be fair, he did donate a whopping $750 to Republican Congressmen in the 90s.) According to C.F. Martin’s catalog, several of their guitars contain “East Indian Rosewood.” In case you were wondering, that is the exact same wood in at least ten of Gibson’s guitars.
If true, it add another piece to an increasingly disturbing puzzle.
You can listen to Gibson CEO (and Republican supporter) Henry E. Juszkiewicz’s interview with Dana Loesch here.
You can listen to the collective music world’s outcry over this seemingly partisan witch hunt being conducted by The Man here.
Cowards all.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2011/08/27/report-gibson-competitor-is-dem-donor-uses-same-wood-experienced-no-federal-raids
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DOJ Raids Gibson Guitars Looking for Illegal Wood
Fire it up51 Share
AP File
Press Release from Gibson: The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.
On August 24, 2011, around 8:45 a.m. CDT, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants. Gibson has fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.
WTF!
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By ANDREW LAWTON - Fri Aug 26, 1:17 pm
Comments (48)Email 21 mailsPrint
Edited by
Andrew Lawton
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On Thursday, the iconic Gibson Guitar Corporation issued a press release stating that government officials raided their Tennessee manufacturing facility over warrants concerning the legality of the importation of wood purchased from India that they use in their world famous guitars. The wood–which is certified and regulated by the Forest Stewardship Council–is not illegal, but rather subject to a domestic law in India frowns upon the processing of this wood by non-Indians. (Gibson uses American labor for the processing.)
Gibson’s press release claims that, while this incident marks the second raid of their facility in around two years, this is the first of the raids to cost the company time and resources, as they needed to shut down operations. It seems as though this was all for naught.
The release read:
The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.
On August 24, 2011, around 8:45 a.m. CDT, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants. Gibson has fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.
The fact that the government would issue warrants based on their interpretation of another country’s laws is laughable–and scary–in and of itself, but that they would demonize an American, non-unionized (coincidentally, I’m sure) company for something that isn’t even a crime (especially not in the American lawbooks) is a gross misjustice. Keep in mind that the Indian government itself wasn’t involved in the Gibson warrants and raid.
This unfortunate event begs the question, Why Gibson?
Putting aside the presumably misguided motivation to enforce another sovereign nation’s laws, why would a homegrown American company be the target of the Department of Justice in the first place?
It’s worth pointing out that Henry E. Juszkiewicz, Gibson’s Chief Executive Officer, is a donor to a couple of Republican politicians. According to the Open Secrets database, Juszkiewicz donated $2000 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN07) last year, as well as $1500 each to Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN). Juszkiewicz also has donated $10,000 to the Consumer Electronics Association, a PAC that contributed $92.5k to Republican candidates last year, as opposed to $72k to Democrats. (The CEA did, however, contribute more to Democrats in the 2008 election cycle.)
When warrants as ridiculous such as these are issued and executed, there appears no other reason than because the company or individual at hand is being targeted, not because there is any sort of wrongdoing. As a company, Gibson is a legendary. They’ve done nothing wrong, except, apparently, deigning to have a Republican CEO.
The plot thickens, however.
One of Gibson’s leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Company. The C.E.O., Chris Martin IV, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the DNC over the past couple of election cycles. According to C.F. Martin’s catalog, several of their guitars contain “East Indian Rosewood.” In case you were wondering, that is the exact same wood in at least ten of Gibson’s guitars.
The Gibson facility wasn’t raided over allegations of tax evasion, charges of embezzlement, or even something as drab as child labor. Not even close. It was raided over what the DOJ deems an inability to follow a vague domestic trade law in India (one that apparently the Indian government didn’t seem too concerned about enforcing) regarding a specific type of wood. Not illegal wood, just wood with obscenely specific procedural guidelines.
Stand with Gibson: They have the Law on their side, just not the government.
——————–
Note: On August 27th, this post was revised to incorporate various updates.
Be sure to follow @AndrewLawton on Twitter!
A big thanks to Twitter’s @arlasko and my Strictly Right Radio co-host @MrSimpleSense for their assistance with this article.
Andrew Lawton is the editor-in-chief of Landmark Report, and the host of Strictly Right Radio & Strictly Pop Radio. No stranger to the media, he is a frequent contributor to various television & radio programs in North America. Follow Andrew on Twitter at @AndrewLawton. To contact Andrew or to inquire about speaking engagements or media appearances, email him at Andrew@LandmarkReport.com.
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http://landmarkreport.com/andrew/2011/08/ceo-of-gibson-guitar-a-republican-donor
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/industry-us-gibsonguitar-probe-idUSTRE77O7KC20110825
And you pieces of garbage who voted for Obama wonder why businesses are refusing to hire and moving overseas?
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Gov’t says wood is illegal if U.S. workers produce it
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The Justice department bullies Gibson without filing charges
The Federal Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. has suggested that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of U.S. law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India. (If the same wood from the same tree was finished by Indian workers, the material would be legal.) This action was taken without the support and consent of the government in India.
On August 24, 2011, around 8:45 a.m. CDT, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants. Gibson has fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.
• Raid shut down Gibson factories and cost company money
This is the second time that federal agents have raided Gibson facilities and disrupted production – this time causing lost productivity and sales.
• Wood seized was Forest Stewardship Council Controlled
The wood the Government seized on August 24 is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier and is FSC Controlled, meaning that the wood complies with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, which is an industry-recognized and independent, not-for-profit organization established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC Controlled Wood standards require, among other things, that the wood not be illegally harvested and not be harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights. See www.fsc.org for more information. Gibson has a long history of supporting sustainable and responsible sources of wood and has worked diligently with entities such as the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace to secure FSC certified supplies. The wood seized on August 24 satisfied FSC standards.
• Nearly two years later, no charges have been filed
In 2009, more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons invaded the Gibson factory in Nashville. The Government seized guitars and a substantial amount of ebony fingerboard blanks from Madagascar. To date, 1 year and 9 months later, criminal charges have NOT been filed, yet the Government still holds Gibson’s property. Gibson has obtained sworn statements and documents from the Madagascar government and these materials, which have been filed in federal court, show that the wood seized in 2009 was legally exported under Madagascar law and that no law has been violated. Gibson is attempting to have its property returned in a civil proceeding that is pending in federal court.
The Justice Department has asked the judge to stop the court case indefinitely.
• Information sought in raid was already made available
Since 2009, Gibson has fully cooperated with the Government’s investigation of wood and has provided substantial documentation regarding Gibson’s wood-buying activities over the years. Yet, the Federal Government raided Gibson’s facilities on August 24, 2011, without warning or communication of any kind. Had the Government simply communicated with Gibson, Gibson would have cooperated without having to stop its production and send workers home.
• Not about illegal logging, not about conservation, not about the environment
The U.S. Lacey Act does not directly address conservation issues but is about obeying all laws of the countries from which wood products are procured. This law reads that you are guilty if you did not observe a law even though you had no knowledge of that law in a foreign country. The U.S. Lacey Act is only applicable when a foreign law has been violated.
• Gibson is innocent and will fight to protect its rights
Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of ANY wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.
For more information, please contact:
Henry E. Juszkiewicz
c/o Gibson Guitar Corp.
309 Plus Park Blvd.
Nashville, TN 37217
(615) 871-4500 Extension 2405
www.gibson.com
About Gibson Guitar:
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models in every major style of fretted instrument, including acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, and banjos. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is the best-selling guitar of all time and bears the name of the late, great Les Paul. Gibson’s line of Robot guitars, including the revolutionary new Firebird X, represents the biggest advances in electric guitar design in over 70 years. The Gibson Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Gibson Guitar Corp., and dedicates its time and services to making the place a better world for children through its support of music, education, health and human services. Founded in 1894 in Kalamazoo, Michigan and headquartered in Nashville since 1984, Gibson Guitar Corp.’s family of brands now includes Epiphone, Dobro, Kramer, Steinberger, Tobias, Echoplex, Electar, Flatiron, Slingerland, Valley Arts, Maestro, Oberheim, Baldwin, Sunshine Piano, Take Anywhere Technology, J&C Fischer, Chickering, Hamilton, and Wurlitzer.
Visit Gibson’s website at www.gibson.com.
For breaking Gibson News: Press RSS Feed.
Follow Gibson on Twitter at www.twitter.com/gibsonguitar and Facebook at www.facebook.com/gibsonguitar.
Gibson, 1-800-4GIBSON (1-800-444-2766) or www.gibson.com
Contacts:
Jeremy Singer / Gibson UK, 020 7167 2144 / Jeremy.Singer@Gibson.com
Chris O’Hearn / Gibson Australia 61 2 9929 2257 / ThrillHillEnt@BigPond.com
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Source: Daily Markets
Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz was a guest yesterday on The Dana Show and explained what led to the raid this week at two Gibson facilities where armed federal agents seized guitars, wood and company records, forcing Gibson to send hundreds of workers home. Due to the disruption in production at four factories, the company lost $1 million this week.
In the radio interview, the Gibson CEO first pointed out that this is not the first time the company has been subjected to a government raid. In 2009, the government seized $500,000 of Gibson’s property, but the company was never charged with any offenses and Gibson is now suing the government to get its property back.
The current allegation is that Gibson has obtained illegal, partially finished, wooden guitar fingerboard blanks from India. Under Indian law, wood products have to meet certain minimum “India content” requirements before they can be certified for export. Then the exported wood and documentation from India has to be cleared by U.S. Customs. In this case, all of the legal requirements by the Indian government were met, legal paperwork accompanied the wood to the U.S., and the materials and accompanying paperwork were then approved by the U.S. government before delivery to Gibson.
But now the government is apparently claiming that according to its peculiar interpretation of Indian law, Gibson’s fingerboard blanks don’t have sufficient “Indian content,” and the guitarmaker is in violation of Indian law.
Read more: http://www.dailymarkets.com/economy/2011/08/27/gibson-u... /
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By ERIC FELTEN
The Commercial Appeal/Zuma Press
Agents from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pore through the workshop at the Gibson Guitar factory on Wednesday morning.
Federal agents swooped in on Gibson Guitar Wednesday, raiding factories and offices in Memphis and Nashville, seizing several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. The Feds are keeping mum, but in a statement yesterday Gibson's chairman and CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, defended his company's manufacturing policies, accusing the Justice Department of bullying the company. "The wood the government seized Wednesday is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier," he said, suggesting the Feds are using the aggressive enforcement of overly broad laws to make the company cry uncle.
It isn't the first time that agents of the Fish and Wildlife Service have come knocking at the storied maker of such iconic instruments as the Les Paul electric guitar, the J-160E acoustic-electric John Lennon played, and essential jazz-boxes such as Charlie Christian's ES-150. In 2009 the Feds seized several guitars and pallets of wood from a Gibson factory, and both sides have been wrangling over the goods in a case with the delightful name "United States of America v. Ebony Wood in Various Forms."
The question in the first raid seemed to be whether Gibson had been buying illegally harvested hardwoods from protected forests, such as the Madagascar ebony that makes for such lovely fretboards. And if Gibson did knowingly import illegally harvested ebony from Madagascar, that wouldn't be a negligible offense. Peter Lowry, ebony and rosewood expert at the Missouri Botanical Garden, calls the Madagascar wood trade the "equivalent of Africa's blood diamonds." But with the new raid, the government seems to be questioning whether some wood sourced from India met every regulatory jot and tittle.
It isn't just Gibson that is sweating. Musicians who play vintage guitars and other instruments made of environmentally protected materials are worried the authorities may be coming for them next.
If you are the lucky owner of a 1920s Martin guitar, it may well be made, in part, of Brazilian rosewood. Cross an international border with an instrument made of that now-restricted wood, and you better have correct and complete documentation proving the age of the instrument. Otherwise, you could lose it to a zealous customs agent—not to mention face fines and prosecution.
John Thomas, a law professor at Quinnipiac University and a blues and ragtime guitarist, says "there's a lot of anxiety, and it's well justified." Once upon a time, he would have taken one of his vintage guitars on his travels. Now, "I don't go out of the country with a wooden guitar."
The tangled intersection of international laws is enforced through a thicket of paperwork. Recent revisions to 1900's Lacey Act require that anyone crossing the U.S. border declare every bit of flora or fauna being brought into the country. One is under "strict liability" to fill out the paperwork—and without any mistakes.
It's not enough to know that the body of your old guitar is made of spruce and maple: What's the bridge made of? If it's ebony, do you have the paperwork to show when and where that wood was harvested and when and where it was made into a bridge? Is the nut holding the strings at the guitar's headstock bone, or could it be ivory? "Even if you have no knowledge—despite Herculean efforts to obtain it—that some piece of your guitar, no matter how small, was obtained illegally, you lose your guitar forever," Prof. Thomas has written. "Oh, and you'll be fined $250 for that false (or missing) information in your Lacey Act Import Declaration."
Consider the recent experience of Pascal Vieillard, whose Atlanta-area company, A-440 Pianos, imported several antique Bösendorfers. Mr. Vieillard asked officials at the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species how to fill out the correct paperwork—which simply encouraged them to alert U.S. Customs to give his shipment added scrutiny.
There was never any question that the instruments were old enough to have grandfathered ivory keys. But Mr. Vieillard didn't have his paperwork straight when two-dozen federal agents came calling.
Facing criminal charges that might have put him in prison for years, Mr. Vieillard pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor count of violating the Lacey Act, and was handed a $17,500 fine and three years probation.
Given the risks, why don't musicians just settle for the safety of carbon fiber? Some do—when concert pianist Jeffrey Sharkey moved to England two decades ago, he had Steinway replace the ivories on his piano with plastic.
Still, musicians cling to the old materials. Last year, Dick Boak, director of artist relations for C.F. Martin & Co., complained to Mother Nature News about the difficulty of getting elite guitarists to switch to instruments made from sustainable materials. "Surprisingly, musicians, who represent some of the most savvy, ecologically minded people around, are resistant to anything about changing the tone of their guitars," he said.
You could mark that up to hypocrisy—artsy do-gooders only too eager to tell others what kind of light bulbs they have to buy won't make sacrifices when it comes to their own passions. Then again, maybe it isn't hypocrisy to recognize that art makes claims significant enough to compete with environmentalists' agendas.
—Write to me at EricFelten@WSJPostmodern.com.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424053111904787404576530520471223268.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
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Example Of Obama’s Job Stimulus Program: Raids Gibson Guitar To Uphold India Law PDF version Posted in August 25th, 2011 by Don Storch in Political Analysis
The American people are being subjected to a rather sick administration under the policies of President Barack Hussein Obama, who professes that jobs are a top priority while he allows Justice Department armed agents to raid an American business, Gibson Guitar, to uphold a law of India over wood.
It really is difficult to comprehend, while Obama plays on a golf course trying to improve his chipping in Martha’s Vineyard, his Justice Department is raiding an American business and shutting down operations, sending employees home while no US laws have been broken.
Where is the common sense in this type of action, or for that matter in this administration? Perhaps it’s out to lunch, or on vacation.
According to Gibson, on August 24, agents for the federal government executed four search warrants on Gibson’s facilities in Nashville and Memphis and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Gibson had to cease its manufacturing operations and send workers home for the day, while armed agents executed the search warrants.
Although it was a rather Nazi-style tactic over a rather trivial issue that had nothing to do with US law, Gibson fully cooperated with the execution of the search warrants.
While the Justice department bullies Gibson, no charges have been filed.
Apparently the Justice Department is ‘suggesting’ that the use of wood from India that is not finished by Indian workers is illegal, not because of US law, but because it is the Justice Department’s interpretation of a law in India that says it must be finished by Indian workers.
If this is the case how did Gibson get the unfinished wood? How did this unfinished wood get out of India? And, how did this unfinished wood get into the US?
This is the second time federal agents raided Gibson facilities and disrupted production.
During a news conference today, Gibson’s CEO Henry Juszkiewicz said the federal agents didn’t say what they were investigating during the raids. But he said he believes the raid comes from suspicions that the company is illegally importing rose wood and ebony.
This is but another example of how Obama produces jobs, and supports and encourages employment.
Gibson is known worldwide for producing classic models of fretted instruments. An icon in the business of producing guitars.
Unfortunately, Obama is known for being anti-business.
Perhaps Obama would prefer that Gibson manufacture its guitars in India?
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But regulations make everything good. This is what we tried to explain to people. Regulations, (theirs or ours), almost always give one group an advantage over another because the system is corrupted.
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The best part is that the obamacunts still wonder why businesses refuse to hire.
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So Obama has a vendetta against a guitar company...... ::)
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He has a vendetta against this entire nation.
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gibson and martin should have a showdown onstage to settle this!
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http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/industry-us-gibsonguitar-probe-idUSTRE77O7KC20110825
And you pieces of garbage who voted for Obama wonder why businesses are refusing to hire and moving overseas?
Yet again your simpleton mind takes one story about one company being investigated for alleged crimes and you weave it into the narrative that you have brewing inside your skull
must suck to be in such a state of paranoia, panic and anger all the time
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Report: Gibson Competitor is Dem Donor; Uses Same Wood, Experienced No Federal Raids
by John Nolte
Via Andrew Lawton at Landmark Report:
One of Gibson’s leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Company. The C.E.O., Chris Martin IV, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the DNC over the past couple of elections (though, to be fair, he did donate a whopping $750 to Republican Congressmen in the 90s.) According to C.F. Martin’s catalog, several of their guitars contain “East Indian Rosewood.” In case you were wondering, that is the exact same wood in at least ten of Gibson’s guitars.
If true, it add another piece to an increasingly disturbing puzzle.
You can listen to Gibson CEO (and Republican supporter) Henry E. Juszkiewicz’s interview with Dana Loesch here.
You can listen to the collective music world’s outcry over this seemingly partisan witch hunt being conducted by The Man here.
Cowards all.
http://bighollywood.breitbart.com/jjmnolte/2011/08/27/report-gibson-competitor-is-dem-donor-uses-same-wood-experienced-no-federal-raids
how exactly is this a partisan witch hunt?
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Yeah funny how they already raided them once found nothing, still have 500k of their property, and did not also raid the compamy using the same wood who is a demo donor.
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Yeah funny how they already raided them once found nothing, still have 500k of their property, and did not also raid the compamy using the same wood who is a demo donor.
so go fucking volunteer to give them legal advice
again, one story and you roll it into your ever expanding conspiracy theory. Do you think Obama led the raid or even knows about it
btw - how exactly is this a partisan witch hunt
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Yeah - its all an isolated incident straw. Just like Boeing, et al.
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Yeah - its all an isolated incident straw. Just like Boeing, et al.
wha's the correlation to Boeing
i'm sure you've found a connection somewhere inside that diseased brain of yours
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I posted the stories and facts above. Speaks for itself.
Again - the obama admn focus on this and sending guns over the border and avoids prosectuing real crime and you wonder why this vile wretch you support is despised by the taxpaying public? Lmao.
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I posted the wsj article too moron.
Again - your blind devotion to obama out of your white guilt prevents you from seeing the damage this admn is doing to the economoy and business.
But don't worry - when this dirtbag is sent packing next year, you will have plenty of time to figure it out.
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He has a vendetta against this entire nation.
vendetta is seeking revenge
what is Obama seeking revenge against the entire nation for?
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We have had this discussion many times. Obama hates this country w a passion and thinks it has been a force for evil since its founding.
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::)
Time to get help.
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vendetta is seeking revenge
what is Obama seeking revenge against the entire nation for?
Being a majority white, christian, rich and successful society.
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We have had this discussion many times. Obama hates this country w a passion and thinks it has been a force for evil since its founding.
makes perfect sense as long as you're insane
if he hates the entire country then why didn't he let default on the debt ceiling, why didn't he let unemployment run out and on and on and on
wouldn't that have all been bad for the country and he could have blamed it on the Repubs too
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Being a majority white, christian, rich and successful society.
obama is half white, christian, rich and successful
must be that half black part that over rides everything else and make him want revenge on the country that chose him as their leader
makes perfect sense
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Obama said in his own book he does not associate w his white side.
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Obama said in his own book he does not associate w his white side.
of course
now it all makes sense
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Straw - can we at least agree at a minimum this is an extremly piss poor waste of resources ?
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Straw - can we at least agree at a minimum this is an extremly piss poor waste of resources ?
I have no idea if it is or not
surely you aware that governent agencies inspect thing, confiscate "evidence" etc.. and make mistakes all the time
for you it's not really about just some random mistake or normal course of business of a federal agency
for you it's just more "proof" for your CT theory about Obama
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Its not a ct.
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Its not a ct.
of course not
that's why you're insane
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This admn has a well established pattern of arbitrarily and capriciously attacking buisness for bogus reasons.
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This admn has a well established pattern of arbitrarily and capriciously attacking buisness for bogus reasons.
of course and the real reason is because of Obama's vendetta against the country
he hates us for choosing him to be our leader
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obama is half white, christian, rich and successful
must be that half black part that over rides everything else and make him want revenge on the country that chose him as their leader
makes perfect sense
Bingo.
Glad you are learning a thing or two.
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Bingo.
Glad you are learning a thing or two.
didn't learn anything new
I already knew you were a racist
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didn't learn anything new
I already knew you were a racist
No I'm not. I think math is unfair to minorities and should be abolished.
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No I'm not. I think math is unfair to minorities and should be abolished.
really ?
seems pretty stupid
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really ?
seems pretty stupid
Now who's the racist?
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Now who's the racist?
still you
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still you
:-\
You just called the entire democratic agenda stupid because it helps minorities. How does that make me a racist?
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:-\
You just called the entire democratic agenda stupid because it helps minorities. How does that make me a racist?
no I didn't
I said your belief that math is unfair to minorities is stupid
never mentioned anything about race
I only said your belief was stupid
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How can one claim to be for jobs when their entire agenda is focused on attacking those create jobs?
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no I didn't
I said your belief that math is unfair to minorities is stupid
never mentioned anything about race
I only said your belief was stupid
It's not my belief, it is the agenda of the democratic party. It also happens to be the truth. Therefore, you think that helping minorities is stupid. It seems like you are the racist here.
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It's not my belief, it is the agenda of the democratic party. It also happens to be the truth. Therefore, you think that helping minorities is stupid. It seems like you are the racist here.
the agenda of the democratic party is that math is unfair to minorities
?
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the agenda of the democratic party is that math is unfair to minorities
?
It must be obvious day at camp stupid.
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It must be obvious day at camp stupid.
or your belief is stupid
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DOJ Advises Gibson Guitar to Export Labor to Madagascar
Posted by Ben Howe (Profile)
Wednesday, August 31st at 11:16PM EDT
10 Comments
The Gibson Guitar saga has taken a sinister turn.
It seems that the Department of Justice wasn’t satisfied with merely raiding the law abiding factories of Gibson Guitar with armed agents, shutting down their operation costing them millions, and leaving the American company in the dark as to how to proceed without going out of business.
Now, according to CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, agents of the United States government are bluntly informing them that they’d be better off shipping their manufacturing labor overseas.
In an interview with KMJ AM’s “The Chris Daniel Show,” Juszkiewicz revealed some startling information.
CHRIS DANIEL: Mr. Juszkiewicz, did an agent of the US government suggest to you that your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of American labor?
HENRY JUSZKIEWICZ: They actually wrote that in a pleading.
CHRIS DANIEL: Excuse me?
HENRY JUSKIEWICZ: They actually wrote that it a pleading.
CHRIS DANIEL: That your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of our labor?
HENRY JUSKIEWICZ: Yes
So the government attacked them in the first place by citing obscure regulations that probably weren’t violated about importation of wood. Now they are suggesting that all these problems would go away if they simply exported their labor.
Had it simply been said in passing by an agent, one could write it off as a lone sarcastic agent, trying to push buttons. But the fact that they actually wrote it in the pleading is a level of hubris that goes well beyond over zealous law enforcement officials and passes straight into what can easily be translated as an out of control and corrupt targeting of an American corporation.
When President Obama gives his jobs speech next week, let’s hope he has an answer for why our government would want to force and coerce corporations to send jobs overseas.
Here’s the audio of the CEO making the incredible allegation:
Download audio here
Follow @Ben_Howe
http://www.redstate.com/aglanon/2011/08/31/doj-advises-gibson-guitar-to-export-labor
Every Obama supporter should suffer beatings daily for voting for this piece of garbage.
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Gibson CEO: Obama Administration Told Us Our Problems Would Go Away If We Used Madagascar Labor (Audio)
Posted by Jim Hoft on Thursday, September 1, 2011, 4:53 AM
http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/09/gibson-ceo-obama-administration-told-us-our-problems-would-go-away-if-we-used-madagascar-labor-audio
WTF!
Obama and every single person supporting this admn needs to be beaten within an inch of their lives daily.
KMJ Radio host Chris Daniel interviewed Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz on Wednesday. Juszkiewicz told Chris that the Obama Administration told them, “Your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of our labor.”
Tonight, in an interview on KMJ’s “The Chris Daniel Show,” Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz confirmed that the US government wanted Gibson guitars to use foreign labor over American labor.
CHRIS DANIEL: Mr. Juszkiewicz, did an agent of the US government suggest to you that your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of American labor?
HENRY JUSZKIEWICZ: They actually wrote that in a .
CHRIS DANIEL: Excuse me?
HENRY JUSKIEWICZ: They actually wrote that it a pleading.
CHRIS DANIEL: That your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of our labor?
HENRY JUSKIEWICZ: Yes
Listen to the entire interview at KMJ Now in the Chris Daniel section.
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:D
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Gibson CEO: Feds Demanded Foreign Labor
KMJ News ^ | 8/31/2011 | Chris Daniel
KMJ's own Chris Daniel is stirring the national pot today. On his show last night, Chris interviewed Henry Juszkiewicz, the CEO of the iconic Gibson Guitar Company. The federal government seized wood, guitars and electronic records from Gibson's Nashville warehouses in 2009, and, according to Juszkiewicz, made an unusual request from the American manufacturer.
On KMJ airwaves, Juszkiewicz revealed that representatives of the US government told Gibson that their legal issues would disappear if they used Madagascar labor instead of American labor.
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Gibson CEO: Feds Demanded Foreign Labor
KMJ News ^ | 8/31/2011 | Chris Daniel
KMJ's own Chris Daniel is stirring the national pot today. On his show last night, Chris interviewed Henry Juszkiewicz, the CEO of the iconic Gibson Guitar Company. The federal government seized wood, guitars and electronic records from Gibson's Nashville warehouses in 2009, and, according to Juszkiewicz, made an unusual request from the American manufacturer.
On KMJ airwaves, Juszkiewicz revealed that representatives of the US government told Gibson that their legal issues would disappear if they used Madagascar labor instead of American labor
Proof?
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Proof?
The guy says he has written proof in a legal document. I'm suring he is talking to his lawyers about releasing it as it would cause a massive scandal and rebellion against Obama Admn.
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aye man.. on tha set.. this fool is retarded
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Gibson Guitar to Uncle Sam – “From my cold, dead hands”
August 31, 2011, by Bob Barr
http://blogs.ajc.com/bob-barr-blog/2011/08/31/gibson-guitar-to-uncle-sam-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%9Cfrom-my-cold-dead-hands%E2%80%9D
Are you a guitar owner? More important, do you own a guitar made by Gibson, one of the most well-known American guitar manufacturers? If so, listen up; you may be in Uncle Sam’s cross hairs – as a criminal.
Just ask Henry Juszkiewicz, Chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitars.
Last week, heavily armed federal agents raided two guitar manufacturing facilities in Tennessee owned by Gibson — one in Nashville, another in Memphis. The feds were not acting on a tip that an al Qaeda cell was holed up in the buildings; or that Mexican drug cartel gangs were lurking inside. It was actually something far more serious; far more serious, that is, to a bunch of federal bureaucrats with nothing better to do.
The raids were carried out because the Department of Justice and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service claim that parts of the iconic guitars manufactured in the plants contained the wrong kind of imported wood. And, although the feds have not made clear to Gibson just what it has done wrong, the government appears also to be claiming the guitar parts might have been exported to the U.S. contrary not to American laws, but to certain domestic laws of the countries exporting the parts to the United States!
One of the laws at play here is the hundred-year old Lacey Act, passed during the “Progressive Era,” and intended to promote conservation and as a crackdown on illegal trafficking in wildlife. The law also makes it a crime for a company to violate the laws or regulations of other countries. In this particular case, Gibson’s attorneys surmise it may be the law of India they are charged with misinterpreting or violating.
The Justice Department apparently believes the wood in question, used to construct fret boards for Gibson’s popular instruments, was imported from India without having first been “finished” by Indian workers; actions that could be considered a violation of that country’s byzantine legal code.
According to a press release from Gibson, the agents “seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars.” Juszkiewicz estimated the loss of raw materials alone to be $1 million; obviously not including financial losses due to the inability to produce guitars from those materials.
Unfortunately, this is not the first time Gibson has been subjected to the overreaching, punitive arm of the federal government. In 2009, the Nashville facility was raided in similar fashion, based on accusations that rosewood imported from Madagascar and used in guitars, came from illegal logging. And, despite the fact that to this day, the government has not filed formal charges against Gibson, it has refused to return the company’s property.
Gibson has engaged in extensive and costly efforts to recover its property from that raid two years ago; including the filing of a civil lawsuit. In the civil proceedings, the company presented proof, including statements from the Madagascar government, that the wood was obtained legally. Still, the federal government refuses to budge; and now, with these second and third raids, appears intent on trying to put Gibson out of business completely.
These highly publicized actions by the federal government have ramifications for any musician owning a guitar made out of certain woods by overzealous federal agents of having been obtained illegally at some point in the manufacturing process (even if years ago and by a prior owner or manufacturer). The Wall Street Journal notes that owners of vintage guitars made out of now-banned or regulated woods had “better have correct and complete documentation proving the age of the instrument. Otherwise, you could lose it to a zealous customs agent – not to mention face fines and prosecution.”
Gibson’s obviously frustrated CEO, who noted during a press conference the day of the raid that every guitar his company builds could possibly be considered criminal in nature, given the widely disparate countries from which the various woods are imported and in various states of manufacture; and considering the difficulty – if not impossibility – of correctly interpreting every relevant law of every one of those countries.
The government’s treatment of this American company – one of the few bright spots in domestic manufacture of musical instruments – is disgraceful, counterproductive, and mean-spirited.
In 2000, Charlton Heston, then serving as president of the National Rifle Association, and fighting gun control proposals, held a flintlock rifle over his head and declared famously, “from my cold dead hands.” Gibson’s CEO needs to rally freedom-loving Americans similarly; raising a Les Paul Gibson guitar over his head. All Americans who believe in freedom and limited government should come to Gibson’s defense; not just those who are guitar players.
by Bob Barr — The Barr Code
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Unfucking real.
Hey Option FAIL - off yourself for still supporting this disgusting leech.
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aye man.. on tha set.. this fool is retarded
Yawn - more bullshit from you. Just face facts asshole - the piece of ghetto garbage you support is a disaster and intentionally collapsing the nation.
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What you both don't seem to get is that its neither OB or the Repubs or the Dems or Bush.
ITS THE WHOLE GOD DAM ESTABLISHMENT, NON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS SLOWLY TAKEN OVER OUR COUNTRY.
AND WHILE WE FIGHT OVER IDEOLOGIES LIKE LITTLE BITCHES THESE BASTARDS LOOK AT THAT LIKE LUBRICANT TO EASE THE FUCKING THEY ARE GIVING US.
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Haha 333 you're a right wing TA cut and paste jobber.
You need mental help. Badly.
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Haha 333 you're a right wing TA cut and paste jobber.
You need mental help. Badly.
Another leftist marxist leech who cant refute a damn thing I post.
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What you both don't seem to get is that its neither OB or the Repubs or the Dems or Bush.
ITS THE WHOLE GOD DAM ESTABLISHMENT, NON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS SLOWLY TAKEN OVER OUR COUNTRY.
AND WHILE WE FIGHT OVER IDEOLOGIES LIKE LITTLE BITCHES THESE BASTARDS LOOK AT THAT LIKE LUBRICANT TO EASE THE FUCKING THEY ARE GIVING US.
Sorry - I never remember previous DOJ's ever pulling crap like this.
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Yawn - more bullshit from you. Just face facts asshole - the piece of ghetto garbage you support is a disaster and intentionally collapsing the nation.
Again..for the millionith time.. i dont support him.. but i also dont support your bullshit non stories...
Must i put my stances again.. oh well
He didnt close gitmo...dont like it
Healthcare dosent reach far enough.. its bullshit
Stop all wars now... he hasnt done it
no infrastrcture spending in stim bill...
Too long on DADT
Now.. tell me what i supported you simpleminded, tunnel visioned, tabloid chasing, false posting peice of dog shit
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This is a non story?
Really?
Gangster Govt is a non story?
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Every Obama supporter should suffer beatings daily for voting for this piece of garbage.
Obama and every single person supporting this admn needs to be beaten within an inch of their lives daily.
what a fucking coward you are
it's only a matter of time until you diseased brain tells you to take all those guns you're hoarding are start killing people
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what a fucking coward you are
it's only a matter of time until you diseased brain tells you to take all those guns you're hoarding are start killing people
I said beaten, not given a dirt nap.
But - yeah - you would do really well to be on the receiving end of a good ole fashioned beating.
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I said beaten, not given a dirt nap.
But - yeah - you would do really well to be on the receiving end of a good ole fashioned beating.
you're so fucking stupid you don't even know why you're a piece of shit for any statement like that
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you're so fucking stupid you don't even know why you're a piece of shit for any statement like that
LMFAO - you need some sense knocked in to you.
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LMFAO - you need some sense knocked in to you.
you way too much of a pussy to do anything except rant on a message board
only insane people threaten violence on others for nothing more than voting for someone they don't like
you're basically just like the guy in Norway only you haven't snapped yet
he spent hours every day ranting on message boards too
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you way too much of a pussy to do anything except rant on a message board
only insane people threaten violence on others for nothing more than voting for someone they don't like
you're basically just like the guy in Norway only you haven't snapped yet
he spent hours every day ranting on message boards too
LMAO - please explain how this is ok for the Obama Admn to do this to Gibson while not raiding other guitar makers who use the same wood and was already cleared for sale by the home producers in accordance with their laws?
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LMAO - please explain how this is ok for the Obama Admn to do this to Gibson while not raiding other guitar makers who use the same wood and was already cleared for sale by the home producers in accordance with their laws?
I'm not talking about the situation with Gibson
I'm talking about your insane statements
I've never seen anyone on this board make statements like that except you
you are an insane person who hates this counry and hates the majority of you fellow citizens
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This is a non story?
Really?
Gangster Govt is a non story?
So you keep saying i support him.. and ive posted those issues many times.. so how do i support him?
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So you keep saying i support him.. and ive posted those issues many times.. so how do i support him?
Bump
You do this every time you post something saying i support this.. then i go down a list of the huge policies i dont support.. then you shut the fuck up... for about a week... and then you say i support it again.. I swear you are fucking retarded...
You take the stance that "if i dont agree with your bullshit no consequence stories, or the fact that you post lies.... then i must fully support Obama" You are an idiot/moron/retard, because you cant differentiate between Obama support/and Tabloid hate.. You fucking piece of shit
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So you keep saying i support him.. and ive posted those issues many times.. so how do i support him?
simple
333 doesn't comprehend the written or spoken word
he "reads" and "hears" whatever he wants to read and hear
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Bump
You do this every time you post something saying i support this.. then i go down a list of the huge policies i dont support.. then you shut the fuck up... for about a week... and then you say i support it again.. I swear you are fucking retarded...
You take the stance that "if i dont agree with your bullshit no consequence stories, or the fact that you post lies.... then i must fully support Obama" You are an idiot/moron/retard, because you cant differentiate between Obama support/and Tabloid hate.. You fucking piece of shit
This is a no consequence story?
LMFAO
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simple
333 doesn't comprehend the written or spoken word
he "reads" and "hears" whatever he wants to read and hear
Like an insane person
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Sorry - I never remember previous DOJ's ever pulling crap like this.
You haven't copiously sniffed through all the news everywhere. all kinds of crazy whacked things are going on in this country while we are the mice and the taking heads are pide pipers.
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Why Are The Feds Gunning For Gibson? And Is This Any Way To Stimulate The Economy?
Via FR
The Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution declares that "the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial," and must be "informed of the nature and cause of the accusation." Based on their conduct in raiding the Gibson Guitar Company, agents from the FBI and the Fish and Wildlife Service could stand a refresher course in the law of the land. In November 2009, Fish and Wildlife agents, accompanied by a heavily armed FBI SWAT team, stormed Gibson's Nashville plant and confiscated ebony fingerboards that had been imported from Madagascar. On August 24, 2011 the Feds gave an encore, rushing into Gibson factories in Memphis and Nashville with weapons drawn to confiscate ebony and rosewood from India. The urgency of this "shock and awe" display of enforcement power would suggest a serious crime had been committed. Yet nearly two years after the first raid, no formal charges have been filed, leaving Gibson management to ponder what exactly they stand accused of.
The absence of a formal indictment has fueled wild speculation, but affidavits filed to secure search warrants indicate that this case is about suspected violations of the amended Lacey Act, the recently expanded law that gives the Fish & Wildlife Service the right to regulate all trade in plant material (including wood). The new, but we hesitate to say improved, Lacey Act makes it unlawful to import, export, sell, or purchase in interstate or foreign commerce any plant that violates any U.S. or foreign law.
There are no laws on the books in the U.S. prohibiting the use of Indian or Madagascar rosewood and ebony. That didn't stop the industrious John M. Rayfield, a special agent at the Fish and Wildlife service, from concluding that Gibson's use of these woods violated Indian law. The law he cites in his affidavit, "W.E.F. 23.08.2010 Government of India, Ministry of Commerce and Industry," has nothing to do with overharvesting, illegal logging, or anything else related to the environment. Rather, it specifies labor content levels for wood thicker than 6 millimeters that is exported from India. In other words, Gibson stands accused of using U.S. instead of Indian labor to produce its guitars. Had the company imported a finished guitar from India, using the same rosewood and ebony, it would have been in compliance with Lacey. Importing semi-finished component parts caused the violation. In practice, the Indian authorities have a different interpretation of their law: For decades they have allowed the export of millions of fingerboard blanks without challenge.
There isn't a guitar manufacturer of any scale in the U.S. that doesn't use some Indian rosewood or ebony for fingerboards, and all of them, to the best of our knowledge, import the same kind of semi-finished blanks that were seized from the Gibson plant. Thus, by the logic of Rayfield's affidavit, they are all potentially in violation of Lacey. Lacey applies to sellers, buyers, intermediaries, and anyone else who comes into contact with "illegal" wood, so retailers and consumers could be on the hook as well. If that isn't sufficiently unsettling, remember that Lacey is "a fact-based, rather than a document-based statute." Translation: having the right paperwork won't save you from fines, confiscation of product, or even imprisonment, and the world of music is populated with unsuspecting felons.
At a time when the U.S. economy has yet to return to 2008 production levels, when unemployment stands at 9.1%, when the 2011 national deficit will top $1.3 trillion, and when the trade deficit continues to grow, it's hard to understand why federal agencies would be spending millions to prosecute a thriving U.S. company that sells an acclaimed product that delights millions, is adding workers to its U.S. payroll, and exports 60% of its production. (Equally baffling is why Congress would pass such a poorly crafted bill as the amended Lacey Act, but that's an issue for another editorial.) If Fish and Wildlife and the FBI have a cause for action against Gibson, they should have spelled it out long ago. Absent a compelling case, they should pack it in and let the people of Gibson go about their business serving musicians without interference.
When the Oregon Congressional Delegation amended the Lacey act, their self-declared aim was primarily economic. Responding to an influential constituent, they sought expanded import documentation to slow timber imports and thereby boost a Pacific Northwest timber industry that had been hard hit by the downturn in housing construction. Thus, a bill to help loggers in Oregon has hurt guitar makers in Tennessee, proving that the law of unintended consequences is still very much in force.
Responsibility for enforcing Lacey, and making sure that all wood was in compliance with all of the world's regulations, was handed to the Animal Plant Heath Inspection Service (APHIS), an arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. In a December 15, 2008 presentation, APHIS officials appeared overwhelmed by the new job. They said that enforcement was a low priority and it would take at least a year to develop reporting requirements and proper forms. Yet 11 months later, the Feds were at Gibson's door with guns drawn.
We're not lawyers, but this prosecution (or should we say persecution) of Gibson seems a violation of "due process" and a clear-cut case of regulatory agencies run amok. And the problem extends beyond the pain inflicted on a single company. By the reasoning employed by Fish and Wildlife, the entire guitar world--manufacturers, retailers, vintage dealers, teachers, and players--could be implicated in a Lacey sting. This kind of open-ended threat of prosecution is an affront to a legion of decent, hardworking people who provide the tools for musicians; it's an unnecessary burden on an already struggling economy; and it's a blow to the credibility of a government that is not universally well regarded by its citizenry. As Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz put it, "We feel totally abused. We believe the arrogance of federal power is impacting me personally, our company, and the employees here in Tennessee, and it's just plain wrong."
He's right, and his complaint is one that should be taken up by the entire industry.
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Barack Mugabe Obama - hmm hmmm hmmm
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What you both don't seem to get is that its neither OB or the Repubs or the Dems or Bush.
ITS THE WHOLE GOD DAM ESTABLISHMENT, NON REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT THAT HAS SLOWLY TAKEN OVER OUR COUNTRY.
AND WHILE WE FIGHT OVER IDEOLOGIES LIKE LITTLE BITCHES THESE BASTARDS LOOK AT THAT LIKE LUBRICANT TO EASE THE FUCKING THEY ARE GIVING US.
Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C. S. Lewis
Liberals are today's Puritans. Maybe they don't believe in God, but they are just as warped and delusional as the Puritans from yesteryear.
Bottom Line: Ideologically, one side is predicated on the destruction of American industry, profitability, military might and influence. The other stands for the exact opposite. While both sides have flaws and the majority of politicians are scum, the fact of the matter is that my values, aspirations and goals for myself as a human being and for my country are completely in sync with the Right. All things being equal, ill take pro america, pro business, pro growth, pro independence, pro freedom of speech, pro national security, pro capitalism and continued adherence to the constitution every single day of the week over the alternative.
The alternative is group think idiocy, identity politics, "fairness", "social justice", "green jobs"+ every other buzz word/ catch phrase used by the left to force its warped agenda on the rest of us. Socialism, feminism, racial McCarthyism wrapped in an ambulance chasers mentality to shake people down for benefits they don't deserve, higher taxes, bigger government, censorship, atheism, amnesty= All disgusting, destructive forces that do nothing except harm this country and the world at large.
Most people who make the simplistic argument= " Ah well, both sides are bad so you should just abandon both parties and vote for an independent", usually make the equally idiotic assertion= "All religions have bad people in them, so religion in general should be denounced as violent and Islam should not be singled out."
This flies in the face of reality and common sense. We live in the here and now. Life is happening today. This isn't a homework assignment for your social studies class. Voting for an irrelevant candidate who has no chance of winning an election and abandoning a party, that while flawed, is vastly superior to the alternative in every single conceivable way (assuming you want America to maintain its superiority over the rest of the world) not only makes your vote irrelevant, it provides support for the exponentially worse alternative.
Its the same thing as rationalizing Islamic terrorism with moral equivalency arguments. Denouncing all religions as violent based on events that happened centuries ago, or by referencing anecdotal instances where a non Muslim killed a bunch of people ( Tim Mc Veigh and Brevick-- I cant think of any others in the past 20 years) when three quarters of all religious violence committed in the world today is perpetrated by Islam both trivializes the problem of Islamic extremism and excuses it.
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Yet again your simpleton mind takes one story about one company being investigated for alleged crimes and you weave it into the narrative that you have brewing inside your skull
must suck to be in such a state of paranoia, panic and anger all the time
Actually, No it's called being a typical New Yorker...
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Well established pattern of conduct w obama.
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George,
I don't completey disagree with that. What I want is this crap cleaned up in our government. When a conservative republican administration goes completely agisnts it's principles authorizes billions in bail outs I believe they didn't do it by choice, but instead were pressured or told to do so and they submitted.
I believe we no longer have a representative government, which makes both parties ineffective.
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Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience.
C. S. Lewis
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BINGO - LEAVE ME THE FUCK ALONE !
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Good video.
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CEO says they told him point blank to outsource jobs to Africa.
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Total damage from Obama so far $3,000,000 and counting.
Hey you liberal pieces of garbage - how can you claim to want jobs and growth when you have the President of the USA actively and intentionally destroying them?
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Embattled Guitar Exec to Attend Obama’s Speech
By Robert Costa
Posted on September 07, 2011 1:23 PM
Sources tell National Review Online that Gibson’s chairman and chief executive, Henry Juszkiewicz, will attend President Obama’s joint address to Congress on Thursday. Federal agents recently raided Gibson’s manufacturing facilities, suspecting that the company was using illegally-imported wood.
Juszkiewicz has vocally defended Gibson’s practices and denied the allegations. “There’s no doubt we’re being persecuted,” he said in an interview with the Tennessean. “But while I was sitting in my conference room, while agents blocked the door to my office, I decided two things. One, we were going to try and fight this in court. Secondly, we were going to give this issue visibility.”
Juszkiewicz will be the guest of Rep. Marsha Blackburn, a Tennessee Republican. Blackburn represents numerous Gibson employees, many of whom reside in the Nashville suburbs.
PERMALINK
http://www.nationalreview.com/blogs/print/276481
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Good - I hope he stands up to Obama and looks him in his ghetto thug looter face and says "You Lie!"
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Gibson CEO to Obama: Show Some Concern for Nation's Job Creators
Fox News ^ | September 8, 2011 | none stated
Posted on September 8, 2011 9:59:00 PM EDT by Texas Fossil
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Juszkiewicz was House Speaker John Boehner’s guest at Obama’s speech before a joint session of Congress on Thursday night, in which he unveiled a $447 billion plan to jumpstart the weak economy.
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The chief executive of Gibson Guitar Corp., which has been the target of two federal raids in the past two years over the exotic wood it uses to make the instruments, said Thursday he wants Obama to show some concern for the nation’s job creators.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Gibson CEO Slams “Big Liberal” Obama After Speech: “He’s Done Untold Damage to Business”
Gateway Pundit ^ | September 9,2011 | Jim Hoft
Posted on September 9, 2011 9:18:40 AM EDT by Hojczyk
Gibson Guitar Henry Juszkiewicz was invited to Obama’s speech to Congress tonight. (TPM)
Gibson Guitar Corp. CEO Henry Juszkiewicz slammed “big liberal” Obama after his partisan speech to Congress tonight. The Corner reported:
Henry Juszkiewicz, the chief executive officer of Gibson Guitar Corp., tells National Review Online that President Obama, a “big liberal,” has done “untold damage to business” and should not be applauded for his jobs speech. ”He’s a government fan,” he says. “He has a problem with successful businesses. He thinks they’re the problem, that they shouldn’t be quite as successful.”
“He is using the levers of government to not only redistribute, but to penalize,” he adds. “I see a difference between what he said and what he’s doing.”
Gibson has been under federal investigation in recent months, reportedly for its importation practices. Juskiewicz blames the Obama administration for causing his company, an iconic American brand, to lose money and lawyer up.
“We’re under attack,” Juskiewicz says. “It’s pretty interesting to see that one of the points in Obama’s speech was to cut back regulationand promote jobs, when, in fact, he’s done just the opposite with us.
Right on, Henry. We are all with you brother.
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Feds Still Mum on Reason for Gibson Raids
Memphis Daily News ^ | 09/20/11 | Andy Meek
Federal officials have shed a little light on last month’s raid of Gibson Guitar Corp. facilities in Memphis and Nashville – without really revealing much at all.
In a letter dated Monday, Sept. 19, Christopher Mansour, the director of congressional and legislative affairs in the U.S. Department of the Interior, and Ronald Weich, assistant attorney general for legislative affairs, wrote to congressional leaders in broad terms about the federal Lacey Act. That’s the legislation that provided the backdrop of the Gibson raids.
Their letter was in response to a letter sent by congressional leaders, including U.S. Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., requesting details about the raids. In it, they declined to provide specific details about the raid because of an ongoing investigation into Gibson, but they spoke to some general facts about the matter.
“By prohibiting trafficking in wood illegally harvested overseas, the Lacey Act prohibits companies from undercutting law-abiding U.S. wood-product companies, including numerous small businesses, by trading in artificially inexpensive raw materials that have been illegally harvested from foreign forests,” the two federal officials wrote. “The Lacey Act provides the federal government with an important tool to ensure that all businesses, including foreign companies that send their goods into this country, are operating on a level playing field by using only legally harvested wood.”
The officials went on to say the federal agents’ search for evidence at Gibson began with authorization from a U.S. magistrate judge, who signed off on the raids. And because law enforcement agents are required to carry side arms for their own protection when executing warrants, they said that explains the presence of armed agents during the raids.
Federal agents executed four search warrants at Gibson facilities in Memphis and Nashville around 8:45 a.m. Aug. 24. They seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. Both the company and its supporters have criticized several aspects of the raid – including the presence of armed agents – as indicative of government overreach.
Blackburn touched on that same theme in a statement she released in response to the Sept. 19 letter.
"I am frustrated by the administration’s refusal to brief me and our committee with real answers," Blackburn said. “Specifically, why did they send armed agents into Gibson's facilities? It is beyond me why not once, but twice, the administration felt the need to act like a bunch of cowboys, when I am sure a letter like this or a simple phone call stating their concerns to Gibson's leaders would have prompted a very cooperative response.”
Meanwhile, Gibson and supporters are stepping up a public-relations campaign that began almost in the immediate aftermath of the raids, via everything from a Twitter #thiswillnotstand hashtag to a flurry of media interviews by Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz.
As of mid-day Tuesday, the company was closing in on 20,000 signatures for a petition it plans to deliver to the White House asking for the government to drop its criminal investigation of the company.
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Gibson is playing a Tea Party tune
The Hill ^ | 09/20/11 | Brendan Sasso
Gibson, the maker of the iconic Les Paul electric guitar, has become an unlikely political symbol in the fight over regulations and the reach of government since the company protested federal raids on its factories last month.
And its CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, has become a reluctant warrior against excessive government regulations.
Juszkiewicz has become a hero to Tea Party groups for fighting back against the investigation. He has become a public face of the debate, and sat in House Speaker John Boehner’s (R-Ohio) box during President Obama’s address to Congress earlier this month.
In his jobs speech last week, Boehner pointed to the Gibson raids as an example of how government regulations can destroy jobs.
In an interview with The Hill, Juszkiewicz said his goal is to pressure the Justice Department to settle the case and to get Congress to change laws he thinks are unfair.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife agents raided Gibson Guitar factories in Tennessee at the end of August and seized raw materials, electronic files and guitars as part of an investigation into whether the guitar-maker had imported illegal wood in violation of the Lacey Act.
The Lacey Act makes it a crime to import plants or wildlife into the U.S. if those goods were obtained in a way that breaks the laws of another country. In Gibson’s case, U.S. Fish and Wildlife said the company is suspected of obtaining illegally logged ebony and rosewood from Madagascar and unfinished wood from India. Gibson has denied the charges.
And conservatives have rallied to the company’s defense, arguing it is ridiculous that government agents would raid American factories to enforce foreign laws.
On Twitter, Gibson, whose guitars have been used by countless famous musicians, uses the hashtag “ThisWillNotStand” for posts about the raids, and Juszkiewicz has appeared on conservative radio shows to discuss what he describes as government bullying and harassment.
The public-relations campaign has captured the attention of lawmakers. Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee have demanded more information about the raids from administration officials, and Juszkiewicz is scheduled to meet with Justice Department officials on Wednesday.
Juszkiewicz said he never meant to start a partisan fight, but he is happy people are reacting to the campaign.
His problem with the law is not that it requires enforcement of foreign laws. In fact, he says he supports the goal of the Lacey Act to combat illegal logging.
He says his problem is that the law is ambiguous. It requires companies to use “due care” not to import wood that was harvested illegally but does not explicitly define what that requirement entails.
“You shouldn’t pass a law unless you’re very specific about how to abide by it,” he said.
Juszkiewicz said the law as it is currently written is a “blank check” for prosecutors.
He has been CEO of Gibson Guitars since 1986, when he and two business partners acquired the company. According to his official company bio, he has a passion for music and “worked his way through school playing guitar — a Gibson, of course — in various rock bands playing for parties and weddings.”
He and his wife have made a few political contributions — $4,600 to former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s (R) presidential campaign in 2007 and $2,000 to Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) earlier this year. Cooper represents Nashville, which is where Gibson Guitar is based. Cooper also plans to introduce legislation that would grandfather musical instruments made before 2008 into the Lacey Act.
Gibson’s campaign has sparked a backlash from environmental groups and wood product companies that want to defend the Lacey Act, which was changed to protect plants in 2008.
Environmental groups support the Lacey Act because, they say, it protects endangered forests and the species that depend on them.
The wood industry, which usually finds itself on the opposite side of issues from environmental groups, also supports the law, saying it is unfair to force the industry to compete with illegal loggers.
Jameson French, CEO of Northland Forest Products and the former chairman of the Hardwood Federation, a trade association, said illegal loggers evade environmental and trade laws and sell their products more cheaply than law-abiding companies can.
French said he is “flabbergasted by the misinformation that’s been put out there” by Gibson. In particular, he said that rather than costing jobs, the Lacey Act has “saved a lot of American jobs” by protecting American wood companies from illegal competition.
The groups have been meeting with lawmakers to combat Gibson’s public-relations campaign. They held a briefing for congressional staffers last week and will host a teleconference on Tuesday to “reveal the truth about the Lacey Act and the impact of illegal logging on American jobs and endangered forests.”
Juszkiewicz also argues the raids violated his company’s due-process rights. Agents seized wood and guitars, costing his business money, but the government has not yet proven that Gibson broke any laws.
He says there should be more checks to prevent government abuses, and the company should be able to appeal to a third party to recover its goods.
The Fish and Wildlife Service obtained a search warrant from a judge before conducting the raids. The warrant was based on a sworn statement from a federal investigator, and the goods were seized as evidence for the government’s investigation.
But Juszkiewicz suggested the statement might not have been entirely accurate. “There have to be consequences when federal officials do something bad,” he added.
Juszkiewicz said the initial success of his campaign has inspired him to fight for broad changes to the law.
He said he has been meeting with lawyers about how to craft legislation that would allow companies to recover goods seized in raids.
“We have the public’s attention, and we want to take advantage of that,” he said.
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Feds to Gibson: Hand over more wood
Date: Wednesday, September 28, 2011, 1:40pm CDT
Related: Manufacturing, Logistics & Transportation
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Related News
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Annie Johnson
Staff Reporter - Nashville Business Journal
Email
Federal authorities are pressuring Nashville-based Gibson Guitar to hand over an additional 25 bundles of Indian wood that the company allegedly planned to use in its famous guitars.
The complaint was filed today in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee and mirrors a 2010 action that sought official forfeiture of wood obtained in a 2009 raid of Gibson facilities. The latter of those cases has been stayed, pending the outcome of the most recent suit.
As has been the case in previous allegations, at issue is the classification of certain wood imported to the United States from India. Namely, a June shipment of 1,250 sawn logs was classified as "finished parts of musical instruments," which is allowed under Indian law. In reality, according to the sworn affidavit of Fish and Wildlife Service agent Kevin Seiler, the wood was unfinished – a violation of the Lacey Act.
The Lacey Act, originally passed by Congress in 1900, was amended in 2008 as part of that year’s Farm Bill to include protection for certain wood and endangered animal species. At its core, the Lacey Act makes it illegal to import plants or wildlife into the U.S. if those goods are harvested in a way that violates the laws of another country.
In other words, because Indian workers didn’t create the final product, it’s not legally eligible to be exported.
The affidavit also outlines allegations that Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz understands the violations, as evidenced by the staunch defense of his company in a press conference and subsequent political fights around the Lacey Act.
“It is clear that Gibson understands the purpose of the Lacey Act, and understands that … fingerboard blanks are not finished fingerboards and thus Gibson is aware that its order for fingerboard blanks was an order for contraband ebony wood or ebony wood which is illegal to possess," Seiler wrote.
Annie Johnson covers economic development, music/entertainment/sports, legal affairs and tourism/hospitality.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/09/28/feds-to-gibson-give-us-more-wood.html?ana=e_pft
It never stops with this disgusting ghetto thug pofs in the WH.
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http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2011/09/28/feds-to-gibson-give-us-more-wood.html?ana=e_pft
It never stops with this disgusting ghetto thug pofs in the WH.
from your story it seems like the company is being accused of importing unfinished wood in violation of the revised terms of the Lacey Act
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from your story it seems like the company is being accused of importing unfinished wood in violation of the revised terms of the Lacey Act
Not according to the Indian Govt. The Indian Govt said gibson is in compliance with all its laws. Additionally - its cometitors who are DNC donors use the same wood and have not been raided or targeted. Guess why Straw?
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Not according to the Indian Govt. The Indian Govt said gibson is in compliance with all its laws. Additionally - its cometitors who are DNC donors use the same wood and have not been raided or targeted. Guess why Straw?
Is the Lacey Act and Indian law
who says "DNC donors" use the same wood?
Let me guess - it was the CEO of Gibson making this claim?
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Is the Lacey Act and Indian law
who says "DNC donors" use the same wood?
Let me guess - it was the CEO of Gibson making this claim?
No, obviously you have not paid attention to this case one bit.
Fender uses the same wood and is in a union state and is a campaign contributor to ObaMao. Gibson donates to the GOP and is in a right to work state.
India said there is no violation at all, and so far the US Govt has impounded over 500k of Gibsons' wood it already paid for without and formal judicial findings of any violations.
Get a fucking clue already.
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No, obviously you have not paid attention to this case one bit.
Fender uses the same wood and is in a union state and is a campaign contributor to ObaMao. Gibson donates to the GOP and is in a right to work state.
India said there is no violation at all, and so far the US Govt has impounded over 500k of Gibsons' wood it already paid for without and formal judicial findings of any violations.
Get a fucking clue already.
Who says Fender uses the same wood ?
from reading the latest story you posted it's not the wood but whether it's a finished product or not
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Who says Fender uses the same wood ?
from reading the latest story you posted it's not the wood but whether it's a finished product or not
::) ::)
Yeah - ok Straw - such a pressing matter to send in the SWAT Teams when the Indian govt has no issue with this.
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Homeland Security in SWAt gear Straw - yeah good job supporting obama
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333 - I guess you've forgotten again that I don't watch your videos
as soon as you post videos in response to simple questions I assume you're out of answers
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333 - I guess you've forgotten again that I don't watch your videos
as soon as you post videos in response to simple questions I assume you're out of answers
The videos utterly destroy your self chosen ignorance on this.
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you can't answer a simple question
The Fed say that Gibson imported unfinished wood product in violation of the Lacey Act
from the story you posted:
“It is clear that Gibson understands the purpose of the Lacey Act, and understands that … fingerboard blanks are not finished fingerboards and thus Gibson is aware that its order for fingerboard blanks was an order for contraband ebony wood or ebony wood which is illegal to possess,"
Tell me which one of the 4 videos you just posted has proof that Fender or some other company is doing the exact same thing and I'll watch it and respond
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THE FUCKING LETTER FROM THE MADASCAR GOVT AND INDIA GOVT ASSHOLE!
And no charges have been brought now two years later despite the fact that the Govt has over 500k of their material!
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TWO YEARS AND NO CHARGES STRAW AND THE GOVTS ALL AGREE WITH GIBSON!
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THE FUCKING LETTER FROM THE MADASCAR GOVT AND INDIA GOVT ASSHOLE!
And no charges have been brought now two years later despite the fact that the Govt has over 500k of their material!
whis part of which video has the information I requested
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http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/gibson-0825-2011
• Wood seized was Forest Stewardship Council Controlled
The wood the Government seized on August 24 is from a Forest Stewardship Council certified supplier and is FSC Controlled, meaning that the wood complies with the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council, which is an industry-recognized and independent, not-for-profit organization established to promote responsible management of the world’s forests. FSC Controlled Wood standards require, among other things, that the wood not be illegally harvested and not be harvested in violation of traditional and civil rights. See www.fsc.org for more information. Gibson has a long history of supporting sustainable and responsible sources of wood and has worked diligently with entities such as the Rainforest Alliance and Greenpeace to secure FSC certified supplies. The wood seized on August 24 satisfied FSC standards.
• Nearly two years later, no charges have been filed
In 2009, more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons invaded the Gibson factory in Nashville. The Government seized guitars and a substantial amount of ebony fingerboard blanks from Madagascar. To date, 1 year and 9 months later, criminal charges have NOT been filed, yet the Government still holds Gibson’s property. Gibson has obtained sworn statements and documents from the Madagascar government and these materials, which have been filed in federal court, show that the wood seized in 2009 was legally exported under Madagascar law and that no law has been violated. Gibson is attempting to have its property returned in a civil proceeding that is pending in federal court.
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so again, no answer to a simple question
I guess if Gibson says they haven't violated the law we should just believe them
why would they lie?
clearly this is nothing more than a vendetta by the Obama Administration because the CEO of Gibson gave a few thousand dollars to a Republican
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Hey douchebag - the foreign govts say no laws were violated and the US Govt still has not filed charges nearly two years later.
Guess why?
Amazing how you leftists/socialists/progressives are so fond of the police state when its your communist messiah doing to the tyranny.
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Hey douchebag - the foreign govts say no laws were violated and the US Govt still has not filed charges nearly two years later.
Guess why?
Amazing how you leftists/socialists/progressives are so fond of the police state when its your communist messiah doing to the tyranny.
you're an attorney?
is that how our legal system works?
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you're an attorney?
is that how our legal system works?
Considering the law they are trying to interpret? hhhmmmm? ? ? ?
And 2 years later and no charges Straw?
Sending in SWAT Team with guns drawn to raid the factory? Not once, but twice?
Tell me, how long should the Maobama Admn have to file charges on this before they give back the wood Gibson paid for?
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Considering the law they are trying to interpret? hhhmmmm? ? ? ?
And 2 years later and no charges Straw?
Sending in SWAT Team with guns drawn to raid the factory? Not once, but twice?
Tell me, how long should the Maobama Admn have to file charges on this before they give back the wood Gibson paid for?
holy shit
the SWAT team raided some factory and they had their guns drawn
SHOCKING
are you really an attorney
really?
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holy shit
the SWAT team raided some factory and they had their guns drawn
SHOCKING
are you really an attorney
really?
Yes Straw - give me one reason a SWAT Team was used for this.
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Yes Straw - give me one reason a SWAT Team was used for this.
don't most if not all "raids" such as thing involved armed LE
in fact aren't most LE armed
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don't most if not all "raids" such as thing involved armed LE
in fact aren't most LE armed
Raid for what?
They raided the company in 09 and took a shit load of materials and never filed any charges. Gibson asked them what the charges were and Obama refuses to say what that was. Gibson filed 80,000 docs in court showing they were in compliance and still, the jack boot thugs raided them again with a swat team?
Thats ok with you?
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Raid for what?
They raided the company in 09 and took a shit load of materials and never filed any charges. Gibson asked them what the charges were and Obama refuses to say what that was. Gibson filed 80,000 docs in court showing they were in compliance and still, the jack boot thugs raided them again with a swat team?
Thats ok with you?
haven't you read your own posts?
http://www.gibson.com/en-us/Lifestyle/News/gibson-0825-2011
In 2009, more than a dozen agents with automatic weapons invaded the Gibson factory in Nashville. The Government seized guitars and a substantial amount of ebony fingerboard blanks from Madagascar.
In other words, because Indian workers didn’t create the final product, it’s not legally eligible to be exported.The affidavit also outlines allegations that Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz understands the violations, as evidenced by the staunch defense of his company in a press conference and subsequent political fights around the Lacey Act.
“It is clear that Gibson understands the purpose of the Lacey Act, and understands that … fingerboard blanks are not finished fingerboards and thus Gibson is aware that its order for fingerboard blanks was an order for contraband ebony wood or ebony wood which is illegal to possess," Seiler wrote.
Annie Johnson covers economic development, music/entertainment/sports, legal affairs and tourism/hospitality.
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Right - cause a swat team with drawn automatic weapons was needed for this?
Seriously - you leftists are nothing but thinly veiled communists to the core.
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Right - cause a swat team with drawn automatic weapons was needed for this?
Seriously - you leftists are nothing but thinly veiled communists to the core.
are you REALLY an attorney
are you not aware of how LE "raids" work
it's kind of ironic that you have a problem with LE being armed given your penchant for hording guns and ammo
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are you REALLY an attorney
are you not aware of how LE "raids" work
it's kind of ironic that you have a problem with LE being armed given your penchant for hording guns and ammo
LE for what? Is now wood being used to make guitars the same as narcotics bweing used by cartels and meth labs?
WTF is wrong with you?
and the second raid with guns drawn after the Obama Junta failed to even file charges after the 1st raid and taking 500k of product?
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LE for what? Is now wood being used to make guitars the same as narcotics bweing used by cartels and meth labs?
WTF is wrong with you?
and the second raid with guns drawn after the Obama Junta failed to even file charges after the 1st raid and taking 500k of product?
wtf is wrong with you
are you not aware of how LE raids work
they do that shit every day
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wtf is wrong with you
are you not aware of how LE raids work
they do that shit every day
Yes i know how the jack boot thugs work. Thats why this is a big deal. Why the second raid after not filing charges after the 1st raid and still holding 500k of product, yet being possession of docs showing Gibson was in compliance?
Only a far left communist like youself could support the obama gestapo states' action in this.
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Yes i know how the jack boot thugs work. Thats why this is a big deal. Why the second raid after not filing charges after the 1st raid and still holding 500k of product, yet being possession of docs showing Gibson was in compliance?
Only a far left communist like youself could support the obama gestapo states' action in this.
nothing special or different about his raid
so I guess all LE raids are "jack boot thugs"
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nothing special or different about his raid
so I guess all LE raids are "jack boot thugs"
Most are jack boot thugs - I agree with that entirely. I have little or no respect for most "law enforcement" as they like to call themselves.
They don't enforce anything but their union scams and pension scams against the taxpayer while abusing citizens.
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Most are jack boot thugs - I agree with that entirely. I have little or no respect for most "law enforcement" as they like to call themselves.
They don't enforce anything but their union scams and pension scams against the taxpayer while abusing citizens.
watch out 333 Obama's (or maybe Bloombergs) jack booted thugs are coming for you
better stock up on some more ammo, food and water and barricade yourself in that tiny little apartment
you might even want to consider a few booby traps
I mean, you've gotta sleep at some point
right
you're #winning
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The Great Gibson Guitar Raid: Months Later, Still No Charges Filed (Breitbart still fights on)
Andrew Breitbart's Big Government ^ | 03/01/2012
Posted on Thursday, March 01, 2012 10:39:23 AM by SeekAndFind
“They…come in with weapons, they seized a half-million dollars worth of property, they shut our factory down, and they have not charged us with anything,” says Gibson Guitars CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, referring to the August 2011 raid on his Nashville and Memphis factories by agents from the Departments of Homeland Security and Fish & Wildlife.
The feds raided Gibson for using an inappropriate tariff code on wood from India, which is a violation of the anti-trafficking statute known as The Lacey Act. At issue is not whether the wood in question was endangered, but whether the wood was the correct level of thickness and finish before being exported from India. “India is wanting to ensure that raw wood is not exported without some labor content from India,” says Juskiewicz.
Andrea Johnson of the Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) counters that “it’s not up to Gibson to decide which laws…they want to respect.” She points out that Gibson had previously been raided under The Lacey Act for imports from Madagascar.
This much is clear: The government has yet to file any charges or allow Gibson a day in court to makes its case, much less retrieve its materials.
“This is not about responsible forestry and sustainable wood or illegal logging, this is about a bureaucratic law,” argues Juszkiewicz, who testified last year before a congressional hearing convened by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). It is, he says, ”a blank check for abuse.”
About 6 minutes. Written, produced, and narrated by Anthony L. Fisher; shot by Joshua Swain.
Music: “Improvisation: Fast Blues in A” by Rev. Gary Davis
Go to http://www.reason.tv for downloadable versions and subscribe to Reason.tv’s YouTube Channel to receive automatic updates when new material goes live.
CLICK ABOVE LINK FOR THE VIDEO
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Gibson Guitar case drags on with no sign of criminal charges
Fox News ^ | April 12 2012 | Fox News
t was seven months ago that federal agents with guns drawn raided the Gibson guitar factories in Nashville and Memphis. A half million dollars worth of Indian rosewood and ebony was seized under the premise that it had been imported illegally. The feds also took a number of guitars and computer hard drives. The factory was shut down for the day and employees told to go home.
Yet after all this time, the Department of Justice has shown no sign that it will file criminal charges against Gibson. What’s more – it has been almost 3 years since federal agents first raided Gibson (November 2009), seizing a quantity of wood from Madagascar. No decision on criminal charges in that case either.
Meantime, the DOJ has blocked a civil court case in which Gibson was appealing to get its wood back while the criminal investigation proceeds. Or doesn’t.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
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Most pathetic administration ever. But, hey, all is good because Zimmerman was finally brought up on charges.
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Most pathetic administration ever. But, hey, all is good because Zimmerman was finally brought up on charges.
That is the latest obsession of the leftists. Condoms, country clubs, fluke, gays, the church, gay marriage, zimmerman, palin, etc.
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Feds threaten to disrupt summer concerts
May 18, 2012 -- 1:12 PM
http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/washington-secrets/2012/05/feds-threaten-disrupt-summer-concerts/626621
Paul McCartney performs during a free Mother's Day concert May 10, 2012 in Mexico City. He uses Gibson Guitars, a firm under scrutiny for using foreign wood in their instruments. (Photo by Daniel Aguilar/Getty Images)
Lawmakers are scrambling to save the summer concert season from federal agents poised to seize the instruments of rock and country stars because the wood used to make them may have been illegally harvested--and without their knowledge.
“I don’t want the musicians from Nashville who are flying to Canada to perform this summer to worry about the government seizing their guitars,” said Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander.
Alexander, whose state is home to famed Gibson Guitars used by bands and stars like Van Halen, the Allman Brothers, Sheryl Crow, Ted Nugent and Paul McCartney, said Friday that he and Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden are working to protect the artists, their instruments and makers and eventually change the law governing illegal wood harvesting.
“Senator Wyden and I are going to write the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service a letter in the next couple of weeks and try to make it clear that wood harvested before 2008 to make musical instruments can’t be seized by the federal government,” Alexander said in a statement. “The Justice Department and Fish and Wildlife have said they have no intention of doing that, but Sen. Wyden and I are going to make it absolutely clear. We hope to get a clear ruling within a few weeks, and if we can’t get a clear ruling, we’ll introduce legislation to change the Lacey Act.”
The 112-year-old Lacey Act regulates the trade in bird feathers for hats and was amended in 2008 to cover wood and plants. The goal: make sure the woods used were not exported in violation of another country’s laws.
Their goal is to protect wooden instruments built with materials imported before 2008, when the Act was expanded. “This law was never intended to apply to those instruments,” said Alexander.
They are also working to help companies like Gibson--raided by the Feds recently--figure out what imports are legal.
Wyden and Alexander met with representatives from the music industry, wood import business and environmental and conservation groups Thursday to settle on a solution.
“We held this roundtable because instrument makers like Gibson Guitars in Tennessee are an important part of our music industry, and if the Lacey Act as written is keeping them from being able to get the wood they need to make instruments, we need to make every effort to fix the regulation,” said Alexander.
“The law was intended to prevent illegal logging and protect U.S. job that are threatened by illegal logging, it was never intended to seize instruments or wood products that were obtained prior to the passage of the Lacey Act amendments in May 2008 because they were made from imported wood—and when laws have unintended consequences, Congress has a responsibility to promptly make changes,” he added.
________________________ ________________________ _______
FUCKING AMAZING. EVEN MADAGASCAR SAY GIBSON DID NOTHING WRONG!
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Gibson Guitar Corp. Strikes Deal with Justice Dept. to Avoid Prosecution
PJ Media ^ | 8-6-12 | Bridget Johnson
Posted on August 6, 2012 1:38:28 PM EDT by kingattax
Gibson Guitar Corp. agreed to settle charges that it illegally purchased and imported ebony wood from Madagascar and rosewood and ebony from India, the Justice Department said today.
The company will pay a $300,000 fine under a criminal enforcement agreement that defers prosecution for criminal violations of the Lacey Act. Another $50,000 fine will go to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation “to be used to promote the conservation, identification and propagation of protected tree species used in the musical instrument industry and the forests where those species are found.”
Since May 2008, it has been illegal under the Lacey Act to import into the United States plants and plant products that have been harvested and exported in violation of the laws of another country. Raids of Gibson factories by federal authorities led to concerns from some guitar owners that they could also be found in violation and pursued for having instruments made of illegal wood.
Last August, Gibson officials accused the government of “bullying” the company. “Gibson has complied with foreign laws and believes it is innocent of any wrong doing. We will fight aggressively to prove our innocence.”
Under the agreement with the Justice and Interior departments, Gibson will also withdraw its civil claim to retrieve $261,844 worth of Madagascar ebony seized in a raid.
“As a result of this investigation and criminal enforcement agreement, Gibson has acknowledged that it failed to act on information that the Madagascar ebony it was purchasing may have violated laws intended to limit overharvesting and conserve valuable wood species from Madagascar, a country which has been severely impacted by deforestation,” said Assistant Attorney General Moreno. “Gibson has ceased acquisitions of wood species from Madagascar and recognizes its duty under the U.S. Lacey Act to guard against the acquisition of wood of illegal origin by verifying the circumstances of its harvest and export, which is good for American business and American consumers.”
The criminal enforcement agreement includes a detailed statement of facts describing the conduct for which Gibson accepts and acknowledges responsibility. Gibson received four shipments of Madagascar ebony fingerboard blanks from its supplier between October 2008 and September 2009.
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DOJ hits Gibson with $300K fine in settlement over exotic wood raids
Hotair ^ | 08/07/2012 | ED MORRISSEY
Posted on Tuesday, August 07, 2012 1:41:41 PM
Did you get here Googling "exotic wood raids?" Is this not what you expected? I'm sorry. Settle in for some hot public policy.
Last we checked in with Gibson, the famed Tennessee guitar maker had been raided twice by armed federal agents, who seized almost $500,000 in exotic wood imported from India and Madagascar and shut down production. The ebony and rosewood in question have been used for decades to make the instrument's fingerboards and are integral to their style and sound, the company said. (Great video background from Reason, here.)
This week, Gibson settled with the government in a "criminal enforcement agreement," which means the feds won't bring criminal charges after their three-year investigation. In exchange, Gibson acknowledged some of its imports from Madagascar violated environmental laws and agreed to pay a fine of $300,000 plus $50,000 to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to be directed to preserving forests. It will also step up compliance efforts.
The admission of wrongdoing only applies to Madagascar wood imported and seized in 2009, not to Indian wood imported and seized in 2011. Gibson will be able to recover the wood seized in the 2011 raid, suggesting there was no evidence of wrongdoing in that raid.
The government admits as much in the agreement, which Gibson has posted in full on its website, along with the evidence against it:
The Government and Gibson acknowledge and agree that certain questions and inconsistencies now exist regarding the tariff classification of ebony and rosewood fingerboard blanks pursuant to the Indian government's Foreign Trade Policy. Accordingly, the Government will not undertake enforcement actions related to Gibson's future orders, purchases, or imports of ebony and rosewood fingerboard blanks from India, unless and until the Government of India provides specific clarification that ebony and rosewood fingerboard blanks are expressly prohibited by laws related to Indian Foreign Trade Policy. The Government agrees to provide Gibson notice of any such clarification from the Government of India in the future and a reasonable period of time (60 days or as otherwise agreed) to address the potential change in the understanding of the law as it relates to shipments received by or en route to Gibson.
Gibson invites everyone to check out the full report and evidence for themselves. It’s not a long read, and really gives you a feel for the complexity inherent in our regulatory system. Here, from the DOJ report is Gibson’s violation, which prompted two armed raids and three years of investigation:
Between June 20, 2008, and November 17,2009, Gibson did not ask for or obtain paperwork or official assurances from officials in Madagascar that the wood it was purchasing from Madagascar through its German supplier was legally harvested and exported from Madagascar, notwithstanding the information received by Gibson during the June 2008 trip to Madagascar. Before November 2009, Gibson further did not ask for additional paperwork or other confirmation from its supplier that the wood it was purchasing from Madagascar was legally harvested and exported, although the execution of the search warrant. Instead, Gibson relied on the fact that T.N.(the German supplier) was an established, FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) chain of custody certified supplier. Before ordering or accepting delivery of the fingerboards, Gibson should have taken a more active role and exercised additional diligence with respect to documentation of legal forestry practices in the areas of Madagascar from which those shipments from its wood supplier may have originated. Information received by the Gibson representative during the June 2008 trip to Madagascar was not further investigated or acted upon, prior to the continuing placement of orders with the supplier, T.N. Information sent to company management by the Gibson representative and others following the June 2008 trip to Madagascar also was not further investigated or acted upon, prior to the continuing placement of orders with the supplier, T.N. Instead, Gibson continued to purchase Madagascar ebony after June 20, 2008.
Translation (allowing for the fact that I’m not a lawyer): A Madagascar law allows the export of finished fingerboards but not unfinished “fingerboard blanks,” which would leave the finishing work to Gibson, adding frets and shaving fractions of an inch off the wood pieces. A Madagascar company was given a special dispensation to export existing stocks of rosewood after the passage of this Madagascar law, and Gibson received that company’s wood through a German company, which was also certified by an outside environmental group as forest-friendly. It turns out, the Madagascar company did not have a dispensation for ebony, but Gibson was getting the wood through two respected dealers, as far as it was concerned. Because a Gibson employee visited Madagascar with Greenpeace in 2008 and prepared a report, which went to higher-ups, addressing some of the risks of violating Madagascar law, Gibson should have taken additional steps to prevent the import of this Madagascar ebony.
Is there technically a violation of the Lacey Act somewhere in there? Sure, arguably, and that’s the fun of very complex U.S. laws dependent on the interpretation of unclear foreign laws and enforced via byzantine reporting requirements.
The WSJ explains what businesses are up against in dealing with these laws, even when making good-faith efforts to comply:
Gibson’s predicament, which raises concerns for musical-instrument makers and other importers of wood, illustrates the pitfalls of complying with U.S. law while dealing with middlemen in faraway countries whose legal systems can be murky.
But why, if the 2009 raid’s Madagascar wood is the wood that violated the Lacey Act, were there no criminal charges brought between the 2009 raid and the 2011 raid? Could it be there wasn’t much of a criminal case, here?
In that case, shutting down production in a second armed federal raid seizing hundreds of thousands of dollars in wood, which (oops!) didn’t violate any laws would be a pretty keen way to get someone to cop to the violations of the first raid without a trial, wouldn’t it?
Gibson contends it had to settle to save money and move on with the company’s business:
“We felt compelled to settle as the costs of proving our case at trial would have cost millions of dollars and taken a very long time to resolve. This allows us to get back to the business of making guitars. An important part of the settlement is that we are getting back the materials seized in a second armed raid on our factories and we have formal acknowledgement that we can continue to source rosewood and ebony fingerboards from India, as we have done for many decades.”
Despite the fact that, “…the government acknowledges that Gibson has cooperated with the Government and the investigation conducted by the Fish and Wildlife Service”, Gibson was subject to two hostile raids on its factories by agents carrying weapons and attired in SWAT gear where employees were forced out of the premises, the production was shut down, goods were seized as contraband, and threats were made that would have forced the business to close.
CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz commented, “We feel that Gibson was inappropriately targeted, and a matter that could have been addressed with a simple contact a caring human being representing the government. Instead, the Government used violent and hostile means with the full force of the US Government and several armed law enforcement agencies costing the tax payer millions of dollars and putting a job creating US manufacture at risk and at a competitive disadvantage. This shows the increasing trend on the part of government to criminalize rules and regulations and treat US businesses in the same way drug dealers are treated. This is wrong and it is unfair. I am committed to working hard to correct the inequity that the law allows and insure there is fairness, due process, and the law is used for its intended purpose of stopping bad guys and stopping the very real deforestation of our planet”.
Juszkiewicz and others in the music industry remain worried about those, including individual musicians, who might get ensnared in Lacey Act violations:
George Gruhn, who owns a vintage guitar shop in Nashville, said he wasn’t surprised that Gibson officials accepted the settlement.
“Regardless of the merits of the case on either side, it would have cost more than that by far to pursue it,” he said. “Even if they thought they conceivably they could win, it would have probably cost more than $1 million to do it…
“The problem is that virtually every instrument prior to 1970 contains Brazilian rosewood,” he said. “Even on a Gibson LGO, which was their cheapest student guitar.”
The government has said it won’t go after individual guitar owners, but the law does not prevent it. Early this year, Sen. Rand Paul introduced a law that would strike references to “foreign” law from the Lacey Act and substitute a civil penalties for the law’s criminal ones.
For now, Gibson will pay its $350,000 after a three-year investigation that cost us God knows how much to make amends for four shipments of wood totalling $262,000.
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Now The Gibson Guitar Raids Make Sense
Investor's Business Daily ^ | May 23. 2013 | IBD EDITORIALS
Posted on May 23, 2013 7:16:11 PM EDT by raptor22
IRS Scandal: The inexplicable raid nearly two years ago on a guitar maker for using allegedly illegal wood that its competitors also used was another targeting by this administration of its political enemies.
On Aug. 24, 2011, federal agents executed four search warrants on Gibson Guitar Corp. facilities in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. One of the top makers of acoustic and electric guitars, including the iconic Les Paul introduced in 1952, Gibson was accused of using wood illegally obtained in violation of the century-old Lacey Act, which outlaws trafficking in flora and fauna the harvesting of which had broken foreign laws.
In one raid, the feds hauled away ebony fingerboards, alleging they violated Madagascar law. Gibson responded by obtaining the sworn word of the African island's government that no law had been broken.
In another raid, the feds found materials imported from India, claiming they too moved across the globe in violation of Indian law. Gibson's response was that the feds had simply misinterpreted Indian law.
Interestingly, one of Gibson's leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Co. According to C.F. Martin's catalog, several of their guitars contain "East Indian Rosewood," which is the exact same wood in at least 10 of Gibson's guitars. So why were they not also raided and their inventory of foreign wood seized?
Grossly underreported at the time was the fact that Gibson's chief executive, Henry Juszkiewicz, contributed to Republican politicians. Recent donations have included $2,000 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and $1,500 to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
By contrast, Chris Martin IV, the Martin & Co. CEO, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Committee over the past couple of election cycles.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
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Free Republic
Browse · Search Pings · Mail News/Activism
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Skip to comments.
Now The Gibson Guitar Raids Make Sense
Investor's Business Daily ^ | May 23. 2013 | IBD EDITORIALS
Posted on May 23, 2013 7:16:11 PM EDT by raptor22
IRS Scandal: The inexplicable raid nearly two years ago on a guitar maker for using allegedly illegal wood that its competitors also used was another targeting by this administration of its political enemies.
On Aug. 24, 2011, federal agents executed four search warrants on Gibson Guitar Corp. facilities in Nashville and Memphis, Tenn., and seized several pallets of wood, electronic files and guitars. One of the top makers of acoustic and electric guitars, including the iconic Les Paul introduced in 1952, Gibson was accused of using wood illegally obtained in violation of the century-old Lacey Act, which outlaws trafficking in flora and fauna the harvesting of which had broken foreign laws.
In one raid, the feds hauled away ebony fingerboards, alleging they violated Madagascar law. Gibson responded by obtaining the sworn word of the African island's government that no law had been broken.
In another raid, the feds found materials imported from India, claiming they too moved across the globe in violation of Indian law. Gibson's response was that the feds had simply misinterpreted Indian law.
Interestingly, one of Gibson's leading competitors is C.F. Martin & Co. According to C.F. Martin's catalog, several of their guitars contain "East Indian Rosewood," which is the exact same wood in at least 10 of Gibson's guitars. So why were they not also raided and their inventory of foreign wood seized?
Grossly underreported at the time was the fact that Gibson's chief executive, Henry Juszkiewicz, contributed to Republican politicians. Recent donations have included $2,000 to Rep. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and $1,500 to Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.
By contrast, Chris Martin IV, the Martin & Co. CEO, is a long-time Democratic supporter, with $35,400 in contributions to Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Committee over the past couple of election cycles.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.investors.com ...
Gibson settled the case which pretty much stated that they admitted to importing wood illegally....300k is chump change compared to the millions they made from sales. Stop chasing Zebras
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http://www.forbes.com/sites/billfrezza/2014/05/26/lumber-union-protectionists-incited-swat-raid-on-my-factory-says-gibson-guitar-ceo
Figures. Typical thug tactics by the Union and Obama Junta