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OMG Obama taxing Christmas trees!!1

G

Gonad the Barbarian

Lifer
When will the war on Christmas stop?

http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest...erided-by-conservatives-denied-by-White-House

Is the Obama administration really taxing Christmas trees?

No, but the White House said Wednesday it was reversing its decision to approve an industry-sponsored Christmas tree promotion program after conservatives accused the Agriculture Department of spoiling Christmas with a new tree tax.

The program — similar to familiar industry campaigns like "Got Milk?" ''Beef: It's What's For Dinner" and "The Incredible Edible Egg" — would have been fully funded by fees on the industry at 15 cents per Christmas tree sold. The industry had asked the USDA to set up the program.

IN PICTURES: A gallery of Christmas trees

Conservative critics said the costs could eventually be passed on to consumers. The National Christmas Tree Association said it wouldn't have an impact on the price consumers pay for their trees.

White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said the USDA would delay the program, but defended it, saying it was not a tax.

"I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama administration is not taxing Christmas trees," Lehrich said. "What's being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign."

That said, Lehrich added, "USDA is going to delay implementation and revisit this action."

USDA promotion and research boards are common, used by at least 18 other agricultural commodities. The Christmas tree industry petitioned to set up its own promotional program after years of concern about lost market share to the artificial Christmas tree industry. The NationalChristmas Tree Association said a majority of growers favored the petition.

Industries get the Agriculture Department involved to make sure the effort to promote their product is fair and unified. If the USDA eventually approves it, a board of industry representatives will make decisions on how to promote and research Christmas trees.

Conservative critics were unbowed. David Addington, a former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and now a vice president at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said in a post on the think tank's website that the money coming into the federal government constitutes a tax.

"The American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn't need any help from the government," Addington said.

Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., piled on.

"This new tax is a smack in the face to each and every American who celebrates Christmas, and may be the best example to date of President Obama's obsession with taxing and regulating hard-working American families," he said.
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Why does Obama hate Christians?
 
he does not hate Christmas.

He just wants money from people that have to play Santa and give it to those that have not.

Robin Hood (US style)
 
The first 2 lines of your own quote give you your answer.

"Is the Obama administration really taxing Christmas trees?

No"

Faux news strikes again.
 
The Christian Science Monitor is complaining about POSSIBLE taxes that were never approved?

I guess that would cut into their tithe money....
 
and just wondering...how much would this 'evil\job destroying\economy nuking' tax be that would cause all the noise?

...15 cents! Don't like it? Raise your own tree...buy a Christmas Turkey or Pumpkin or how about a Nativity set.

I am nowhere near the top any %...and I see no need to focus on this but to focus on where the big money is leaking...i can think of military and ss...anyone?
 
I think this screams more of Government over reaching, than justa "tax". An industry wants the government to run an ad campaign for it? That's what it really is.
It was a stupid idea to begin with. There's only a certain amount of people that will buy a "live" tree.
The rest of us don't want to deal with needles falling off in the house, keeping water in the pan the tree sits in, keeping the dogs from drinking that water, ect.

If you want to x-mas tree industry to look better and more attractive, stop putting tents up and staffing them with people that look like serial killers.
 
JeffreyLebowski said:
<snip>

If you want to x-mas tree industry to look better and more attractive, stop putting tents up and staffing them with people that look like serial killers.
Click to expand...

They are serial killers.

Look at all those dead trees that they are pushing around:whiste:
 
Ninjahedge said:
The Christian Science Monitor is complaining about POSSIBLE taxes that were never approved?

I guess that would cut into their tithe money....
Click to expand...

eh? it was approved, now being reversed.


i know why the industry wants itself to be taxed (prevent free rider). but it's not money that would go into the general fund and for the most part the .gov is paid for its role in these sorts of things (like got milk?).
 
Why the fuck do we need a government-sponsored ad campaign about christmas trees? That's the real question here.

What possible benefit does society get from such a campaign?

I'm glad the USDA has postponed the ad, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

Fucking stupidass government.
 
drebo said:
Why the fuck do we need a government-sponsored ad campaign about christmas trees? That's the real question here.

What possible benefit does society get from such a campaign?

I'm glad the USDA has postponed the ad, even if it was for the wrong reasons.

Fucking stupidass government.
Click to expand...

Only some higher power knows how many hidden taxes are embedded in Big Ag legislation to promote products here and all over the world.

Talk about corporate welfare.

Edit = both sides are complicit that fleecing of the public
 
It was the patriots at the Heritage Foundation that broke this story of the government takeover of Christmas:
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-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—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.
Click to expand...
 
wayliff said:
and just wondering...how much would this 'evil\job destroying\economy nuking' tax be that would cause all the noise?

...15 cents! Don't like it? Raise your own tree...buy a Christmas Turkey or Pumpkin or how about a Nativity set.

I am nowhere near the top any %...and I see no need to focus on this but to focus on where the big money is leaking...i can think of military and ss...anyone?
Click to expand...

additional $20 tax on ANYTHING YOU BUY, don't like it, make it yourself

see, two can play at that game

this is clearly targetting Christians
 
Lithium381 said:
additional $20 tax on ANYTHING YOU BUY, don't like it, make it yourself

see, two can play at that game

this is clearly targetting Christians
Click to expand...

ok lets play your game of extreme.

he he - I buy christmas trees and yes if the tax would be too high on something, I would look for an alternative.

Isn't the responsible thing, according to certain party, to only buy what one can afford? However that should be the practice of anyone.
 
Obama hates the baby Jeebus and his holy pine trees!😡

treedom.jpg

"You may take our lives - but you'll never take our TREE-DOM!!!!"
 
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