Obama Couldn’t Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax

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**Frazzled**

http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/

Obama Couldn’t Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax
David S. Addington
November 8, 2011 at 6:15 pm
(715)

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.

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.

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). The Federal government mandates that the Christmas tree sellers pay the 15-cents per tree, whether they want to or not. The Federal government directs that the revenue generated by the 15-cent fee goes to the Board appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the Christmas tree program established by the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. President, that’s a new 15-cent tax to pay for a Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.

Nobody is saying President Obama doesn’t have authority to impose his new Christmas Tree Tax — his Administration cites the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. Just because the Obama Administration has the legal power to impose its Christmas Tree Tax doesn’t mean it should do so.

The economy is barely growing and nine percent of the American people have no jobs. Is a new tax on Christmas trees the best President Obama can do?

And, by the way, the American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn’t need any help from the government.

**KingCracker**

Tax on Christmas trees? I dont really know what to say on it......confused?

**biccat**

It's (not surprisingly) not a joke.

This is quite possibly one of the stupidest things ever.

**Frazzled**

Yes we need a commission to market Christmas trees because not enough Christmas trees aren't cut down and sold. To administer this commission we will need five workers, an assistant, an assistant manager, office manager, and director. The adminstration salaries should only total $2.7MM. Whats the problem?

**KingCracker**

I guess you can add those to the jobs he created

**Howard A Treesong**

15 cents?

Boo fething hoo.

**WarOne**

Howard A Treesong wrote:15 cents?

Boo fething hoo.

Only stick that on there along with all the other taxes.

State taxes.
County or municipality taxes.
Any other surcharges or fees with regard to any other way to wring money from the pockets of consumers such as tree disposal fees or "Environmental Impact Fees."

Kinda like how GW gets away with their price hikes:

Base cost of model plus:
GW Branding
Cost of Material Increase
The Mat Ward Reputation Defense Fund
Cost of Change to Making Finecast Increase
Cost of Change to Material for Material Finecase Increase

**KingCracker**

I know for me personally, its not the tax, I mean 15 cents on a tree, thats not a deal breaker, its more the fact that, they actually spent time and money to come up with this thing. And really, tax on xmas trees? Whats the point?

**dogma**

KingCracker wrote:I know for me personally, its not the tax, I mean 15 cents on a tree, thats not a deal breaker, its more the fact that, they actually spent time and money to come up with this thing. And really, tax on xmas trees? Whats the point?

It looks like this was conceived of by a private association of Christmas Tree producers and importers, and then submitted to the Department of Agriculture.

This proposed rule invites comments on the establishment of an industryfunded promotion, research, and information program for fresh cut Christmas trees. The proposed Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Proposed Order), was submitted to the Department of Agriculture (Department) by the Christmas Tree Checkoff Task Force (Task Force), an industry wide group of producers and importers that support this proposed program.

**SlaveToDorkness**

Why the feth is the government having to support an industry that is already thriving?

Idiocy.

**biccat**

SlaveToDorkness wrote:Why the feth is the government having to support an industry that is already thriving?

Idiocy.

According to the link I posted earlier they've been experiencing a drop in sales (6% over some period) while fake Christmas tree sales have surged over 600% since 1960! (er, what?)

The wife and I will be buying a brand new fake Christmas tree this year. Not because of the tax, but simply because we're damn tired of dealing with dead trees. If we want the pine smell in the house I've got plenty of models that need stripping (and a bottle of Pine Sol).

**SlaveToDorkness**

So, are they going to form a commission to save the DVD industry? Or perhaps buggy whips?

Idiocy. If an industry is failing there's a REASON it's failing. Typical "let's throw money down this new hole" bs.

**Frazzled**

biccat wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:Why the feth is the government having to support an industry that is already thriving?

Idiocy.

According to the link I posted earlier they've been experiencing a drop in sales (6% over some period) while fake Christmas tree sales have surged over 600% since 1960! (er, what?)

The wife and I will be buying a brand new fake Christmas tree this year. Not because of the tax, but simply because we're damn tired of dealing with dead trees. If we want the pine smell in the house I've got plenty of models that need stripping (and a bottle of Pine Sol).

Agreed. I hate live trees, or more precisely newly killed trees. Plastic trees in the house, real trees outside.

**Platuan4th**

Frazzled wrote:
biccat wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:Why the feth is the government having to support an industry that is already thriving?

Idiocy.

According to the link I posted earlier they've been experiencing a drop in sales (6% over some period) while fake Christmas tree sales have surged over 600% since 1960! (er, what?)

The wife and I will be buying a brand new fake Christmas tree this year. Not because of the tax, but simply because we're damn tired of dealing with dead trees. If we want the pine smell in the house I've got plenty of models that need stripping (and a bottle of Pine Sol).

Agreed. I hate live trees, or more precisely newly killed trees. Plastic trees in the house, real trees outside.

Agreed. Live trees require watering, clean up of bristles and possibly sap(depending on freshness of purchase), and keeping the pets out of them.

Fake trees require putting up and tearing down. Also, the hippies won't complain if we're cutting down less trees.

**ShumaGorath**

So is this pro or anti Christmas? Am I supposed to be outraged?

**Frazzled**

Platuan4th wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
biccat wrote:
SlaveToDorkness wrote:Why the feth is the government having to support an industry that is already thriving?

Idiocy.

According to the link I posted earlier they've been experiencing a drop in sales (6% over some period) while fake Christmas tree sales have surged over 600% since 1960! (er, what?)

The wife and I will be buying a brand new fake Christmas tree this year. Not because of the tax, but simply because we're damn tired of dealing with dead trees. If we want the pine smell in the house I've got plenty of models that need stripping (and a bottle of Pine Sol).

Agreed. I hate live trees, or more precisely newly killed trees. Plastic trees in the house, real trees outside.

Agreed. Live trees require watering, clean up of bristles and possibly sap(depending on freshness of purchase), and keeping the pets out of them.

Fake trees require putting up and tearing down. Also, the hippies won't complain if we're cutting down less trees.

I also have an issue with killing a tree for no reason.

**SlaveToDorkness**

Live trees all the way! They are grown for this specific purpose. If there was no market for them, they wouldn't have been planted.

It's just not Christmas with plastic and wire from the attic.

**Billinator**

I lol'd. Not the "head back, loud"-kinda lol. Just the haha-done laugh.

But i did lol!

**biccat**

ShumaGorath wrote:So is this pro or anti Christmas? Am I supposed to be outraged?

Pro-stupid. Generally a good position to take.

Frazzled wrote:I also have an issue with killing a tree for no reason.

Ain't logical. Hell, I'll kill a tree in a fair fight... or if I think it's gonna start a fair fight, or if it bothers me, or if there's a woman, or if I'm gettin' paid - mostly only when I'm gettin' paid.

**Melissia**

After reading all of this, somehow I don't think Obama had anything to do with this decision?

Though I'll be the first to admit that the department of agriculture needs reform...

We have a plastic tree.

**Frazzled**

biccat wrote:
ShumaGorath wrote:So is this pro or anti Christmas? Am I supposed to be outraged?

Pro-stupid. Generally a good position to take.

Frazzled wrote:I also have an issue with killing a tree for no reason.

Ain't logical. Hell, I'll kill a tree in a fair fight... or if I think it's gonna start a fair fight, or if it bothers me, or if there's a woman, or if I'm gettin' paid - mostly only when I'm gettin' paid.

**Billinator**

I honestly don't get what the fuss is all about. Is it just a need for complaining? I can see how you might get agitated about how they might seem to throw away the money, but... 15 cents?

Try living in Denmark a couple of months. 50% income taxes - that's half your paycheck. After that, there's the value added taxes (25%).

**Frazzled**

15 cents for a useless government agency to promote something almost as common as oxygen.

**Jihadin**

a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.

Now thats...um...F'ing kidding me?

Thought Obama wanted to go green...means more real tree's growing in nature Of course the Xmas tree in the white house every year falls under similiar to Imminant Domain to so whatever tree they like they can take

**Ouze**

Is this a proposed rule, or an actual rule?

**ShumaGorath**

So where does this put Obama in the war on Christmas? Is he trying to institute sharia law?

**sarpedons-right-hand**

Hehe, a Christmas Tree Tax? That's almost as bad as a 'Salt Tax'

Yes, salt. Harmless, innocuous salt.

Unlikely as it may seem, it turns out that taxing salt has been one of the most unthinkably problematic ideas in history. Salt taxes were partially responsible for the fall of the Chinese empire, the French salt tax (the gabelle) helped precipitate the French Revolution and Gandhi himself marched in an anti-salt tax protest in 1930. In doing so he galvanized a burgeoning Indian independence movement, and that specific march inspired the future philosophies of Martin Luther King, Jr.

**biccat**

Ouze wrote:Is this a proposed rule, or an actual rule?

It is apparently a final rule, effective today. Oddly enough, they stuck it in next to kiwi fruit.

**nectarprime**

Yup better blame Obama!

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201111090001

Far from a tax initiated by the Obama administration, the proposal to create an assessment on tree growers to fund a research and promotion program through the USDA was begun by the industry during the Bush administration.

If any of you could explain what Obama has to do with this, that would be great.

**biccat**

nectarprime wrote:Yup better blame Obama!

http://mediamatters.org/blog/201111090001

Far from a tax initiated by the Obama administration, the proposal to create an assessment on tree growers to fund a research and promotion program through the USDA was begun by the industry during the Bush administration.

If any of you could explain what Obama has to do with this, that would be great.

Media Matters is my favorite website ever.

It's like the Onion, but they pretend to be serious.

I'm glad that they were able to pin this one on Bush, because man, that was close. Obama almost had some responsibility.