Christmas Tree Tax!?

[Thunderknuckles]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/11/conservatives-bash-obama-over-christmas-tree-tax/1?csp=34news

(http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/11/conservatives-bash-obama-over-christmas-tree-tax/1?csp=34news)
The Agriculture Dept. is set to impose 15 cent fee on fresh Christmas Trees for the purpose of creating a new board tasked with promoting the Christmas Tree industry. So many ways to go with this.

First off, why do we need another government agency to promote something that doesn't need promoting?
Is this Obama's way of creating jobs for some of his out of work intellectual buddies that have nothing better to do?

Will they indeed be promoting "Christmas Trees" and run afoul of Atheist whiners who will almost certainly call this a government endorsement of Christianty? Or are they gonna call them "Holiday Trees"

I had to double check the story to make sure it wasn't coming from the Onion.

This is just one big bag of stupid.

[ConHog]

Obama is big government run amok.

A Christmas Tree Czar is no doubt on the way.

[Binky]

If you tax people enough for this, that or whatever, they will eventually stop buying the unessary items they are used to purchasing. As for the Christmas tree tax, we could all just start using a fake tree since you only have to pay for it once. Anyway, this is what I've done as of five years ago. I no longer mess with hunting for a tree, hauling it home, clean up the needles and then haul it off. I'm much happier with the pretty tree I have stored just waiting for its time to shine.

[Kathianne]

They've backed off this idea:

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/09/merry-christmas-agriculture-department-imposes-christmas-tree-tax/


White House Sidelines Christmas Tree 'Tax' By Judson Berger
Published November 09, 2011 | FoxNews.com
http://tags.bluekai.com/site/668 <noscript>http://adserver.adtechus.com/adserv/3.0/5221/1268387/0/170/ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+key4;grp=[group] (http://ad.doubleclick.net/click%3Bh%3Dv8/3bba/3/0/%2a/g%3B247802623%3B0-0%3B3%3B32599241%3B4307-300/250%3B44744309/44762097/1%3Bu%3Darticle||D%2CT%2C921%2C918%2C928%2C2116%2C 925%2C2150|10420%2C10395%2CD08734_70852%2C10384%2C 10385%2C10308||subsection|frame1|politics_2011_11_ 09_merry-christmas-agriculture-department-imposes-christmas-tree-tax_print|%3B%7Eaopt%3D2/1/54/0%3B%7Esscs%3D%3fhttp://adserver.adtechus.com/adlink/3.0/5221/1268387/0/170/ADTECH;loc=300;key=key1+key2+key3+key4;grp=[group])</noscript><style type="text/css">body { margin: 0pt; }img { border: medium none; }</style> advertisement

The White House has decided to sideline a proposed fee on Christmas trees, after the fee was ridiculed by critics as a tax on Christmas.
The 15-cent tax on Christmas trees was announced Tuesday in the Federal Register and was meant to pay for a new board tasked with promoting the Christmas tree industry. It was supported by Christmas tree growers, who wanted a stable source of revenue to fund a new marketing campaign.
But the change quickly drew complaints from Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., and others. Scalise described the fee as a "Grinch" move by the Obama administration and vowed to fight it.
White House spokesman Matt Lehrich told Fox News on Wednesday afternoon that the administration is putting a stop to the proposal.


Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/09/merry-christmas-agriculture-department-imposes-christmas-tree-tax/print#ixzz1dFHpAaPg...

[fj1200]

They've backed off this idea:

It was supported by Christmas tree growers, who wanted a stable source of revenue to fund a new marketing campaign.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/09/merry-christmas-agriculture-department-imposes-christmas-tree-tax/

Apparently Big Christmas Tree didn't give enough money to elected officials.

[red states rule]

Obama, and most on the left, would consider this a sin tax

[KarlMarx]

Let me tell you how it will be;
Gonna tax that Christmas Tree
Cause I'm the Tax Man! Yeah I'm the Tax Man
If 15 cents appears too tall
Be thankful I don't tax it all
Cause I'm the Tax Man! Yeah I'm the Tax Man

(apologies to the beatles...)

[red states rule]

http://blog.heartland.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/Christmas-Grinch.jpg