@Vandal Squirrel, I was waiting for someone to post that. I thought it might be you.

"Tacky. Cheapo. Pleather. Don't mess with me."
OP, I get a small sense that you might be having a hard time dealing with people over this issue - if not, no personal offense intended. It could be good to remember that the best way to get people to do what you want is to show them how it will benefit them. You'll have to be very diplomatic in your position, so you might want to add Dale Carnegie's "How to Win Friends and Influence People" to your summer reading list. Other than that it seems like you're one the right track!