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This plant sits on a co-workers desk. The trunk looks like an elephant’s foot.  Can you tell me what it is?

Dan

SAF announced June 28th that an extension was granted on the sales tax issue concerning the taxation of wire services orders. Below is a copy of the article issued by SAF.

Sales Tax Project Grants Two-Year Extension

The Governing Board of the Streamlined Sales Tax Project (SSTP) voted for a two-year extension of floral rules on the taxation of wire orders at its Detroit meeting last week. This extension, which lasts until Dec. 31, 2009, was granted to allow the project time to establish long-term rules concerning the taxation of wire orders. In addition, once the long-term rules are decided it will give time for the states and the industry to prepare to implement those rules. This extension means that sales taxes will continue to be collected by the sending florist and remitted to the local taxing authority — just as it has been for many decades.

The SSTP was started eight years ago as an attempt by the states to streamline the sales tax process by agreeing to uniform definitions and rules concerning the collection of sales taxes. This is done to facilitate the eventual passage of Federal legislation that will require retailers to collect sales taxes based on the destination of the product. The change will allow the states to collect billions of dollars in sales taxes that currently are not collected on Internet and catalogue sales. This change will level the competitive field between traditional “brick and mortar” retailers and Internet sellers, as well as bring significant additional revenue to the states. In the interim, by agreeing on uniform definitions and rules, many businesses are voluntarily agreeing to collect those taxes now.

Currently 15 states are full members of the SSTP that have enacted legislation in their individual states to bring their law in compliance with the SSTP agreement. Those states are Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Carolina, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia. Seven other states are associate members and are working on becoming full members. Those states are Arkansas, Nevada, Ohio, Tennessee, Utah, Wyoming and Washington.

SAF and Teleflora have been involved in the project since June 2002, working on behalf of the floral industry by attending the meetings and participating in the various committees. FTD has also participated in the effort.

For information, contact SAF’s Drew Gruenburg at dgruenburg@safnow.org.

– Paul Goodman, SAF’s representative to the SSTP issue, and president of Floral Finance Business Services Inc.

ask the expert

How do you divide a peace lily? Mine has become enormous and unmanageable.
Thanks
Chris

I attended a birthday party last night for a Parrot Head (a Jimmy Buffet Fan) and as you can imagine the decorations and drinks screamed “tropical”. The most impressive thing at the party was the margarita table and not because of the margaritas. The hostess had her local florist create a beautiful tropical flower

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ask the expert

I was wandering if Lucky Bamboo plants are harmful to cats & dogs? My co worker is looking in purchasing one.

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I was interested in learning how to take care of my lucky bamboo plant. You give good advise although you did not specify how often to water the plant or how much water is sufficient.
LJ

Last week I was eating lunch with my husband, when one of his co-workers asked me if I knew what stage of pregnancy his wife was in. I said “about 7 months”. He shook his head no and replied, “I can do nothing right and she complaints that she’s fat and ugly”. I told him to be patient and that I wished I could help.

Sunday I was gazing at my garden when it came to me. Flowers! Flowers always make me happy. Then I had a real epiphany when I saw the Calla Lilies in my garden. He needed to send his wife Callas and the card could say “the flower of beauty for the beauty in my life.”

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Ask the Expert: Where can I buy black roses?

My girlfriend’s favorite color is black. I want to send her some black roses but I can’t find them anywhere. I know I’ve seen them before.

Thursday, the FlowerShopNetwork newsletter for June will be emailed to everyone who has signed up for the newsletters. However, if you would like a sneak preview of the newsletter here it is Lavender and the Pursuit of Happiness.

If you have any comments or questions about the article, you can log them on the blog.

our bamboo, is not in direct sunlight, and gets plenty of water, but the leaves are getting a bit yellow at the tips, can this happen if its over watered? also, our offices has recently been very cold? could that be the problems as well?

thank you,

Heidy