Federal Tea-taster Sips No More
Dateline: 06/23/00
Not that I remember those days, but in the 1800s, Americans placed a great deal of importance in the quality and purity of tea. Considering that we had just overthrown our previous government partially over the leafy liquid, the new government felt it important to make sure we did not have too many bad tea days. So, in 1897, Congress passed the Imported Tea Act and created the Board of Tea Experts, headed by the office of the Federal Tea-taster.
What a great job! Strolling among the clipper ships in New York Harbor, the Federal Tea-taster, constantly alert for poor quality, pauses to allow the bracing ocean breeze to send the aroma wafting through his finely trained nostrils as he sips a fine Ceylonese orange pekoe. Life is good.
Quaint old bit of Americana, you say? Folks, in 1995 -- five years ago -- we still had an official Federal Tea-taster with an official tea-tasting room in Brooklyn, New York. In salary and operating expenses, the federal government was still spending $120,000 a year to taste tea. Perhaps we suspected the British, still smarting from the Revolutionary War, would try to get us back with a sneak assault of some awfully off Oolong.
Despite the valiant efforts of the Federal Tea-taster in rejecting 1 percent of all tea tasted in 1995, the Clinton Administration ousted the position in 1996 as part of its Reinventing Government program. American tea-sippers, be careful out there.
Note: The Federal Tea-taster position was specified under Title 21 USC - Food and Drugs, Chapter 2 - Teas. All of Chapter 2 was repealed in 1996.
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Reference Links 
On Being a Coffee or Tea Connoisseur
Since the federal government is no longer looking out for you, tea drinker need more advice. Get the help you need from Coffee and Tea Guide Melanie Uy.
A list of online suppliers of fine and exotic teas and tea accessories, and tea information from Guide to Entertaining, or Entertaining Guide Donna Pilato.
Pro-life Guide Christina Dunigan provides you with some more pithy funny-stuff from the news.
Has the Clinton/Gore Reinventing Government program been effective? Take this instant poll from your About Guide.
Have you seen examples of government waste and inefficiency, or positive examples of waste reduction and more efficient operations? Share you observations and opinions on our online forum. From your About Guide.
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