Christmas Tree Tax- no, they're not kidding.

[DrLeftover]

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). 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”

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



More-



http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2011...Christmas-tree/UPI-99071320850426/?dailybrief



http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-1109-christmas-tree-wars-20111109,0,2983619.story

 

[Jazzy]

Don't know about others here but I prefer an artificial christmas tree. I can use it year after year and it's more environmentally friendly. I don't know of many people in my area that can afford $45 and up for a live tree. Might as well take your $45 and throw it out. That's what you're doing when you buy a live tree. I can buy gifts or food with my $45 thank you very much!

 

[Evil Eye]

...k.

Should we consider this a green move?

Might as well take your $45 and throw it out. That's what you're doing when you buy a live tree.

Unless you keep the tree alive!

But, yeah, they're messy too.

 

[Jazzy]

[font=tahoma, geneva, sans-serif]Very true, EE. Pine needles all over the place and months later, you're still vacuuming them up!

 

[DrLeftover]

Mr. O has agreed to delay his new tax.



http://abcnews.go.co...stmas-tree-fee/





I tend not to want any pagan symbolism in my home, but the decision isn't mine.



When somebody here mentions a live tree I tell them to look outside where we have three large evergreens. The tallest is nearly fifty feet tall, and about that much around. They are clearly visible on Google Earth.



That is a live tree.

 

[Bluezone777]

I don't what is going through their mind when they thought creating a tax just so they can pay for some promotional campaign to improve the image of the live Christmas tree as if we have nothing better to spend our money on then that. I prefer the fake one anyways as it's far cheaper and gets the job done.

 

[Desiree]

just make the christmas tree ourselves,it more green and we can use the money to buy any christmas dec we love ,like cheap santa costumes、tree ornaments......

 

[Jazzy]

just make the christmas tree ourselves,it more green and we can use the money to buy any christmas dec we love ,like santa costumes、tree ornaments......

That's an excellent idea!

 

[Flurry]

Uh-huh. Anything to try to get out of debt I suppose.

 

[Nebulous's iconNebulous]

Got a fake tree in the closet so it don't matter to me. If I bought a fresh one, I could afford the 15 cents. The tree lots Jack up the price a couple dollars every year anyway.

 

[Jazzy]

There was an ad in my local newspaper from one of the Christmas tree farms in my area. Little early (IMO) to run an ad but....the price on cutting your own tree doubled from his ad last year. A 5' tree is now $50 opposed to $25 last year. This guy is slitting his own throat by doing this but hopefully trees will be saved by him doing this. Not many people in my area can even afford a $25 tree let alone a $50 one!

 

[DrLeftover]

We've got a lighted ceramic tree in the closet that belonged to my grandmother. I remember her having it on a table when I was a kid, so it is easily fifty years old or more. I'll dig it out around Thanksgiving and put it up on the TV stand where it was last year.



Decorating. Done.



No tax, no trees killed, no Chinese imports, no union dues, no nothing.



How's that?

 

[Jazzy]

We've got a lighted ceramic tree in the closet that belonged to my grandmother. I remember her having it on a table when I was a kid, so it is easily fifty years old or more. I'll dig it out around Thanksgiving and put it up on the TV stand where it was last year.



Decorating. Done.



No tax, no trees killed, no Chinese imports, no union dues, no nothing.



How's that?

Sounds pretty and it works for me!

 

[Evil Eye]

How's that?

Cheap. Excellent.