Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Obama Institutes a New Christmas Tree Tax

President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees, reports the Heritage Foundation.

Get this. The Christmas Tree tax will be used to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.

How much more nutty can you get? Improve the image of the Christmas tree?

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).

Bottom line: Crony capitalism has reached the level of the Christmas tree. Will Santa Claus be next? The Christmas Tree Promotion Board will, of course, consist of Christmas tree farmers who make the largest contributions to Obama and the Democratic Party. Their first order of business will be to create regulations that will undercut small competitors and prevent others from entering the industry. It will be their last order of business, also.

Merry Christmas.


24 comments:

  1. This is beyond stupid. I hear stories here in Oregon about Christmas tree growers. They have a consortium in place already with strict rules about how the trees are produced. Christmas trees need regular maintenance to make them bushy and conical. But only a few organizations are allowed to do the maintenance. If you don't hire those organizations, you can't sell your trees. You can't just buy a plot of land, plant some trees and start selling them. You have to be part of the Christmas tree consortium.

    This is nothing but an attempt to funnel tax dollars to the consortiums. What gives the Ag department the right to levy taxes like this anyway? I thought that raising taxes was Congress' job.

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  2. It is not any different than the corn, beef, soybean, cotton, hog etc. check-offs. Why shouldn't christmas tree farmers have to fund their own demise to the cartels like the other farmers?
    That's why I direct market my animals, so I don't have to pay the AG Mafia.

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  3. I, for one, am SO happy about this news. I have too long heard people bad mouthing Christmas trees and thought to myself, when is the government going to step in and do something about this? We need the government to take our money in order to restore the good name of Christmas tree, which has just been dragged through the dirt in recent times.

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  4. Still think he's not a Muslim now?

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  5. What other markets do they think they are going to expand to? What are they going to do, promote them as Hanukkah trees? Maybe Thanksgiving trees, or how about birthday trees!

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  6. So, Obama officially recognizes CHRISTMAS! YAY! There is no tax on "holiday" trees.

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  7. But what about Festivus poles?

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  8. soooo funny, " have too long heard people bad mouthing Christmas trees " ...love this.

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  9. I guess there's no need to even consult the Congress on taxes and government agencies anymore.

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  10. Lets tax Kawanzaa (that idol worship) and see want happens.

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  11. Nothing new here. Standard government activity, getting involved to 'save' an industry whose prime has passed. This time it just happens to hit something that is more visible.

    The imposition of a fee or tax by a government agency is nothing new, either. It's good to get mad about it, but don't think for a minute this is only done by the Obama administration.

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  12. dont hear him talking about taxing marijauna trees.

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  13. You idiots! This program was developed during the Bush years and only implemented now. Do your freakin' homework!

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  14. Haha.

    Christmas Trees killed my father. Death to them all!

    This is truly a mockery of the American People. I have never seen someone complain that they are being explored in the Christmas Tree business. Obviously, some well connected people will make a lot of money.

    Google: "Bloomberg Wealthy Qualifying for Loans Intended for Low-Income Borrowers"

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  15. THis is pure discrimination against the christian religion... taxing "Christ"mas trees is outragous!

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  16. LOL at anon at 9:18 am. Yeah, Obama has nothing to do with this. Yeah, Obama is so much "different" than Bush. I think you may be the idiot.

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  17. The United States is a big joke. I wonder what the founding fathers would have to say about this...

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  18. I think Obamanation just likes screwing with people...He said he wants to ban hunting and fishing as well. Obamanation is a violent psychopath.

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  19. Hey, how about this....stop doing the same thing over and over every year just because you are conditioned to...just DON'T BUY A CHRISTMAS TREE. Make up your own decoration and tradition. If no one supports this ridiculousness then maybe they will realize how ignorant it really is.
    OR you can complain and act concerned, then go buy a tree and support this anyways...to those who do congrats on being a hipocrite!! cheers!

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  20. I think anon 9:18 might be mocking the people who try to blame Bush for everything Obama does. But on the other hand, people really do believe a lot of stupid shit.

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  21. I can see it now... These companies become entrenched, and few years from now we'll have "Occupy Christmas."

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  22. Proposed: November 8, 2010
    Agricultural Marketing Service
    7 CFR Part 1214
    [Document No. AMS–FV–10–0008–PR–1A]
    RIN 0581–AD00
    Proposed Christmas Tree Promotion,
    Research, and Information Order
    (How the Hell was this developed under the Bush administration?)
    Hey! Bush-hater, yeah you!... now, who's doing the research?

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  23. Hahahahahahahahahaha

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