Obama’s New ‘Christmas Tree Tax’

Christmas tree tax to promote the real thing

By taxing themselves, growers will raise $2 million a year for ads promoting the merits of real, live trees. Or, at least, trees that once were living, as opposed to the artificial kind that have seized an increasing share of the holiday market.

"As demographics and buying habits have changed, we have watched the market for real trees shrink drastically, requiring us to spend much more time and money on promotion," said Don Cameron, past president of the California Christmas Tree Association.

Akin to similar programs that promote milk, beef and cotton, the Christmas tree program will impose on U.S. domestic producers and importers an initial fee of 15 cents per tree.

A 12-member board will direct the money to generic ads and other promotions, as well as research. The promotions, according to the USDA, will present "a favorable image of Christmas trees to the general public," with the intent of improving the public "perception" of Christmas trees and, hence, their sales.

Fresh-tree sales declined from 37 million in 1991 to 31 million in 2007, according to the USDA. Artificial tree sales, meanwhile, nearly doubled, to 17.4 million, from 2003 to 2007.

After three years, growers and importers will vote on whether to continue the program.

Malone said she has been working on the tree promotion program for about 31/2 years. She said the ads and promotions are likely to begin next year, aiming to offset what's become a steady decline in tree sales.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ ... 3619.story

So a group of job creators votes to tax themselves to help spur sales and thus create more jobs and the Conservatives are against it? rofllol rofllol rofllol

And the industry itself has been working on this tax for 3.5 years and the Conservatives try to paint it as Obama's Christmas tree tax?? rofllol rofllol rofllol

Sounds like a pro-business program to help the struggling tree farmers to me. And as has already been pointed out, the growers are free to pass on the .15-cent fee if they wish.

Next wacko outrage-of-the-day issue______?

Does the Forest Service get to pay too when they sell the Christmas Tree cutting permits? lol

If Obama and the enviros were behind this, it would be to encourage people to always use the plastic trees, last longer and trees don't need to die. Add $10 to ever real tree sold to discourage the killing of innocent trees.

I agree with NC --- it's an example of government gone wild. (the association could promote tree dealers without government assistance).

However, it's hardly a left-wing conspiracy to rid America of Christmas.

Get the government out of the Christmas Tree promoting business!

I don't think most of the posters get it- the government is into EVERYTHING. The question we should be asking is WHY?

Just another "rule"- and yes it is a tax - a tax that makes government just that much bigger. Why do we need the government to promote Christmas trees?

bailey bud wrote: However, it's hardly a left-wing conspiracy to rid America of Christmas.

I am missing where anyone said it was.
This thread is a major hoot, watching all the usual suspects cheering government mandated promotion of Christmas. What happened to separation of church and state?

SS109 wrote: Does the Forest Service get to pay too when they sell the Christmas Tree cutting permits? lol

If Obama and the enviros were behind this, it would be to encourage people to always use the plastic trees, last longer and trees don't need to die. Add $10 to ever real tree sold to discourage the killing of innocent trees.

So you're for putting the job creators (Christmas Tree growers) out of business?

Newsflash: Obama and the enviros were not behind it. The growers themselves have been working on the proposal for 3 1/2 years.

Conservation Voice wrote:

SS109 wrote: Does the Forest Service get to pay too when they sell the Christmas Tree cutting permits? lol

If Obama and the enviros were behind this, it would be to encourage people to always use the plastic trees, last longer and trees don't need to die. Add $10 to ever real tree sold to discourage the killing of innocent trees.

So you're for putting the job creators (Christmas Tree growers) out of business?

Newsflash: Obama and the enviros were not behind it. The growers themselves have been working on the proposal for 3 1/2 years.

No, I like fresh trees and cut my own. I was just saying if this was the enviros, they would have made a bigger tax to discourage, not encourage tree cutting.

Does raise a interesting question, do the beef & pork council also have the feds collect taxes for them to pay for their commercials?

BearMtnHIB wrote: Get the government out of the Christmas Tree promoting business!

I don't think most of the posters get it- the government is into EVERYTHING. The question we should be asking is WHY?

Just another "rule"- and yes it is a tax - a tax that makes government just that much bigger. Why do we need the government to promote Christmas trees?

Because the government spent so many years trying to convince us it was a holiday tree. You should be happy that they want to promote it as a Christmas Tree. Gee... I hope the government doesn't start promoting nativity scenes... you'll be bitching up a storm.

SS109 wrote: Does raise a interesting question, do the beef & pork council also have the feds collect taxes for them to pay for their commercials?

From the non-partisan news article I linked to earlier:

Akin to similar programs that promote milk, beef and cotton, the Christmas tree program will impose on U.S. domestic producers and importers an initial fee of 15 cents per tree.

Ebenezer Obama? A 15-cent Christmas tree tax and right-wing outrage

When you and the family buy the Christmas tree this year, you might be paying a little more.

A 15-cent tax will be imposed on growers so that they can promote fresh trees against the artificial ones that are making gains in the market.

Fifteen cents. Can’t mail a letter with that. Can’t buy a cup of coffee. And let’s face it, the days of penny candy are long gone.

But you can create conservative outrage

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepoliti ... g-outrage/