Posted on 11/09/2011 10:50:38 AM PST by Zakeet
No, it’s not a joke. President Obama really is imposing a special new tax on Christmas trees.
And while the policy seems a ludicrous political misstep – and possibly an unconstitutional one at that – in truth, the Obama Christmas Tree Tax is much worse than that.
The $2 million the Obama Administration expects the tax to raise will not reduce the deficit or cover needed government services. Instead, it will serve as a marketing slush fund for the Christmas tree industry.
The money will set up a brand new government agency called (no, seriously) the Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The CTPB will use the $2 million to hire a staff – most likely the industry lobbyists who cooked up this scheme – and then run advertisements to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry of the United States.”
Don’t the Christmas tree growers and retailers already do that? Yes. Isn’t marketing something that all companies should do with their profits, to grow their business and attract new customers? Yes.
And while we’re asking questions, does anyone in America – anyone? – believe that Christmas trees have a bad image that needs taxpayer-subsidized improvement?
So why should the government-funded Christmas Tree Promotion Board tax us to fund a marketing campaign? So the Christmas tree industry can pocket the $2 million they now won’t have to spend marketing their trees.
That’s it. That’s the whole purpose of the Obama Christmas Tree Tax: to take money from hard-working families celebrating Christmas and give it to clever lobbyists and businessmen running a crony-capitalist subsidy scam.
And while this policy will, by design, help one group of people, it will hurt others: businesses that sell artificial Christmas trees, people who work at your local stores that sell them, and, don’t forget, the consumers who are out 15 cents a tree.
Business groups using government connections to enrich themselves by hurting everyone else. Makes you just want to break into “O Holy Night,” doesn’t it?
Hopefully, the Crony Capitalists in the Obama Administration have gone too far this time, and public backlash will force Congress to shut down the Christmas Tree Promotion Board and repeal the single stupidest tax of all time. I will soon offer an amendment on the Senate floor to do just that.
All I want for Christmas is a free market.
They think that too many trees are cut down for this holiday. They’re just trying to save trees.
Why aren’t libs screaming about separation of church and state?
I don't need a CHRISTMAS TREE TAX...you anti-christian ISLAMIC MARXIST!!!
Psst. Hey bud. C'mere. Wanna buy a tree? Widout da tax?
One of the goals of the communist movement is to do away with all American traditions.
I don't think this is about "helping" Christmas tree farms. This is about eventually doing away with Christmas tree farms. The communists now have their heads in the tent. They now own the Christmas tree business. It's 15 cents today, but a couple of years from now, it'll be 15 dollars. People will have to stop using Christmas trees, because they'll be too expensive.
Think about who we're dealing with here. See the bigger picture. The left hates Christmas. It's an evil, intolerant, religious holiday, and the tree is it's symbol. All of a sudden, it's so important, a tax is needed to save it ??? Yeah. Right. The left loves Jesus Christ. They always have - NOT.
Raising taxes is their religion so this is not considered church and state, it is state and state.
Sen. DeMint vows to repeal 15-cent Christmas tree tax
Update: The tax has been DELAYED due to public pressure/ridicule. Obama: Antichrist or Muslim? You make the call!
Obama is now ‘delaying’ the tax. Rush is reporting he’s dropping the idea after Rush reported on it minutes ago.... lol
Nope, I found this on Drudge yesterday evening, later I found evidence that this is part of a USDA check-off program for the Christmas Tree Growers. It does however bring up the question if that type of arrangement is even legal. It has been tested 3 times previously in court and upheld, but the actual question is it legal to force a grower to pay a fee they do not opt-into is still not resolved.
It appears this has been in the making since 2008.
I loath Obozo, but am not sure this originated with him. Wished I could say it did.
My bet is administrative and regulatory cost will far outweigh the 15 cents collected.
Bigger government running up more deficits, Merry Christmas.
Re; comparison of the First Frump to the grinch- clever!
Agreed. Yep, once the government got involved with their 15 cent tax, they some stupid government person would start thinking, hey since we are involved with this, we need to further regulate the Christmas tree industry. Voila, there you go! Just like health care, higher Christmas tree prices.
Yup, he figured that out first ~ onliest way to get out was PUT A STOP TO IT, and he did. But what does he do when they bring the blond white women to darken his door?
i think we can see the bare still borning outlines of the Democrat scheme to destroy Obama ~ first a couple of executive orders that look a bit over the line, then an administratively rendered tax on Christmas trees (at Christmas), next he'll be accused of doing something like abusing bunnies, or maybe pumping Carbon Monoxide into the "Occupy......" tents ~ (that is, killing his own front line constituents).
It's going to be horrible, and terribly ham handed.
If the goal is to remove Christmas trees to attack Christmas (and they love doing that) I believe it come about by making it cost prohibitive to grow or import Christmas trees.
Perhaps to get around new laws/taxes/fees, the growers, importers, sellers will have to avoid identifying the product as "Christmas Trees" since that is what is being targeted.
and then you have "Holiday Trees" for the "Holiday Season"
LMAO........I seriously need some oxygen to help me breath. That is toooooooooooooooooooooooo freakin funny.
Unfortunately, this is not a laughing matter. Christmas trees are a symbol of Christianity (regardless of their pagan roots).
Can you say “jiyza”?
Only if used by white Christians.
But, but... it’s a NATIONAL solution to a NATIONAL problem!
Over 13 million trees will need to be sold to collect 2 million dollars. I bet the revenue target is missed, as always.
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