Posted on 11/09/2011 6:48:15 AM PST by Sub-Driver
Obama administration proposes 15 cent Christmas tree tax By Alicia M. Cohn - 11/09/11 09:17 AM ET
The Obama administration is proposing a new tax on Christmas trees to fund a board promoting the holiday trees.
The Christmas Tree Promotion Board would be funded by a new 15 cent per tree tax on large-scale producers of Christmas trees. A group of Christmas tree producers and importers worried about the skyrocketing use of artificial trees proposed the new board.
Under the proposal from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the board would seek to revitalize the marketing and image of fresh-cut Christmas trees, which have been overwhelmed in recent years by sales of artificial trees. The Christmas Tree Checkoff Task Force, the group of producers and importers who suggested the board, said the market share of artificial trees increased 655 percent from 1965 to 2008.
According to the agency, the new board is designed to be an "industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for fresh cut Christmas trees." Board members would be nominated from within the industry.
Past marketing efforts have resulted in an uptick in fresh tree sales, but such "voluntary marketing program[s] suffer from a lack of funding," according to the agency.
"Producers and importers that domestically produce or import less than 500 Christmas trees annually would be exempt from the assessment," according to the proposal, which is listed in the Nov. 8 Federal Register. Small-scale producers, along with organic producers, would have to submit an exception request to the board.
The proposed tax is authorized under the 1996 Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act that authorizes the agency "to establish agricultural commodity research and promotion orders."
Is this a joke. It sounds like something out of Atlas Shrugged.
Jizya tax on non-muslimes.
Finally!
These greedy tree growers are finally going to pay. And the governments is going to use this money to promote and market Christmas Trees.
BS oblivion #1 - Government cannot call them “Christmas”
trees. They must call them Holiday trees.
#2 - What will they really do with the money they collect besides pay some new and additional employees to work for the promotion of christmas trees?
#3 - Will there be commericials or billboards? I doubt it.
It’s a “tax” right?
One cannot,by “executive order” impose a tax,can one?
The Grinch and Ole Ebeneezer Scrooge would be so proud...
Is this a joke? Seriously, is this real?
I believe the king has more then his fair share.
This can only come from a government of idiots.
And they have the audacity to actually use the phrase “holiday trees” in there?
When are we going to tar and feather these slime?
If promoting fresh Christmas trees is so needed, why don’t growers just create their own organization and cut out the middle man (government)???
Ubama is a joke!
The sooner that we throw this turd out of OUR White House, the better.
No doubt holds more truth than Cain’s accusers....
The best way to promote CHRISTMAS tree sales is to call them CHRISTMAS trees. No more “holiday tree” BS.
I only know about 1 in 5 people who may get a “fresh” tree. This tax could certainly put an end to those few who do purchase those trees. But then, one has to wonder if this report is for real since they are being called “Christmas trees” rather than holiday trees. Not very pc.
am I missing something but since when can zero impose new taxes?
This is pathetic and yet again the crap bias media will not cover this or put a positive spin on this.
Also they have nothing better to do than to do this while gunrunning from this admin has killed people.
I guess new taxes on Christmas tree is far more important than illegal gunrunning, hell the bias media don’t even cover the facts of the green energy scam payback and gunrunning along with murder.
I frigging hate this admin and this media
Make No Mistake:
This is not just another in-yer-face tax; this is a reverse (Bob Lonsberry style) FUBO to the real American people at a very special time of year!
Semper Watching
*****
“Acting Administrator Shipman had the temerity to say the 15-cent mandatory Christmas tree fee “is not a tax nor does it yield revenue for the Federal government” (76 CFR 69102).”
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/
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