Obama Couldn’t Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax
Headlines, Taxes Wednesday, November 9th, 2011
By: David S. Addington, The Heritage Network
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?
To read more, visit: http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/
Short URL: https://reteaparty.com/?p=4320
Just the government again creating jobs for their crony friends by taxing us…Oops that ‘s right, they said it isn’t a tax…Gov. doesn’t put it the general fund, it goes to DOA and a new Board to promote Christmas Trees…OMG they used the word “CHRIST-mass…
This is too bizaar to be taken seriously. Why not propose a tax on lady Muslim’s face/head coverings to raise funds to review the cost of the fabric that goes into making those ridiiculous masking handkerchiefs..?
I was not aware that the Christmas Tree industry’s image was even sullied. Why do we need to promote the industry? we all pretty much know if we want a fresh or artificial Christmas tree, don’t we? And isn’t the Christmas tree a holiday symbol based on certain religions? Where is the money to study the Menorah industry? There are many choices in Menorahs. Are there shady Christmas tree dealers out there, selling sub-standard trees (hmmm: shady-tree dealers. That’s kind of funny). This sounds like more of an excuse to create yet another well paid bureaucratic bullshit position to me.
What’s next? taxing Christmas wreaths and Santa Clauses and everything else having to relate to our holy holiday? Targeting christians is all he’s doing.
“IMPROVE THE IMAGE OF _CHRISTMAS TREES_?” Yeah Just CALL them CHRISTMAS trees…THAT would be the improvement! Much like the government campaign: GOT MILK? Right! Like I’m gonna pour BEER on my morning cereal! Really…this was just gonna be another SLUSH FUND for his OBAMA STASH…and we found his hand in the till!
Add a tax from muslims to enable them to teach about their sharia laws in Georgia AND SOME FLORIDA schools, and also have it taken out of all school books. THEY DO NOT ALOW JESUS OR CHRIST TO BE WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS ALONG WITH SHARIA LAWS AND THIE R IDEAS. It is to lopsided But in the mean time tax the muslims. they will scream unfair, but THATS WHAT THEY DO TO NON MUSLIMS IN THEIR COUNTRIES.
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I WILL say it, and the Founders said it too: Obama does NOT have the authority to impose the new Chjristmas tree tax; at least not the legitimate and Constitutional authority. The very first sentence of the Constitution declares that, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States…” When did the word “all” lose its meaning? How long will we continue to allow the executive and judicial branches to usurp this authority?
This Tax has already been stopped, so no worries…
Some huge group of Christmas tree growers were pushing this and were very glad Odipstick was willing to get them their free tax money !
The only ‘growth’ industry under the Hussein Obama administration is for-profit abortion centers. Perhaps each abortion could be taxed at 4000%. This tax would do several things. One, it would help these for-profit corporations pay their fair share. Two, it would encourage them to lower their carbon foot-print. Three, it would help lower our budget deficits. Four, it would create millions of high wage jobs somehow. We’ll let Joe Biden explain how because he’s a smart guy and he can do it. Yes he can.