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."
More and more people have been noticing that this administration seems to think Atlas Shrugged is a how-to guide.
Why don’t they charge themselves a .15/unit tax to fund their own board and marketing efforts, enabling them to keep the government out of it?
Since Christmas have a religeous significance for many people, this amounts to a tax on religious activity. The current regime will whine that it is only 15 cents and it is to promote Christmas trees, but it is the foot in the door. Or in Obama’s case, the camel’s nose under the tent.
When they start sponsoring fresh-cut Festivus poles, I’ll be in agreeance.
How about a tax on all Ramadan dinners (and diners) at the White House?
He leaves soon to visit another Muslim country.
Here is a link to the tax:
http://www.ofr.gov/(S(0nsoyneucyc1t3wwfhfehfkb))/OFRUpload/OFRData/2011-28798_PI.pdf
If they would tax stupid ideas, this administration would be broke in a week.
Yes, YOU will have to pay it. In fact, they might come and count your potential tree choices and charge $.15 each just in case they have missed any somewhere. But there will no doubt be an exemption for “poor” people who want to purchase a fresh tree.
This stupid, traitorous, Nazi, Mooze Lame, SOB, is so worthless and petty that next he'll be sending out an Executive Order outlawing the use of the word “Christmas” in all advertising, even inside a store, because it isn't nice to mention Christ on His birthday for fear of offending some gang of pedophile fascists who worship rocks and goat posteriors.
JMHO
We know this is satire.
Obozo would tax the trees when planted, while growing, when cut, when sold and when they finally die and are hauled away, there would be an estate tax.
His taxes would not be 15 cents. His taxes would be a high VAT at each turn with a minimum of 20%.
Well it sounds to me like they are setting out to kill the Christmas tree industry. Tax the real trees and more people will go out and buy artificial. (shrugs)
I saw this scrawl on Fox News, and I have to be honest...it sounds like a joke to me.....That said, why would they tax live trees to improve the image of live trees, because the sale of artificial trees has so dramatically increased. If you want less of something, tax it. Why would they tax the live trees and not the artificial ones?
Dang, I better just keep quiet.
“What about the Kwanzaa bush?”
If that Bush came from Africa, we would have to have a VAT import tax on it.
Obozo could get by with because those buying a highly taxed Kwanzaa Bush voted for him and will vote for him again.
**We know this is satire.**
O RLY?
In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)). And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10).
To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52). And, of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent Federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.
FUBO
You ain’t gettin’ no Christmas Tree tax, Obama
Bring out the Festivus Pole or I’ll cut one down myself.
It’s small, but you’re not getting that 15 cents, Barrack.
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