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Denver, CO

This was cut and pasted from the AP:

Growers angry over secret passage of the GRMA

By Susan Carendoe, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press Writer – 1 hr 23 mins ago
WASHINGTON – Hidden behind the partisan squabbling and fireworks of the Health Care Bill, a much smaller but equally telling piece of legislation was passed into law Wednesday that may change for ever they way Americans grow crops.
Growers across the country are outraged. Congress, with the encouragement of the Obama administration and high ranking lobbyist, passed the Garden Resource Management Act (GRMA). While narrowly focused at the present time to only affect individuals and families, lobbyist and Congressman in opposition to the act say it is only a matter of time before the principals are expanded to commercial farms and beyond.
Heartbroken by the whole process, John Miller (I), with the Coalition for Free Farming Principals, and in opposition to the bills passage, stated that “There is conceivably, not a single kernel of good that can be derived from the passage of the bill.” The bills sponsor, California congress woman, Karen Bigilow (I), strongly disagrees.
On Examination of the bill it shows that all families and individuals who grow vegetables and fruits which are considered to be “Giant” or “not normally considered grown for their consumption” will be required to comply with a laundry list of environmental resource management and enhancement practices. In addition, there is a environmental education tax that will be placed on such growers. Said Bigilow, “These individuals grow enormous vegetables and fruits, that gobble up outstanding amounts of our precious environmental resources, and actually brag about their abilities to do so. It is just sad, and I am glad to see that Congress has stepped in to make a bad situation right.”

4/1/2010 8:50:42 AM

Denver, CO

Presumably being caught unaware of the issue, the Obama administration’s attention was drawn to this problem last fall when a grower was allowed to bring their giant pumpkin to the Whitehouse and display it. It weighed around 1400lbs, and according to many, gobbled up 5 times its weight in environmental resources. If the same grower were to do this again this year, it would end up costing him $1500 or more in environmental surcharge taxes and proportioned fines. The actual calculation of such taxes and fines is a very complicated matter in itself.

Additionally it would extend to all vegetables grown for abnormal size and not consumption, including, Cabbages, Lettuce, Onions, Watermelons, Carrots, Sunflowers and a host of other fruits, vegetables and plants.

Saddened by having just listen to the passage of the bill, Said Miller, “The government have now forcing individuals, families and small organizations all across the nation to hire accountants and attorneys in order to determine their tax liability and what fines they would face should they attempt to grow a vegetable or plant. It is simply government gone awry and a open book to attack commercial farms in the future.”

On July 1st of this year, the law will become effective. No matter what side of the debate you fall on, it is certain to rattle the ire of both sides.
News Associated Press writers Thomas H. Crumb, Mike Adar and K. Jose Mason-Walker contributed to this story.

4/1/2010 8:51:23 AM

Northern Cambria, Pa.

Good one!

4/1/2010 9:04:01 AM

Boise City, Oklahoma, USA

No worries on that one this year here.... heh.

4/1/2010 9:48:48 AM

Claysburg , PA

I`m moving to Canada !!!

4/1/2010 10:08:12 AM

Fredericksburg, Virginia

Is this an April Fool's Day joke?

4/1/2010 11:04:12 AM

Cedar Lake, IN.

This sounds like an April fools joke... but with the way things are going I can believe it... What's next?

4/1/2010 11:07:46 AM

Waterville, Ohio

If this is an April Fools joke I can't imagine the time it took to write this.

4/1/2010 11:22:50 AM

Little-TON - Colorado

Greg......lol

4/1/2010 11:32:55 AM

Glosta

It's all Dan and Norm's fault for going to the white house in the first place. hehehe

4/1/2010 1:10:00 PM

Putnam Ct.

I wouldn't put it passed any polatition the way this country is going!

4/1/2010 1:54:04 PM

El Paso TX.

Have to say when I first read it I could almost picture an IRS Taxman posted at each weigh-off location taking Names and SS#'s to ensure that everyone was reporting it correctly - LOL !

4/1/2010 2:42:33 PM

43.841677 , -79.086692

Now if you had of said this law was passed in Canada I probably would have believe it!

4/1/2010 3:29:57 PM

Ontario

Happy April fool's day.

4/1/2010 4:50:06 PM

ipswich, ma usa

The next day after the Topsfield Fair weigh off the Salem Evening news (local paper for a large area) published a story outlining the weigh off events. And within the feedbacks and opinions on the piece there where people actually complaining that these growers where wasting resources on Giant pumpkins and not growing vegtables or other consumables. Thats right they where bitchin about us wasting our resources!!!

John (5150)

4/1/2010 4:54:58 PM

Redmond, Washington; U.S.A.

I'm taking a bite out of all of my giant's this year!

4/1/2010 7:04:21 PM

Vancouver Washington

As long as we are making things political.....

In March of 2009, very shortly after Obama had taken office - the Dow Jones was sitting at roughly 6600. Yes that is were the Bush regime after 8 years of office had landed us. That was before the stimulus program and many other things that the current administration has put in place. Today - the Dow sits at almost 11000. Tomorrow they predict the jobs report will show the first gain in over two years. God that stimulus was a waste of money. My stock portfolio has grown about 40 percent since Obama has taken office and had lost about 50 percent over the Bush years. I teach school, so i'm not rich.
And that is no April fools joke. I'm sort of tired of all the conservative voices thinking they have a corner on the market with comments.... like the way things are going in our country.... "Things" in my opinion are going better than expected and the new health care plan just may save "our" country from further debt and collapse. In my opinion politically slanted posts have no real business on this board, but if we going to use this as a political vehicle...OK...I'll bite.
Hope you have some facts to back up some of that political posturing because i love a good debate.

4/1/2010 7:15:24 PM

Vancouver Washington

oh yea....April fools... I was just having fun. I actually really dislike the "way things are going" in our country too....

Does that somehow make the political rhetoric taste better as it goes down..

4/1/2010 7:22:41 PM

Vancouver Washington

my point is not that I believe that Obama has saved the stock market or that Bush caused the housing and banking collapse. Instead.... it is to say we should all be mindful of how complicated these matters are and how easy it is to point figures and bash in a way that is not constructive or unifying. I'd rather just enjoy the pumpkins and leave the politics at home.

4/1/2010 7:54:55 PM

ordinary,VA

Outstanding!!

4/1/2010 8:07:10 PM

Denver, CO

It is all in fun everyone. I made the whole thing up last night, names, facts, bills etc. Happy April Fools!

4/1/2010 8:58:21 PM

Denver, CO

And if you doubt me, you might notice that the first letter of each paragraph spells out ghopson, my handel here.

4/1/2010 8:59:19 PM

(rocky) Bonney Lake Wa.

Very nicely done!!! Had me for a minute

4/1/2010 10:43:22 PM

Cedar Lake, IN.

My hat is off to you ghopson, nicely done.

4/1/2010 11:08:40 PM

Vancouver Washington

I never had a doubt that it was "all in fun" . And I knew before i finished the first few sentences that it was an April fools joke. My point was that it was in bad taste to inject your political views while you did it. I could make all sorts of posts on the board that are "all in fun" while making my political views clear about the conservative right - that wouldn't make it more acceptable. At least if the goal is to keep politics out of the general message board. I personally find the Obama portrayal offensive. And I suspect if I start posting all sorts of anti-tea-party conservative stuff on here you won't like it much either.. Just a guess...

4/1/2010 11:23:57 PM

Ohio

Ghopson,,, Nice one!,,,lol!!,,,, and here I thought I could ramble on and BS with the best of em!!,,,LOL,,, but you got me beat by a long shot!,,ha!
That had to take a lot of brain storming to think all that up!,, Keep up the good work, its always great to have a few laughs on here!

Brooks

4/2/2010 3:59:00 AM

Flowery Branch, Georgia

Ghopsen:

This is the best April fools joke ever on BP.com.
In order for a great joke to work it must be
believable.

WOW, thanks for a great laugh and drawing out the opinions,

Bob Attaway
Flowery Branch, Georgia

4/2/2010 3:37:38 PM

Alaska

Watch it ghopson there's lots of gullible people out there. They usually get the news from Beck, O'Reilly, Rush and Hannity.

4/2/2010 11:32:10 PM

Minneapolis, Mn

Talk about having your head it the sand... not even worth addressing

4/3/2010 3:25:40 AM

Minneapolis, Mn

It was good for your party, not good for the country...how selfish

4/3/2010 3:27:27 AM

Alaska

We are all entitled to our own opinions but not our own facts. And you called me a shellfish? Grow up Dude.

4/3/2010 3:47:28 AM

Claysburg , PA

Spudley do you get your info from Joe Biden and Nancy Pelosi ? Thats two good sources .

4/3/2010 8:01:16 AM

Vancouver Washington

And here in lies the rub....Why don't we all just leave politics out of the posts...That was my point. We can all agree on how cool it is to grow big pumpkins, but we won't all see eye to eye on politics, religion, sexuality, etc.. So,,,why muddy up a good thing with all that stuff. Lots of hurt feelings and nothing good comes of it. This is not a good format for any of those topics. None of us should assume that our voice holds some sort of political truth... There is no truth in politics. Last time i checked the country was political divided

4/3/2010 11:55:30 PM

Vancouver Washington

So every post that is pro Democrat or pro Republican annoys and alienates half the country. Lets just grow big pumpkins and have laughs with jokes that don't cause division. Just my two cents worth

4/3/2010 11:57:26 PM

ordinary,VA

spuds is right there is a whole crowd of people out there who watch msbnc and believe in "MAN MADE" global warming, "FREE" health care & basically havent a orginal thought for themselves (need the goverment to tell them how to live)..

Great Post ghopson!!

4/4/2010 9:15:30 AM

Denver, CO

Just as an aside, the joke was about growing, regardless of who was in office, it would have been made by me. Has not a thing to do with being democrat, republican or witchcraft.

It was meant to be timley, and interactive to current events to add to its realism. It seems I accomplished this.

At some point, take a deep breath, understand that it was "April Fools" day, and that a JOKE was played on the comminuty.

NOT A GOD DAMN POLICTAL STATMENT, A JOKE.

So, if you see this joke as a polictal statment, its because you want it to be one, not because it was actually meant to be one. Its an April Fools day joke, end of story.

[email protected]

4/4/2010 1:25:52 PM

Alaska

It's a generational thing. There's those folks that still believe in Wives tales and plant by the Farmers Almanac and there are those who don't. It's reflected in pumpkin growing. You have the group that uses a sound scientific approach, new school. The Heavy hitters. And you have the other group that's still looking for answers and waiting for the pumpkin Fairy to visit their patch, old school. It's defiantly a GENERATIONAL thing. All politics aside.

4/4/2010 1:26:09 PM

Bemidji Minnesota

Keith Ogerman made real good point though.

****opens largest can-o worms even on bigpumpkins.com ****

“You ever notice all the pumpkins at the contests are Orange!?!”

They don’t even let green ones compete in the same category.

Those racist pumpkins!

4/4/2010 1:26:16 PM

Alaska

Right ghopson, sure thing, you betcha!

4/4/2010 1:32:34 PM