Official Luthiers Forum!

http://washingtonexaminer.com/politics/ ... rts/626621

Maybe it's just fear-mongering.... maybe it's not.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

From the article, Lamar Alexander says....

“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.”

So he's saying Justice and Fish and Wildlife have no intention of doing anything so I'll see if I can stir something up? Sounds like politics as usual to me.....

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http://www.chassonguitars.com

No...it's Justice and Fish and Wildlife that are saying "we have no intention of...."

The implication by these Senators is that there is scant cause to trust the stated good intentions of the Justice Dept. so there is therefore, every reason to see possible abuses of power precluded by written law.

What exactly is the problem with this proposed law?

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic

Right. "Every reason" = the DOJ's track record with Lacey thus far.

Most federal agencies now seem poorly named...

Should be:
Department of No Energy
Department of Poor Education, etc.

Feel free to add your own.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

Great point! Couple more examples:

- Department of Corrections
- Department of Labor

If it were up to me it would be the department of eat you know what and die.

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James W Bolan
Nashville Tennessee

It's the Ministry of Truth....

You got me laughing, guys.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

And let's not leave out:

Department of Redundency Department

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Phil

http://www.oleninstruments.com

"Those who tilt at windmills are only considered insane by those who can't see the dragon."

Well remember we all voted the people in that are doing this stuff. Be they democrats or republicans. They are all the same.

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Another day, another dollar.

We didn't vote in all the nameless agency drones and bureaucrats whose rules and regs have the power of law. THESE are the folks who truly bring the misery to our lives.

The 500 and some-odd we vote for are just the ones who get their butts chewed when there is trouble.

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"Act your age, not your shoe size" - Prince

They are also the ones who author, sponsor and vote for/against very poorly thought-out laws like the one in question here. The 'trouble' was very predictable, IMO, so they deserve more than a butt chewing!

You guys make it sound like you can't do business in America. Here's a company that has been very happy with government regulations:http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/19/us/politics/behind-armys-17000-drip-pan-harold-rogerss-earmark.html

I figure these must be Brazilian Rosewood drip pans with elaborate MOP inlays. Even so, I'm planning to bid on the contract--thought I'd give the rest of you a heads up.

I expect it's more likely that the DOJ's entire track record of attitude and obfuscation informs this proposal.

I'll ask again....what exactly is wrong with this proposed legislation...other than the fact that a couple of Republicans proposed it? It surely can't be that you WANT the Federal Wood Police to be able to confiscate guitars from professional musicians...can it?

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I read Emerson on the can. A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds...true...but a consistent reading of Emerson has its uses nevertheless.

StuMusic