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2011-11-09 Home Front: Politix
Obama Couldn't Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax
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Posted by Fred 2011-11-09 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11130 views ]  Top

#1 So those of us that have artificial trees should pay our Christmas tree tax with what; Monopoly money?
Posted by USN, Ret. 2011-11-09 00:09||   2011-11-09 00:09|| Front Page Top

#2 the link to the Federal Register is here.

This govt was requested to establish this program by the large producers in the Christmas Tree Industry (small producers will be exempt). The govt collects the funds and turns them over to a non govt board that decides how to spend the money.

The reason that industry wanted this program was because sales of real trees are down (sales of plastic and trees are up) and the industry thought there might be ways of marketing real trees that will increase demand.

The reason why industry has to do this through govt is that if they did it themselves they would be guilty of anti competitive practices; that, is the law prevents them from doing it themselves without going through the govt. Unfortunately a lot of stuff is like this and the problem predates Obama by many years.
Posted by Lord Garth 2011-11-09 00:18||   2011-11-09 00:18|| Front Page Top

#3 So now they are taxing Christmas? With the right marketing, the GOP could win the election on this alone.

As for me, I'm going to go sit in the sinktrap to make up for all the bad words I wrote here and then deleted. ...and the horse they rode in on!
Posted by SteveS 2011-11-09 00:38||   2011-11-09 00:38|| Front Page Top

#4 Forgive my Bilblical ignorance, or is it ignorance OF Biblical proportions -- anyway -- wasn't one of the causes of one of the early Jewish revolts was a Roman tax on trees in the Levant?

Israelis' response was to cut down all the trees.
Posted by badanov 2011-11-09 01:01|| http://www.freefirezone.org  2011-11-09 01:01|| Front Page Top

#5 The reason that industry wanted this program was because sales of real trees are down (sales of plastic and trees are up) and the industry thought there might be ways of marketing real trees that will increase demand.
They could cut the prices, that would definitely increase demand. Real tree prices got so high I finally switched to an simulated tree, have only have to pay for that once. I've got evergreens all over my yard, keep having to prune them to keep them under control.
Posted by Anguper Hupomosing9418 2011-11-09 01:32||   2011-11-09 01:32|| Front Page Top

#6 Geniuses. Add a tax so trees are more expensive, so people buy more artificial ones. Use the tax to promote trees no one wants anymore cuz they are more pricey. I hope that I've got it right.

I'm telling ya... Something happened a while ago and we all have been shifted to alternate universe where the Urth is actually an asylum.
Posted by twobyfour 2011-11-09 01:41||   2011-11-09 01:41|| Front Page Top

#7 This govt was requested to establish this program by the large producers in the Christmas Tree Industry

Don't wont their lots to be occupied? Their accounts audited?
Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-11-09 02:23||   2011-11-09 02:23|| Front Page Top

#8 Not from The Onion? I keep waiting for someone to say "Just kidding! Hah hah, had you going there!". Really, not from The Onion?

Really? A Christmas Tree Czar?
Posted by Whiskey Mike 2011-11-09 02:30||   2011-11-09 02:30|| Front Page Top

#9 In other news,

A plan to adopt the leaf as currency means we'll all be staggeringly rich.
Posted by Bright Pebbles 2011-11-09 05:59||   2011-11-09 05:59|| Front Page Top

#10 ..can you say Stamp Tax. When you're a Marxist, you have no need for real history. Just the made up 'interpretations' to rationalize your heartfelt desires.
Posted by Procopius2k 2011-11-09 07:04||   2011-11-09 07:04|| Front Page Top

#11 Tax, tax and more tax. That is all the government does now days.

Time for a Boston Tree Party?
Posted by DarthVader 2011-11-09 07:36||   2011-11-09 07:36|| Front Page Top

#12 Fenestra and pitchforks are more reusable. Branches snap. Calc... statists comprise of bout 25%, so ... that would require about 82.5 million branches and untold reels of cord. It is obvious that won't work.
Posted by twobyfour 2011-11-09 09:27||   2011-11-09 09:27|| Front Page Top

#13 Seems like there's a separation of church and state issue here. Is the ACLU working this issue?
Posted by Nimble Spemble 2011-11-09 09:35||   2011-11-09 09:35|| Front Page Top

#14 Oh Christmas tree
Oh Christmas tree
Keep the revenues
Rolling into me
Posted by tu3031 2011-11-09 10:09||   2011-11-09 10:09|| Front Page Top

#15 "I" own a plastic tree, I put it up two weeks before Christmas, and leave it up until about a week after.
Any such "Tax" will NOT affect me.
UP YOURS OBAMA.
Posted by Redneck Jim 2011-11-09 10:09||   2011-11-09 10:09|| Front Page Top

#16 What about a tax on Hanukkah gelt?
Posted by g(r)omgoru 2011-11-09 11:13||   2011-11-09 11:13|| Front Page Top

#17 I don't put up a tree. I put up a Fetivus Pole. Wonder when those will be taxed.
Posted by Deacon Blues 2011-11-09 12:22||   2011-11-09 12:22|| Front Page Top

#18 Hah. I was right. It WAS the Onion. Sorta. April November Fools! says our government.
Posted by Whiskey Mike 2011-11-09 15:20||   2011-11-09 15:20|| Front Page Top

#19 reports in the past half hour are that the admin will postpone implentation of this 15 cent fee.
Posted by Lord Garth 2011-11-09 15:30||   2011-11-09 15:30|| Front Page Top

#20 The Christmas tree is a symbol that has come to be associated with a Christian holiday. Is Obama discriminating against Christianity? What's next a carbon tax on Menorahs? How about a tax on burqas and Islamic religious services? The taxing of praying five times per day, is a good possibility for revenues.
Posted by JohnQC 2011-11-09 15:50||   2011-11-09 15:50|| Front Page Top

#21 How do you spell Jizya? Is that it? Yep thats the stuff...

a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens, who meet certain criteria.

i.e Christians
Posted by BrerRabbit 2011-11-09 18:18||   2011-11-09 18:18|| Front Page Top

#22 I guess we'll find out how consistent the atheists are about their no government involvement with anything remotely religious.
Posted by rjschwarz 2011-11-09 19:42||   2011-11-09 19:42|| Front Page Top

#23 Whoa, THE FED HELPED THE REINDEER RUN OVER GRANDMA - D **** NG, I KNEW IT!

LOL.
Posted by JosephMendiola 2011-11-09 21:09||   2011-11-09 21:09|| Front Page Top

#24 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).

So it's Shipman's fault. /sarc
Dang nab it! It's not a tax, it's a kickback.
Posted by Alaska Paul 2011-11-09 21:33||   2011-11-09 21:33|| Front Page Top

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