July 28, 2006
Your Tax Dollars at Work
The State Auditor reports that:
A former employee of the company that provides administrative services for the Washington State Asparagus Commission misappropriated $36,106.61 in public funds between July 24, 2003 and December 15, 2005.
Remind me again, why do we need an
Asparagus Commission?
Posted by Stefan Sharkansky at July 28, 2006
10:00 AM | Email This
1. It should be privatized. If asparagus growers want to have their own trade association, they should run it and support it themselves.
2. Only important global government officials understand these things properly. I assume the asparagus commission is accountable to the UN.
3. Somebody's got to protect the public from the stuff. Kind of like nuclear waste.
4. Why can't they bioengineer asparagus so your pee doesn't smell? Maybe they should appropriate some funds for that.
5. Another example of those east side welfare kings taking tax money out of the pockets of hard working Puget Sound residents.
6. The asparagus is obviously a phallic symbol representing institutional male opression. We need a UW study to explore the gender inequity in the funding of the vegetable support structure.
7. Pee smell? Boy I'd sure hate to be in the can at an Asparagus Commission meet and greet.
8. How many other fruits and vegetables have commissions?
Seriously........
9. The Commission might be of critical importance. Somewhere out there is a child whose parent(s) do tell him/her to eat his/her vegetables. It is the sacred duty (in a fully ecumenical, non-deniminational or even atheistic sort of way) of thew State to act as gudie/mentor/parent/god to people.
10. The Commission might be of critical importance. Somewhere out there is a child whose parent(s) do tell him/her to eat his/her vegetables. It is the sacred duty (in a fully ecumenical, non-deniminational or even atheistic sort of way) of thew State to act as gudie/mentor/parent/god to people.
11. READ THEIR WEBSITE:
The commission is paid for by the GROWERS.
QUOTE:
Creation of the Washington Asparagus Commission was approved by referendum vote of growers in March 1991. Commission activities are funded by an assessment of one percent of the gross receipt at the first point of sale of asparagus. That assessment became effective April 1, 1991.
The only thing to be worried about is that Asparagus growers are forced to be part of the commission, which has been litigated for a different product.
12. READ THEIR WEBSITE:
The commission is paid for by the GROWERS.
QUOTE:
Creation of the Washington Asparagus Commission was approved by referendum vote of growers in March 1991. Commission activities are funded by an assessment of one percent of the gross receipt at the first point of sale of asparagus. That assessment became effective April 1, 1991.
The only thing to be worried about is that Asparagus growers are forced to be part of the commission, which has been litigated for a different product and held to be legal.
13. Stink Weed, good point but as evident by the audit, the taxpayers pay via the auditors time to ensure the commission is accountable. The state should have no involvement. If a grower doesn't want to be part of a commission they shouldn't be forced to. I know some will make the free rider argument like unions do but someone shouldn't be forced to pay for advertising they don't want, even if it's good for them.
14. That's nothing, check the UW homepage today.
Funny they don't have a similar hotline to stop child abuse eh?
Given the Yates verdict this week...hmmmm.
15. Perhaps the commisions real job is to make sure that the bad rap asparagus has gotten all these years is not huting the feelings of the asparagus and therefore causing a straind relationship between vegetable and grower.
16. How would we know asparagus tastes good and is good for us if government did not tell us. We need government to take care of us. How would we survive with our mommy.
/sarc
17. If you read the web page you'll find that "Creation of the Washington Asparagus Commission was approved by referendum vote of growers in March 1991. Commission activities are funded by an assessment of one percent of the gross receipt at the first point of sale of asparagus. That assessment became effective April 1, 1991."
This seems to say Asparagus Growers tax themselves to pay for the commission, which is the most common way such groups are organized.
Some commissions do receive state funding.
18. The Commission is there to "Spear Head" the education of the population at large so as to expand and enhance the marketplace for Asparagus. I can't believe anyone would say that, but someone had to.
19. Nothing a tax boondoggle that is reminiscent of "New Deal" agricultural programs to make you hate the current government just that much more for wasting your money.
20. Oh, come on! We
have to have a WA. State Asparagus Commission! We have commissions for beef and poultry. How insensitive of you to encourage the disenfranchisement of these poor underpaid and overworked veggies!
Besides, the WA Dems are registering them to vote as fast as they can! You don't want to nullify all their hard work now, do you?
21. True Soldier, that was hilarious! We wouldn't want our "vegetables" to be "strained!" Ha! Strained! Vegetables! Strained vegetables! Oh, Ha ha!
23. did That Lady have any asparagus in her shopping cart for the tax-funded commercial? if not, that's not diverse and discriminatory against the 'spara-growers;
24. And how many "D" votes are there in E. WA? I wish I could get some votes in Thurston County for a few non-tax dollars.
Again, I read the web site as, "Commission activities are funded by an assessment of one percent of the gross receipt at the first point of sale of asparagus."
That seems to me to be the growers THEMSELVES that are paying and the last lawsuit I recall was for apple growers to be voluntary assessments so it's not compulsory.
If you want to stop the commission, never eat fresh asparagus that has traveled more than 150 miles. Five miles or fifty feet is even better.
25. What else is there to say but...Hollandaise or Butter???