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November 9, 2011
Get Ready For Obama's Christmas Tree Tax (Updated)
Topics: Political News and commentaries
You read that right ... a 'Christmas tree tax', thanks to Barack Obama and the Christmas tree lobby.
President Obama's Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees -- the Christmas Tree Tax -- to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.I know what you're thinking ... you thought you'd already heard of ever asinine liberal stunt to find ways to assault Christmas and stick it to the American public ... but clearly you were wrong.
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).Okay, so it's not much money ... it always starts off that way. But why, pray tell, do we need the federal government "helping with the marketing, research, evaluation, and information that strengthens the Christmas tree industry"?
The simple answer is, of course, that we don't. But since when did Obama find anything not worthy of yet another tax?
And, by the way, since when does the American Christmas tree need any help from the government to increase its image? After all, the market has been thriving since it was born way back in 1851. And If the Christmas tree lobby wants to fund a promotional campaign for their product, they should do it themselves, without involving the USDA.
Update: Sources have told ABC News that the U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to delay implementation and revisit a proposed new 15 cent fee on fresh-cut Christmas trees, sources tell ABC News. (Apparently the criticisms have had an impact as the program is now being delayed.)
Posted by Hyscience at November 9, 2011 9:09 AM
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