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Senate bill would make selling fake maple syrup a felony offense
The Hill ^ | October 21, 2011 | Pete Kasperowicz

Posted on 10/21/2011 10:49:20 AM PDT by jazusamo

Six senators introduced legislation that would make selling fake maple syrup a felony offense that can lead to fines and up to five years in prison.

The Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement (MAPLE) is a response to what chief sponsor Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) and others say is the increasing practice of cheating Vermont, upstate New York and other maple syrup regions by selling inferior, fake syrup.

"I have been alarmed by the growing number of individuals and businesses claiming to sell genuine Vermont maple syrup when they are in fact selling an inferior product that is not maple syrup at all," Leahy said Thursday. "This is fraud, plain and simple, and it undermines a key part of Vermont's economy and reputation for quality that has been hard-earned through Vermonters' hard work."

He added that others in the syrup-producing regions of Maine, New York and other states also have been hurt. Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) are all cosponsors.

Under current law, fraudulently selling fake maple syrup is a misdemeanor offense.

Under the bill, S. 1742, selling fake maple syrup would be listed as an act of fraud that is seen as a felony offense, along with falsifying bank entries, mortgage transactions, loan applications, citizenship records and dozens of other activities.

"We need to make sure that those who intentionally deceive consumers get a trip to jail, not a slap on the wrist," Leahy said. "Schemers should not easily be able to sully the seal of quality that is associated with genuine Vermont maple syrup."

The bill specifically lists what qualifies as real maple syrup: a liquid food derived from heating tree sap or mixing water and maple sugar. In either case, not less than 66 percent of the weight of the product must be "soluble solids derived solely from the sap of a species of tree in the genus Acer."


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; US: Vermont
KEYWORDS: felony; leahy; maplesyrup
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To: onedoug
Well that just about puts to sleep the idea of a "Do Nothing Congress"

By god, now we're getting somewhere! /s

21 posted on 10/21/2011 10:59:34 AM PDT by skimbell
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To: jazusamo

Doesn’t the current law specify immitation products be labeled as such?

Maple FLAVORED syrup or something like that.

People can’t figure it out by that?

BTW, real maple syrup is heads and shoulders better than immitation. Problem is it costs so much more.


22 posted on 10/21/2011 11:02:15 AM PDT by Brookhaven
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To: Psalm 144

if congress and the federal gov are cut by 25% they will be so busy with stuff like a budget they won’t have time for baseball, steriods, lance armstrong or maple syrup


23 posted on 10/21/2011 11:03:40 AM PDT by q_an_a (the more laws the less justice)
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To: GeronL
[ Are you telling me there isn’t any marshmallow in marshmallows??? OMG!!! Where is the law??!!! ]

Occupy Oscar Meyer!!!!

We want Dogs in our Hot Dogs!!!!!!


24 posted on 10/21/2011 11:03:51 AM PDT by GraceG
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To: jazusamo
Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) are all cosponsors.

ALL Leftie Vermin

25 posted on 10/21/2011 11:04:21 AM PDT by Texas Fossil (Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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To: jazusamo

Leahy needs to be slathered in maple syrup, rolled in feathers, tied to a rail, run out of the country and dumped over the Canadian border.

They like liberal sh*t-heads. Leahy ought to do real well up there.


26 posted on 10/21/2011 11:04:38 AM PDT by samtheman (Newt? Can you do it? Can you repudiate your time on the Pelosi couch?)
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To: jazusamo

You go to the store.

You go the to syrup aisle.

You look at the bottles.

One small bottle is $10.

Several large bottles are $2.99. Yep, must be the real stuff. Don’t bother about reading the ingredients.


27 posted on 10/21/2011 11:04:50 AM PDT by super7man
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To: jazusamo

Good to see the adults are at it again. I’m calling for the DEATH penalty for phony Idaho potatoes. There’s no sense in coddling people who disrespect brand names.


28 posted on 10/21/2011 11:05:39 AM PDT by Billthedrill
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To: atc23

They must have a different definition of deliberative than I do.

Deliberative: sitting around with your thumb up your rear end making meaningless speeches, while the world crashes around you and doing nothing to prevent it.

On second though, maybe they do have the same definition I do.


29 posted on 10/21/2011 11:07:59 AM PDT by Brookhaven
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To: samtheman
Leahy needs to be slathered in maple syrup, rolled in feathers, tied to a rail, run out of the country and dumped over the Canadian border.

You got that right!

Photobucket

30 posted on 10/21/2011 11:11:12 AM PDT by jazusamo (The real minimum wage is zero: Thomas Sowell)
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To: GraceG

lol


31 posted on 10/21/2011 11:11:48 AM PDT by GeronL (The Right to Life came before the Right to Happiness)
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To: smoothsailing

H/T Ping! :-)


32 posted on 10/21/2011 11:14:02 AM PDT by jazusamo (The real minimum wage is zero: Thomas Sowell)
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To: Psalm 144

don’t mess with breakfast.

Cracker Barrel went from pure maple syrup to 1/2 maple 1/2 high fructos corn syrup.


33 posted on 10/21/2011 11:18:49 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: Brookhaven

In spite of the poorly written headline that is the issue. The law is not about selling fake ‘maple syrup’ but in misrepresenting such fake stuff as real. As with fake rolexes, fake champagne, fake dog food, fake gypsum wallboard, fake designer or team licensed clothing and other items this is an issue for the Federal Trade Commission.


34 posted on 10/21/2011 11:19:59 AM PDT by posterchild (I'm old enough to remember when journalists bothered to look things up on wikipedia.)
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To: atc23
The real question is:

Is it pronounced Seer-up or Sur-up.

35 posted on 10/21/2011 11:23:56 AM PDT by Paladin2
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To: jazusamo

LOL! Leahy is at it again! They should just go ahead and bronze him now and stand him up in Statuary Hall. Next to Robert Byrd in the pea-brain section.


36 posted on 10/21/2011 11:25:46 AM PDT by smoothsailing
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To: jazusamo
How about making illegal immigration a felony? Right now it is a civil infraction and misdemeanor. If you are deported and scam your way back in...then it is a felony

This just an example how out of whack our laws are when selling fake maple syrup is seen as a more serious crime than sneaking into America

37 posted on 10/21/2011 11:30:32 AM PDT by dennisw (What good is a used up world and how could it be worth having - - Sting)
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To: jazusamo

Fraud is fraud. I want it prosecuted.

I don’t think it’s on the level of armed robbery, but, it’s close as it is perpetrated on large numbers of people.


38 posted on 10/21/2011 11:30:36 AM PDT by Persevero (Homeschooling for Excellence since 1992)
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To: jazusamo

Simple solution, change your company name to “Genuine Vermont”


39 posted on 10/21/2011 11:30:39 AM PDT by Michael Barnes (Obamaa+ Downgrade)
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To: smoothsailing

I’ll second that. :-)

I always thought he talks like he has mush in his mouth but maybe it’s just that he eats too much maple syrup.


40 posted on 10/21/2011 11:34:54 AM PDT by jazusamo (The real minimum wage is zero: Thomas Sowell)
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