Crush Liberalism

Liberalism: Why think when you can “feel”?

Senate FINALLY working on important legislation: tackling fake maple syrup

The Senate hasn’t proposed a budget in 900+ days.  How can they, when they’ve got far more pressing issues to address?

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

The Maple Agriculture Protection and Law Enforcement (MAPLE) Act 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 co-sponsors.

Under current law, 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 and citizenship records, along with 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.”

Of course, leave it to the Maine sisters to join this lunacy.

October 24, 2011 - Posted by | big government, bizarre, shameful, Vermont

7 Comments »

  1. I still haven’t seen whether they are talking about artificial maple syrup products or sticking fake maple syrup in a can that says “Real Maple Syrup”. Either way, they are protecting their state’s interest (which few senators do anymore). Should it be a felony? Maybe not. Although selling the fake crap is an assault on our bodies.

    Comment by Alli | October 24, 2011

  2. Hmmm. Fake elected representatives legislating fake maple syrup. Yep, that’s about right. Typical of D.C., priorities all screwed up. The syrup thing is really important, NOT. More waste of taxpayers money. There are many more important issues at hand to debate and legislate.

    Comment by J. Guidry, Battlefield, MO. | October 24, 2011

  3. The DEA needs to check out that syrup!!

    Got to be more to it than just a food product to get liberal/progressives like Chuckyou and Leaky, Commie Sanders and the Bangor Sisters so worked up, to say nothing of the “heads” that keep electing them.

    If what messes their minds up is not in the water, it must be in the syrup and it should be classified as a dangerous drug.

    Comment by Dux | October 24, 2011

  4. The fact this legislation is needed at all says that the average consumer cannot distinguish between real or fake syrup when it comes to Vermont’s finest. And who are the real miscreants here? Those who make synthetic maple syrup or those who brutalize the poor, defenseless maple tree by drilling and beating it over and over? No, I say those who simulate real maple syrup are the true hero’s. You “real” farmers, what YOU SIR do to maple trees is worse, yes far worse, than even waterboarding. See for yourself here: http://is.gd/Mkk9Nf (Warning: Graphic images of brutal drilling and severe sap letting)

    Comment by Im_bonafide | October 24, 2011

  5. They need to fight the good fight. Ain’t nothin’ like the real thing, baby! :-P

    Comment by Spinny Liberal | October 25, 2011

  6. Spinny, you’re a goof! :lol:

    Comment by crushliberalism | October 25, 2011

  7. Crush’s point here is that passing a balanced freaking BUDGET protects the interests of their state than making something that is already illegal even more illegal (hey, I know, someone should try that with Illegal tres…er…immigrants)

    Comment by Kevin | October 25, 2011


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