Gibson Guitars: "We are under attack by the Obama Admn".

[Soul Crusher]

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

[Soul Crusher]

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! 

[Soul Crusher]

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.

[Soul Crusher]

http://landmarkreport.com/andrew/2011/08/ceo-of-gibson-guitar-a-republican-donor

[Soul Crusher]

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?   

[Soul Crusher]

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

[Soul Crusher]

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... /

[Soul Crusher]

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

[Soul Crusher]

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?

 

[Bindare_Dundat]

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.

[Soul Crusher]

The best part is that the obamacunts still wonder why businesses refuse to hire.

[Vince G, CSN MFT]

So Obama has a vendetta against a guitar company......  

[Soul Crusher]

He has a vendetta against this entire nation.

[240 is Back]

gibson and martin should have a showdown onstage to settle this!

[Straw Man]

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

[Straw Man]

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?

[Soul Crusher]

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. 

[Straw Man]

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

[Soul Crusher]

Yeah - its all an isolated incident straw.   Just like Boeing, et al.

[Straw Man]

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

[Soul Crusher]

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.

[Soul Crusher]

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.

[Straw Man]

He has a vendetta against this entire nation.

vendetta is seeking revenge

what is Obama seeking revenge against the entire nation for?

[Soul Crusher]

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.

[OzmO]

 

Time to get help.