05-02-2018, 08:59 PM
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Leaner, Meaner, Faster
Industry Role:
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Vegas
Posts: 20,959
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 2MuchMark
I think it's unfair to blame Obama for this. Gibson broke the law. They violated the Macey Act that had already been in place for 3 years beforehand that outlawed importing wood harvested and illegally exported under another country's laws in 2011. It was an elaborate setup that took some planning, and they got busted by the Department of Justice for it, and were fined $300k for breaking the law a $50k donation to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. It's completely their fault, and I think, a pretty fair fine.
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And yet....other guitar manufacturers were not bothered at all.
THAT is the point you are missing Mark.
Gibson's CEO was an outspoken Republican Party donor. And he was targeted for that reason.
Since you didn't take time to read:
"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." |
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