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08-30-2011
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Wandering Aimlessly
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Saving America from .... pianos
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John
Ontario 32 - Aria
Free, is the heart, that lives not, in fear.
Full, is the spirit, that thinks not, of falling.
True, is the soul, that hesitates not, to give.
Alive, is the one, that believes, in love. JCP
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08-30-2011
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Senior Moment Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PBzeer
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You can always find examples of this sort of seeming stupidity - it comes with the sheer size of your country. We have them too but on a proportionately smaller scale. You will always have cases of acting on incorrect info, crossed wires etc. and smugglers and poachers are frequently armed & violent.
In this case, the trade in Ivory HAS to be suppressed or we will have no elephants left soon.
Having said that, the $17K penalty for what appears to be only a paperwork error seems absurd - I wonder if there is more to it?
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08-30-2011
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AEOLUS II
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Steyn is a funny guy, but in this case he should check all the facts and get back to us.
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08-30-2011
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If the importer had the wherewithal to purchase, ship, and import "several" antique Bösendorfer pianos (which retail for at least $100,000 a pop), why didn't he have the wherewithal to get his ppwk in order? Sounds to me like he decided to just blow off the necessary import requirements and got caught.
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08-30-2011
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Some facts
Quote:
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According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: A-440 PIANOS, based in Atlanta, Georgia, imports, exports, and sells pianos to domestic and international customers. In September 2009, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agents received information from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (“CITES”) Secretariat’s office in Geneva, Switzerland, that a representative of A-440 PIANOS had made an inquiry regarding CITES documentation requirements. Within a few weeks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists inspected a piano shipment imported by A-440 PIANOS. The invoice accompanying the U.S. Customs and Border Protection entry packet declared ten of the eleven pianos in the shipment as having “no ivory keys.” No CITES permits or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declarations accompanied the shipment. Two pianos had the keyboards removed and five pianos had the individual keys removed. Investigators noted that two piano keyboards were located in the bottom of a crate under furniture and personal effects. The individual keys were located in a crate under a tray of marking pens. The keyboards and individual keys were positively identified to be covered with elephant ivory, which requires a permit to be imported or exported.
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08-30-2011
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackdale
Some facts:
Quote:
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According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges and other information presented in court: A-440 PIANOS, based in Atlanta, Georgia, imports, exports, and sells pianos to domestic and international customers. In September 2009, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Special Agents received information from the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (“CITES”) Secretariat’s office in Geneva, Switzerland, that a representative of A-440 PIANOS had made an inquiry regarding CITES documentation requirements. Within a few weeks, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Special Agents and U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists inspected a piano shipment imported by A-440 PIANOS. The invoice accompanying the U.S. Customs and Border Protection entry packet declared ten of the eleven pianos in the shipment as having “no ivory keys.” No CITES permits or U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service declarations accompanied the shipment. Two pianos had the keyboards removed and five pianos had the individual keys removed. Investigators noted that two piano keyboards were located in the bottom of a crate under furniture and personal effects. The individual keys were located in a crate under a tray of marking pens. The keyboards and individual keys were positively identified to be covered with elephant ivory, which requires a permit to be imported or exported.
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Well, well, well. It's starting to sound like this was a bit more than a case of simply forgetting to do some paperwork. The devil is always in the details.
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08-30-2011
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Hey John - no response
Steyn screwed up on this one.
It was not sloppy paperwork, it was sloppy research; by Steyn and by you.
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08-30-2011
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Senior Moment Member
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SlowButSteady
Well, well, well. It's starting to sound like this was a bit more than a case of simply forgetting to do some paperwork. The devil is always in the details.
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Even though I am not by nature a suspicious person, it is good to know that I CAN still spot 'em.
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"There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats". The Water Rat from The Wind In The Willows
Sailing for 40 years in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean but mostly Georgia Straight.
Currently own a Columbia 43.
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08-30-2011
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Senior Slacker
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jackdale
Steyn screwed up on this one.
It was not sloppy paperwork, it was sloppy research; by Steyn and by you.
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I don't know about you, but I'm not holding my breath as I wait for PB's mea culpa.
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Last edited by SlowButSteady; 08-30-2011 at 10:33 PM.
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08-30-2011
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