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Obama administration proposes 15 cent Christmas tree tax
The Hill ^

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."


TOPICS: News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: bho; christmas; christmastree; christmastreetax; mymuslimfaith; obama; tax; waronchristmas; waronchristmas2011
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Having solved all the country's problems.......
1 posted on 11/09/2011 6:48:17 AM PST by Sub-Driver
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Is this a joke. It sounds like something out of Atlas Shrugged.


2 posted on 11/09/2011 6:50:51 AM PST by albionin
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To: Sub-Driver

Jizya tax on non-muslimes.


3 posted on 11/09/2011 6:51:17 AM PST by OB1kNOb (The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty. - Prov 22:3)
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To: Sub-Driver

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.


4 posted on 11/09/2011 6:51:26 AM PST by Tenacious 1 (Liberals vote like clowns walking thru a minefield, oblivious to the consequences.)
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To: Sub-Driver

It’s a “tax” right?
One cannot,by “executive order” impose a tax,can one?


5 posted on 11/09/2011 6:51:46 AM PST by Happy Rain ( "Many of the most useful idiots of the Left are on the Right.")
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To: Sub-Driver

The Grinch and Ole Ebeneezer Scrooge would be so proud...


6 posted on 11/09/2011 6:51:49 AM PST by Le Chien Rouge
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To: Sub-Driver

Is this a joke? Seriously, is this real?


7 posted on 11/09/2011 6:52:24 AM PST by Tulane
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To: Le Chien Rouge

I believe the king has more then his fair share.


8 posted on 11/09/2011 6:52:50 AM PST by edcoil (I grew up in a country that was honest, I am growing old in a country that is not. I am sorry.)
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To: Sub-Driver

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?


9 posted on 11/09/2011 6:54:51 AM PST by Da Coyote (Liberalism - when you absolutely, positively have no ability to produce wealth.)
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To: Sub-Driver
What?, the commercial tree growers can't band together and do this themselves? They need the gubmint to do it for them?

C'mon!
10 posted on 11/09/2011 6:55:30 AM PST by BikerJoe
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To: Sub-Driver

If promoting fresh Christmas trees is so needed, why don’t growers just create their own organization and cut out the middle man (government)???


11 posted on 11/09/2011 6:55:30 AM PST by noexcuses
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To: Sub-Driver

Ubama is a joke!

The sooner that we throw this turd out of OUR White House, the better.


12 posted on 11/09/2011 6:57:45 AM PST by Howie66 (I can see November (2012) from my house.)
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To: Sub-Driver

13 posted on 11/09/2011 6:57:58 AM PST by sevinufnine (Sevin - "If we do not fight when we know we can win, we'll have to fight when we know we will lose")
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To: albionin

No doubt holds more truth than Cain’s accusers....


14 posted on 11/09/2011 6:58:46 AM PST by sevinufnine (Sevin - "If we do not fight when we know we can win, we'll have to fight when we know we will lose")
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To: Sub-Driver

The best way to promote CHRISTMAS tree sales is to call them CHRISTMAS trees. No more “holiday tree” BS.


15 posted on 11/09/2011 6:58:52 AM PST by icwhatudo ("laws requiring compulsory abortion could be sustained under the constitution"-Obama official)
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To: Sub-Driver

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.


16 posted on 11/09/2011 6:59:31 AM PST by freeangel ( (free speech is only good until someone else doesn't like it)
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To: Sub-Driver
What a great idea!!! Perhaps we can have a Ramadan tax for Muslims, too!!!

(chirp.....chirp....chirp.....chirp....chirp.....chirp....)

17 posted on 11/09/2011 7:00:17 AM PST by Lazamataz (I guess some Occupiers are more 99% than other Occupiers.)
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To: Sub-Driver

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


18 posted on 11/09/2011 7:00:23 AM PST by manc (Marriage is between one man and one woman. I HATE OUR BIAS MEDIA)
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To: Sub-Driver

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
*****


19 posted on 11/09/2011 7:00:42 AM PST by gunnyg ("A Constitution changed from Freedom, can never be restored; Liberty, once lost, is lost forever...)
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To: Happy Rain

“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/


20 posted on 11/09/2011 7:01:36 AM PST by ctdonath2 ($1 meals: http://abuckaplate.blogspot.com/)
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