Obama Administration to Delay New 15-Cent Christmas Tree Tax

“The fee, requested by the National Christmas Tree Association in 2009…” I get it now…..votes!

IF $0.15 on a Christmas Tree is a real deal breaker things are worse than I had ever imagined. (You can’t even get a stamp for that!)

Because it wasn’t a $5 fee like BOA, this was OK to do… right Obama?

Wouldn’t this be considered discriminating against a certain religion—I want Menorahs and Muslims sweets Halwa or Zarda taxed also ;-)

Why aren’t prayer rugs being taxed?

Hair weave salons?

With a tax on Christmas trees and a tax on tanning beds, one could surmise that this administration was trying to target Christians and white people.

Do you think he realized how incredibly stupid this idea was, and how many people he was alienating, or that his staff did? What a moron.

All this fuss is really about the fact that the Republican agenda of crushing Unions and butting into the personal lives of women was TROUNCED yesterday at the ballot box!!

Ha! Ha!

This is typical Republican strategy: create a grotesquely distorted caricature, broadcast the delusion at the top of your lungs, and hope that you manage to reinforce just enough cynicism and hopelessness to ensure the election of someone who truly cares only for funneling all of the country’s wealth and power into the hands of a tiny, corrupt elite.

Anybody who falls for Republican garbage propaganda deserves the fate Republicans would afford them.

It’s 15 cents people, once a year, and far from a tax initiated by the Obama administration, the proposal to create an assessment on tree growers to fund a research and promotion program through the USDA was begun by the industry during the Bush administration.

In February 2008, faced with declining sales, members of the National Christmas Tree Association created a task force to consider the merits of a checkoff program, which would allow the USDA to collect a fee from growers in order to fund research into marketing Christmas trees.

“Nature abhors a vacuum, and there is no vacuum in nature as empty as the leadership of the Republican Party today.”
Conservative columnist Richard Viguerie

Enough with you moronic Republican propagandists……

“According to the Federal Registry, the proposed Christmas Tree Promotion Board, which would be funded by the new fee, would launch a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace.” In other words they will get big bucks to sit on their brains, get all this money and do absolutly nothing.

to jbusse, Maybe you are behind the times, but BofA removed the $5 fee on debit cards last week.

The key phrase here is “delayed” and not “rescinded”.

Just a gimmick to get us past December. I predict a reinstated proposal on the Table on December 26th.

Honestly if the National Christmas Tree Association wants to collect a 15 cent fee for their own promotional use (probably to hire lobbyists, huh?), no problem, but our government should have NO part in it.

I don’t see how a 15-cent tax to improve the marketing of Christmas trees really makes sense anyway.

#1 – Do Christmas trees really need “marketing”? Have you ever heard anyone say, “What? Bring a tree into the house and decorate it? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
#2 – If you buy a tree, and pay the tax, you’ve already bought the tree, and any marketing would be kind of moot. What, do they want you to buy two trees?

I spent Christmas of 1990 deployed in Qatar while waiting for the beginning of Desert Storm. Not a lot of evergreens grow in Qatar, and it’s a relatively strictly Muslim country – yet we had a real Christmas tree in our tent, bought right downtown (but flown in from thousands and thousands of miles away). If that doesn’t show the lack of need to marketing, I don’t know what would.

Power to levy tax belonged to Congress.
How is this “fee” distinquishable from a “tax” so that the administration can unilaterally demand it?

Correction Required,,All references to “Christmas Trees” must be retracted and replaced with “Holliday Trees”

This was a play to his base on the left; anyone remember the ‘white peoples tax’ on tanning beds? This is a ‘christians only tax’. Meaningless, but would be enough to get a couple of giggles out of his supporters at the Hollywood cocktail party fund raisers….

If the National Christmas Tree Association wants to advertise, they need to pay for it themselves. They have no right to tax me (and any honest person knows it is a tax) to pay for advertising that benefits them.

What is a National Christmas Tree Association and why is Obama stealing money from taxpayers to give to them?

The National Christmas Tree Association says the fee would fund a program “designed to benefit the industry and will be funded by the growers” and is “not expected to have any impact on the final price consumers pay for their Christmas tree.”

It is pretty obvious that our government actually believes we are complete fools.

But I have to admit, .15 cents….big deal…….

I was going to buy my kids a gumball for Christmas…. but now I have to pay 15 cents to jackbooted thugs in Washington!

This is only going add people to the unemployment lines. Gumball workers are going to be laid off, bigtime! Just watch! And the gumball makers are going to open up gumball factories in China! (Not that there is anything wrong with that…. that’s capitalism!)

Why do they need the govt to promote thier inducstry. Why not impose the fee to thier tree growing friends and do this on thier own? So to say there is no cost is a lie and will the USDA do this for free? There are no cost to the USDA? Its Christmas magic.
All the people saying its only 15 cents, I want to start a tax for me and I only want a penny from every citizen. What you can’t afford a penny! It ends up being $3 million in my pocket, but it only costs you a penny. Bunch of economic illiterate don;t get that these cumulative fees and taxes are a huge drag on the economy. For what? Marketing a product. That’s what the USDA is there for?

Wait until Obama finally gets his wish and becomes Dictator, which will happen if he wins the election. This is just the beginning. No matter what you think of the Republican opponent–better to vote for a sinner than for the devil.

Follow the money folks. Why does the National Christmas Tree Association need a tax? They don’t. It’s just another ploy for somebody to get their hands on big govt (taxpayers) money. The money goes into a fund that some senator oversees and gets passed out in return for favors. Somebody gets really really rich off the taxpayer and we never even knew it happened.

–This is only going add people to the unemployment lines. Gumball workers are going to be laid off, bigtime! Just watch! And the gumball makers are going to open up gumball factories in China! (Not that there is anything wrong with that…. that’s capitalism!)–

Agreed.

the fee would fund a program “designed to benefit the industry and will be funded by the growers” and is “not expected to have any impact on the final price consumers pay for their Christmas tree.”

Seriously? Please. This is a tax. ALL taxes and fees get passed on to the consumer, period. Do we really need ANOTHER gub’mint board with eternal life?

If Christmas tree growers are going to jump on board the gub’mint gravy train, we are going to just go head and buy a fake tree.

Does anyone honestly believe that 15 cents per tree sold (and this was only to be imposed on those selling more than 500 trees) would have actually funded any kind of government committee (bureaucracy). Hardly. It would have required the government (in this case the Dept. of Agriculture) to kick in federal funds as well. That would be taxpayer dollars. What a wonderful use of our money that would be.

Oh, and JIM, just in case you missed it, the voters in Ohio also voted to opt out of the Obamacare mandate as well.

Smart move, President Scrooge!

The drudge report headline is misleading. It is not CALLED OFF it is DELAYED. He thought he could slip this through without the press jumping on it…. he was wrong, so he will try it again later.

Massive fail, all you dogmatic zealots. You’d be surprised that behind the tax was the conservative Heritage Foundation. So, go ahead and call the President of the United States anything you want, just have enough synapsis firing in your trite, bigot-minded cranial caverns to carry out some due diligence and find out facts.

Just one more example of how the Obama White House is out of touch with reality. C’mon 2012!

I can’t wait to see this guy leaving the white house…

$.15 leads the retailer or the wholesailer to increase their price by .30 or .50 or $1. LIBs seem to think that everything happens in a vaccuum. I guarantee that the price will increase by more than .15. But I’m with those who say “who cares?”. If I pay even $1 more for a Christmas tree this year, is it going to break me? This is where many on my side (conservatives) go off the rail. They vehemently oppose every tax, period, however miniscule, and that only serves to make them look like “extremists”. In fact, I’d guess that this was all part of Obama’s reelection plan. Float minscule tax hikes here and there and allow the far right-wing to look like idiots opposing them all. He didn’t implement the tax and now will certainly use it to try make the GOP look bad.

How many ways can one elitist president say FU to the people of this country

If the christmas tree association wants to collect a fee to fund a program, it sure as hell doesn’t need the federal government to collect the fee for them. Just what our over-inflated government needs…more useless programs.

How about we just don’t buy a Christmas tree this year. I for one will not tolerate another BS tax on my family. Lets try to destroy the last traditions that America has left.
The Republican and Democratic party are a sham. I really hope the tar and feathers come back.

I haven’t read all of the comments but $.15 is not even enough money to cover the administration costs of this program. To me, it is just the camel getting its nose under the tent. Next year, after all of the hoopla dies down, it will be raised to $.30 and on from there. All this kind of crap needs to be weeded out before it even gets started.

If Obummer imposed a tax on common sense no one in his administration would pay a cent for that tax. Next he well want to import more lions to take care of those pesky Christians….

Follow the money. The Christmas Tree Association’s own website says 25-30 million trees are sold in the US each season, so that little 15-cent tax adds up to four million dollars that will end up in someone’s pocket.

Fee? Call it what it is, you freakin’ shills. It’s a tax and he got called on it. Stop covering up for him. Don’t you in the media ever read? Your credibility is at all time lows because you are so biased. Start covering things equally or go the way of the print media.

Since it actually was started in 2008 – it is a Bush thing. Since it was promoted by Heritage Foundation, it is a Conservative Republican thing. Since The extreme Right wants to promote Obama as an anti-Christian – BINGO!!! It makes him look like he is raising a tax that their side actually started. Now, if you don’t want to pay it ever – go to a local farm and cut your own. Or how about growing your own -can even be done in a pot in the city!

This news still begs the question: Why do we HAVE a Dept. of Agriculture?

The total value of all farm produced products is $206.8 Billion dollars annually. The budget of the Department of Agriculture, which grows or produces nothing other than regulations, is $145.0 Billion dollars, or 70.1% of the value of all farm produce.

Why are we creating taxes to support a specific industry (and one which is particularly tied to a specific religion)?

“What’s being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign, similar to how the dairy producers have created the ‘Got Milk?’ campaign.” the part of the story buried in the bottom – and which no one seems to have noticed.

would it not cost $$$ to collect and account for this 15 cents per tree ???? is the goverment going to set up a christmas tree accounting dept or possible a new cabinet position

No tree tax but there will be a $5.00 surcharge on Poinsettias and gingerbread houses

Dear Jim, you wrote:
“In February 2008, faced with declining sales, members of the National Christmas Tree Association created a task force to consider the merits of a checkoff program, which would allow the USDA to collect a fee from growers in order to fund research into marketing Christmas trees.

Enough with you moronic Republican propagandists……”

Please enlighten this “moronic Republican propagandist”.
Why can’t the industry collect its own fund without the involving the government?
Is it because the answer to every problem is a new or higher tax or a new regulation?

Jealousy is a terrible thing.

Gary Butler

Why are the growers asking for a tax that goes back to them? Just charge the middle man 15 cents more per tree and leave the government out of it.

This is simply discrimination against Christians… Obama tells us many times this is not a “Christian” nation… so I guess the only people that would buy a tree and pay the tax are Christians….. hmmm… almost reminds me of the tax he put on Tanning Salons…. who tans…. oh, white people….

How about a 15 cent Koran tax?

You can’t stop Republicans from going crazy. History proves that they go crazy.

Last week, they pushed an old lady down a flight of stairs while angrily confronting Occupy DC protesters. Not realizing that the morons had knocked their own friend down the stairs, they quickly blamed the protesters and accused them of doing it on purpose. When someone produced a video actually showing the right wingers knocking this poor old woman down the stairs, they said, “The protesters MADE me push the lady down the stairs… it’s their fault!”

Why do I bring this up? Because it just proves that some people will get angry over anything. And their anger blinds them even to their own actions. And when confronted with the consequences of their blind stupidity, it only makes them feel more angry and righteous. It a sort of mass hysteria. But we have seen this sort of behavior in history. It’s nothing new. But it is shocking that there are people in the media who exploit such tragic human weakness and encourage as though it is a virtue.

You simply cannot argue with someone in the Tea Party because their beliefs trump rationality…. and rational things that frustrate their beliefs only make them angrier. They feel like they are both a persecuted minority AND the secret champions of the will of the majority. This is the sort of psychology that leads to radical action…. and typically, these radical nuts, always imagine that their crazy actions are going to initiate sweeping changes, and that history will remember them as some kind of hero or something.

In person, do your best to coddle these people, because many are armed and believe in the myth of redemptive violence. And, I know from experience, they are precisely the type of people who will harass you in your home and bother your family if they think you might be a “leftist,” “atheist,” “union member,” “peace activists,” or “homosexual.” But as soon as they are sitting in front of their tvs or absorbed by their radios…. work hard to prevent their agenda from coming to fruition. Last Tuesday was a good start! But there is more work yet to be done.

Keep up the good work, America! The entire world is counting on you! We have to put regulations on the banking system. We have to promote a peaceful international relations and a strong UN. We have to work on good food, health care, education, democracy, and all human rights around the world. And, most urgently, we must do what we can to reverse the course of climate change.

Be brave. Be bold. Be gentle, but resolute…. and we will win. We won’t do it with guns. And we won’t do it with divine intervention. We will have to do it the honest way…. through peace, dialogue, education, and lots of hard work. We will have no heroes and no leaders (at least until we have political reform in the US)…. but we CAN make the world better.

As DAVEINTHED touched upon the effect of a tax such as this is only the beginning. The tax-code for a tree will be broken in sizes, types, regions, rarity, etc, etc, then taxed upon based on these categories. $.15 is really nothing to you or me, but put $.15 charged on 10,000,000 trees now you are talking about some serious cash $1.5M. Once implemented it will never be reversed, just increased for another research program, termites, bettles, sap, propgation, cutting tech., the list will go on and on and the tax for more R&D will INCREASE….

Wait, the POTUS wants to add a Federal (sales) tax on Christmas Trees? Are we allowed to call them Christmas trees anymore? All I see for sale are Holiday Trees.

While we’re on this subject.. The White House is having a GIANT tree cur down in California and shipped across the country?!?!?!?!?! Where are the enivronmentalist protesting this action?!?!?!? How much will that cost? What does it cost to ship a 40+ fft. tree across the country?

Obama was quoted as saying, “I don’t understand why millionaires and billioaires are allowed to by Christmas trees at the same price as a single mother. It’s just not the America I was born in.”

America I guess this is the change (.14) YOU can believe in. Mr. Obama = fail

Republicans and Tea Baggers refuse to pay 15 cents more for their tree! They will pay 15 cents more for a burger and fries, but not on their tree!

“The National Christmas Tree Association says the fee would fund a program “designed to benefit the industry and will be funded by the growers” – Love that double speak.

When will people in this country get their heads out of their backsides and realize what is going on here? From taxes on tanning parlors, aimed solely at the types of people who need tans, to taxes on Christmas trees, aimed solely at those religions and those “types” that celebrate Christmas, among many other sneaky little prods and rules and regulations, there is only one “excuse” for this unnecessary government interference. Welcome to Germany of the 1930s, folks! It really is time to gently but gingerly lift this group out of the White House, carry them across the lawn, drop them off outside the fence on Pennsylvania Avenue, dust off their lapels as a courtesy, point them on their way, and tell them to never come back again! So will end four years of absolutely disgraceful and destructive behavior for this country, following an utterly depressing performance from his predecessor. We have been ill served for too long.

…”linking to a blog by David Addington, a former top aide to then-Vice President David Addington,”

I don’t remember David Addington ever being a Vice-President, much less then being an aide to HIMSELF…

Come on ABC editors – I expect this kind of error from Yahoo, not from you… :/

It would be fine if the NCTA wanted to impose it themselves. I just don’t know what the government has to do with it. I agree with everyone else who says that if the government taxes the Xmas trees, then all other items used in other religions should also be taxed. I’m not sure why Xmas trees need to be promoted in any case.

The broader point here is that this is an excellent illustration for how the federal government has their fingers in every aspect of the economy. A “Christmas Tree Promotion Board” that requires approval by USDA? Seriously? This is lunacy. If anything the USDA should have their budget slashed and oversight removed from the vast majority of businesses. The USDA budget is a $1200 bill every year for every American household, and more than two thirds of it go to unnecessary food subsidies. This has gotten out of hand, and unfortunately for Obama one of the more absurd examples of the outrageous federal overreach has popped up under his watch.

But make no mistake, President Obama nor anyone else in the federal government would have had any problem with this unless the public expressed concerned. They are out of control, and will consume our entire economic lives if given the chance. The time has come to end this failed nightmare of central planning that is the modern US federal government, and go back to having a smaller, more responsible government that properly respects the Constitutional boundaries placed upon it.

For those who say “Eh… 15 cents isn’t that much” remember that when income taxes were first started back in 1913 the tax rates were 1% and a whopping 7% for those making more than $500,000. I bet they said “Eh… 1% isn’t that much” back then too.

Why is the federal government involved at all? If the association of tree growers wishes to tax itself to fund a program, it has the right to do so–sans any deed or any word from the feds.
The DofA should be DOA regarding the next administration’s request for funding for this department, which should be abolished.

That was quick! This morning a Christmas tree tax, this afternoon….not yet.

How are Obama’s buddies going to be employed with cush jobs now? I guess they will invent new ways to steal our money.

Oh yeah J_Dur, take the high road on these blogs. For the last 3 years I’ve been reading neo-con, Repuglicans, moron conservatives, etc. etc. It’s what happens here.

I’m confused. This “tax” was being implemented by and through the Department of Agriculture, yet this White House spokesman claims it was a self induced “fee” by a private group.

So what is it, a private group or the Department of Agriculture. If it’s a private group then they can impose their own internal fees. If it’s a tax then it’s a tax.

Can someone be a little more clear?

The Xmas tree tax will be replaced by a 50 cent tax on Menora candles.

Talk about the most reactive President ever. This guy is paranoid. This certainly isn’t the first time he has reacted like this (e.g. imposing the Xmas Tree tax then rescinding it within a matter of hours). The guy is so consumed and concerned about his image, and it’s not just about re-election. He’s been reactive since stepping into office.

Delayed or not, the fact that Obama would even consider this tax shows how mean he really is. Would he tax other holiays? What about Muslim holiday artifacts?

All of these nonsense posts are about 15 cents? Drudge has you completely brainwashed.
Posted by: Paul | November 9, 2011, 2:45 pm 2:45 pm

Really? If everyone in the US would send me $.15, I would be 55 million dollars richer!

It’s amazing how Obama lies. He’s charging people 15 cents per Christmas tree and using it to create a new federal agency, but he says it’s not a tax? Ridiculous.

Years ago they wanted everybody to get fake trees, to save the live tree’s. But Christmas tree are grown for that specific purpose. With the economy they wonder why the market has dropped off in tree sales. I am from the NW and tree aren’t to expensive there , but when I saw how much they cost in Ohio and last year when I was in MO. No wonder sales are down.

Obama saves Christmas! I can see the headlines already!

Soon the National Tree Association will be getting a Bailout, since now apparently the govt controls Christmas trees. What’s next, Tree Unions?

That’s the current administration’s economic theory. Get the government involved, create a lot of new taxes, make things more expensive, while claiming all that will encourage people to buy more things. God save us all.

Fox News Contributors, Bill O’Reilly, Sean Hannity, Mike Huckabee and the GOP Candidates are all White Collar Criminals aiding and abiding fraudulent activities by reporting – No Truths and still on the air. They should be subject to Dan Rather’s Fate as News Caster. We wonder how much FCC has been paid, to stay on the air. These are the FACES that should be undergoing Drug Test and Psychological Evaluations,…. Test for Competency, since they are either Griping about or VOTING ON BILLS and WRITING BILLS.

Fox News reported that Post Office and Social Security were losing money like Wall Street, which was false. Post Offices’ DAILY Postage Sales bring in at least 1 million dollars in each 50 States which equals 50 million dollars. They knew Wall Street was crashing, that why they passed the Post Office Retirement Legislation in 2006 because that the only department that can bear the burden.

Along with Automatic Payroll Deductions FICA for Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare bring in monthly: at least 1 trillion dollars from each 50 states, which equals to 50 trillion dollars a month.

This steady Monetary Intake is not Entitlement, It’s a Trust Fund,…. This Trust Fund is what the Republican Senators and House of Representatives are diverting to Defense Budget. To avoid any Impoverishment of their Campaign contributors- the Mis-Fortune 500s and their Relatives are Defense Contractors, operating NON-PROFIT Organizations (Nursing Homes, Group Homes, Home Healthcare Outlets, Mental Health Research Centers) turning a PROFIT without paying Corporate Taxes. In return offer non-skilled employees willing to compromise and demote skilled workers. They practically gave away the Store and reinforced it with Republicans and Fox News promulgating economic Armageddon, while living soup up and high on the Hogs without any HUMILITY or any remorse on ROBBING THE POOR TO FEED THE RICH. Since 2008, every sitting Congressional Representatives – 100 Senate and 435 House of US House of Representatives’ personal wealth have increased 25%, sharing combined GRAND TOTAL: 2.04 BILLION DOLLARS (Kickbacks?).

this will create or save 3 million pine trees

Someone needs to take an economics class. Saying that it is “not expected to have any impact on the final price consumers pay for their Christmas tree” when the industry is essentially competitive, with over 12,000 growers in the country, is unquestionably wrong. Sure, it’s only $.15, but the consumers are going to pay it.

If the organization want’s to raise money, then they can get the members that belong to their organization to raise money. It is *NOT* the responsibility of the government to help a niche industry grow their business, it is the responsibility of the business. If no one wants to buy Christmas trees, then the industry should go away. THAT is how capitalism works, not by the government ‘helping’ the industries who have the best lobbyists.

Though I agree it’s a stupid tax AND the question remains, why is the government in the business of marketing an industry, where does it say in the Constitution that the executive branch can pick and choose what taxes they will collect? Just asking.

Does this mean Addington and Drudge will end up on attackwatch

Anybody else catch this one
“maintain and *expend* existing markets for Christmas trees;”?
Freudian slip?

Why tax the very thing you are trying to promote? I think most economists would agree that taxing imported artificial trees from China and using it to promote real US trees would cause a positive result. Oh but we musn’t hurt the feelings of those Chinese workers who don’t get unfunded unemployment benefit extensions paid with money borrowed from … China.

Christmas trees are a Christian religious symbol anyway. If you can decide to set up a federal agency to promote them then we get to decide on school prayer in own back yards. Deal?

barry hussein o’bumbler learned his lessons from jeriamiah wright well. President downgrade is the grinch that tried to steal Christmas.

wow people! how many christmas trees do you buy every year? i personally buy 1. it’s .15 cents. you can probably find it in your couch cushions. and if that money is going towards an american grower, i’m happy to help them out.

For all those people complaining that “It’s just 15 cents”, I bet you would complain about someone on Wall Street getting 15 cents per widget and making millions. I don’t care if it’s a fraction of a cent, it’s yet another stupid fee/tax/addition that is NOT needed. Whether its the industry (who WILL up the price of the tree) or added directly as a tax to the purchaser, it’s coming from our pockets. NO THANK YOU!

Notice how Riots have increased, debt has increased, Lies have increased, under Obama and the LameSteam media. A bC is a laughing stock.

Im glad Drudge told us. Because you cant expect NBC or CBS to tell the truth.

They can raise it 100% as far as I am concerned. We have close to 500 acres between the 2 farms, and cedar trees grow like weeds.

Drudge is a news agitator. I can’t believe they said Drudge was leading with this story. He gets the stories where everyone else gets them.

If the fifteen cents is funded by the tree growers, and does not impact the price of a tree, what does Obama have to do with any of this?!?!?!?
It stinks of something Democratic.

“Obama: Don’t blame me, it was the christmas tree association’s fault! They actually asked to be taxed and promised to not pass it onto you, so you would like them more!” Really? Seriously? I thought the article on drudge was a post from The Onion or something, a complete joke. Now that I see this, I am even more perplexed and it’s not funny at all! It reads like a scene from the movie Idiocracy! Yeah, like I am going to believe a Christmas tree association thought the world would like Christmas trees more if they were the sole cause of a tax hike of any kind right before Christmas, in terrible economic times. Yep, that sounds like a winner of a plan to me! Maybe Bible manufacturers could start requesting new taxes on their books too so that more people would convert and improve their public image! Brilliant! Not.

Something here doesn’t add up, folks.

This is sad. None of you people read I guess. None of you have the ability to understand anything bigger than a voice clip. We should just tax stupidity and we’ll be able to close the deficit in a year.

Duh! Another tax to fund another unnecessary program.

First Headline: Obama Couldn’t Wait: His New Christmas Tree Tax

Second Headline: Obama Administration To Delay New 15-Cent Christmas Tree Tax

Final Headline: It’s Bush’s Fault, All Republicans are evil. Christmas to continue.

This is sad. None of you people read I guess. None of you have the ability to understand anything bigger than a voice clip. We should just tax stupidity and we’ll be able to close the deficit in a year.

POSTED BY: ROB | NOVEMBER 9, 2011, 4:29 PM 4:29 PM

The Drudge parrots squawking out their orders.

I wonder what made him make an intelligent decision, it’s not like he makes a habit of it.

“[A]n industry group deciding to impose fees on itself” does not need to have the fee listed in the Federal Registry. Lerich is lying through his teeth.

This won’t mean a Christmas tree Czar will it?

What a symbol for the Obama Administation! The Grinch that stole Christmas! I thought Congress levied taxes, not regulators. It’s the House of Representatives that hold the purse, not Obama.

I can hear Obama now, “are there no prisons, no work houses? I don’t make merry myself at Christmas, you keep Christmas your way and let me keep it in mine! Bah humbug!”

I find it strangely appropriate that this proposed tax would cost a nickel and a dime.

Let’s all take a breath and try to understand the facts.

Many industries operate promotion boards under the authority of the US government. They do so because voluntary promotion programs just don’t work. If we made funding the fire department optional, our houses would burn down. If you don’t make the fee mandatory, many (even those who support the concept) would not pay their fair share.

So an industry goes to the government for the authority to tax themselves. Industry members (not taxpayers) pay a tiny fee for each tree, head of cattle, gallon of milk, etc. The money is spent on research, advertising, PR, websites and all sorts of tactics to help increase consumer demand. These boards pay a user fee to USDA to cover costs of the government overseeing their programs.

Let me say it again. The boards actually pay the government, not the other way around.

Small family farms benefit from marketing programs they could never afford on their own. Industry members (farmers) make the decisions about how to spend the funds to help increase demand. Every program has a provision to allow the industry to shut down the program is they don’t want it any more.

These programs are not what you think. They have been around for decades, and have been approved under every president since the first program started. This is not a democrat versus republican issue. This is not a sign that the government is growing out of control. This is about a bunch of farmers trying to stay in business by banding together and making sure everyone pays in their fair share.

This is a non-issue. Leave the christmas tree farmers alone. They are trying to survive and support their families – just like you.

This one would have slid right by if nobody happened to be paying attention. It just makes me wonder how many other “little” taxes have been enacted that nobody has caught onto yet.

I see plenty of people that say “geez, it’s only 15 cents people”. I don’t care, it’s 15 cents x ???? for marketing and study for a private industry. How about the Government collect 10 cents from everyone for MY housing, nutrition and entertainment study. The money would be better spent!!!

Whaaa! So here we are with the same stupid conservatives NOW complaining because the administration is now holding off on the 15 pennies they will have to pull out of their pocket. AMAZING! What would you do if you didn’t have anything to complain about? Poor things!

Oh no, there are some brain giants who WANT TO PAY MORE for no other reason than because a special interest group wants to impose a “fee” for no REAL substantive reason now that they’re a newly formed, flaccid, phalange of the federal government.

The funny thing is people like this stupid apostasyusa don’t want you to listen to supposed “Republican propaganda” but he/she/it wants you to give ear to their propaganda. The hilarity of it all. Oh, don’t be brain washed by them be brain washed by me who was brain washed by other people I follow, duuuuuh. Umm, we all shouldn’t worry about a group of RICH PEOPLE WHO ARE RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT start appointing boards and agencies through which to unilaterally raise taxes unchecked on the people without allowing them fair representation.

You would never expect A Bc to run this story in the first place. Only the cover play for Obama.

The tax should be higher than .15 cents. Nobody should be cutting down pine trees for a damn Christmas tree. Besides, my “plastic” tree looks better than a real tree, won’t catch on fire and has paid for itself over the years. Anybody whining about this is a common-sensLESS lunkhead.

Whats 15 cents times 300 million? Thats the amount of money I estimate.

This is a great example of why people despise our government!

Oh! That National Christmas Tree Association! I never even knew there was such an organization. Seems everyone has some self serving interest these days.

people say, 0.15 cents isnt a big deal. true, its not like its a significant amount. but its about principle.. Grow a set and stand up.

Let wall street undo what they did. A 1% federal sales tax on every stock sold would pay off the debt fund the wars and fully fund social security today. With no more income tax and no capital gains tax taken out of your profits no matter how much you make1% is all you would pay if you buy a Stocks no other tax would ever be needed and if you did not have to pay income tax you could save more of your money get the IRS out of your business for good

The fee should be listed on the invoice for the tree separately. No more hiding this crap. After all, this is the most transparent administration ever….. NOT!

It’s not a tax. It’s a fee paid by Christmas tree producers to fund a promotional program to boost sales of fresh-cut trees, which have been steadily losing market share to artificial ones. The Christmas tree farmers requested it.

The same system is used by other agricultural groups to promote their products – remember all those ads for milk, cheese and “The Incredible Edible Egg”? Same thing. It enables producers of agricultural commodities to promote their products in a way that wouldn’t be possible if everyone acted independently. It’s good for business, and the economy.

How about a tax on political donations and doing away with the tax deduction on that money ! What say you Barry ?

Fed up with this guy implementing things to just take them away to make it seem he’s the savior.

Hmm…I wonder if the NCTA will be patterning ads after the old Almond Growers Association ads. “A tree a year – that’s all we ask.”

It will be 15 cents now and in the end become a $5.00 addition to the cost of your/my tree.

Yes, 15 cents is a deal breaker. We have to start somewhere to reign in this administration and their belief that the public can shell out 15 cents here, 10 cents there, and a dollar or two somewhere else in support of non-essential vote-grabbing projects. I am one or the fortunate that have a job, but like so many, I’ve had to tighten my belt considerably in the last few years and may not even be able to afford a Christmas tree this year. What irks me the most is that liberal administrations and their judges are hell bent on ripping the heart out of Christianity and it’s holidays and then has the audacity to pretend to promote “Christmas” trees. What a farce.

Like we really need another Federal Agency (“Christmas Tree Promotion Board”) to tell us to buy a Christmas tree. You’d think nobody’s bought one since 1972.

I wasn’t aware that the image of Christmas trees was tarnished. We have lots of Xmas tree sellers where I live and not one of them seems to receive any grief from the surrounding community. And their businesses seem to reflect the well-being of the surrounding community. And since when does a privately run industry need the help of The Messiah?

Well Mr. Grinch, I’ve been recycling my Christmas tree for 15 years. I have 3 artificials, aluminum, green and white. I don’t kill a tree for my festivities! So there Mr. President

Power to you as I am not going to buy a cursed tree this year!

Disgusting,Christmas trees are highly profitable why should we be taxed to support some trade association! Someone ought to look into that National Restuarant Association Cain was in charge of, another lobbying group pushing liquor.

While every agricultural industry does the same exactly thing through the USDA and DOA, it does make for bad PR that its XMAS trees. But the facts are that 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. Thus the marketing is needed

Nationwide, there are about 12,000 commercial Christmas tree farms, with production particularly heavy in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Thats a substantial agriculture industry.

The little farmers under 500 arent touched by this tax, and its all industry driven, not Obama driven. The industry started it, will pay for it, and will benefit from it. sure consumers will pay a dear 15 cents extra, but you pay for marketing $$ on everything you buy, so whats the problem?

Im sure the smaller tree farmers will benefit nicely from the marketing and advertising that this fee pays for, and then you wont hear an apology from them about this griping about this 15 cents. shortsighted nitwits

Still, it is really more something the industry’s boards could do without govt intervention I would hope. But Milk, Beef, Soy, Corn, Sugar, Cotton — they all do the same exact thing. Where do you think Got Milk? came from. Small and midsize Dairy farmers surely werent griping when their revenue ticked up thanks to industry marketing that was paid for by similar Checkoff programs

Ignorant. Fussing about this is ignorant. Grow up and stop being haters. You guys should be ashamed of yourselves you’re so absurd anymore.

If I understand correctly, the same people who have been assailing Obama for a supposed “war on Christmas” are now outraged an an action which was meant to actively promote Christmas.

How the hell do you guys reconcile these thoughts?

POSTED BY: LEXINGTONLADY | NOVEMBER 9, 2011, 6:53 PM +++If a repub did this you would screaming bloody murder. This was a stupid idea from a clueless administration but of course its ok in your eyes since your boy did this…

Notice how A bC never mentions ‘ Fast and Furious.’ The Criminal Holder let guns go into terrorists hands in Mexico so he could call for tougher gun laws. Now people all over the place are being KILLED. BLOOD is on HOLDERS hands and Obama’s hands.

after reading the comments on this article it’s no wonder this country is in the crapper. You people are some of the most misinformed, misguided, ignorant bunch ever. Not sure how many of you actually believe the nonsense you are spewing and how many of you are knowingly spreading lies-either way, what a bunch of clowns.

ITS NOT ABOUT THE TAX. Its about GROWING THE GOVERNMENT. Anyway he can, by lie, by fiat, by EPA, FCC, etc. anyway possible, people that arent even elected. They want to control Everything.

Wow. I never would have thought Obama would have attacked Christianity like that. That is a disgrace and a shame.

That made up my mind. He has to go.

“What’s interesting to me is how the Obama Administration has weenied out over a non-issue, simply because they see negative political implications. Could we get some leadership from someone somewhere PLEASE?????”……. No kidding. He needs to stand tall and tell people to shut up and stop being ignorant. This just encourages this to continue. Got milk? Eggs are no longer bad. This whole area is done a wad already. Nothing to be ashamed of.

Give me one modern example of an industrialized nation (whose people are free) that prospers to this day through unabated growth of government programs/spending? Crickets.

Because Christmas needs more marketing.

I guess the Hillary operatives in Dear Leader’s regime got a nice chuckle over duping him into stomping on this political landmine that could’ve put freaking Vermont into play.

What a bunch of jerks.

The tax is “not expected to have any impact on the final price consumers pay for their Christmas tree?”

No foolin’…?

Really…?

OK, No BS now –

C’mon…REALLY…??

I say again: REALLY…??????

OK, what’s the gag? I’m mean, c’mon — REALLY…??????????

Yer serious…? REALLY??????????????????????????????????????????????????????

This is the dumbest controversy ever. Leave it to Fox news and conservative pundits to distort the truth.
The Christmas Tree Association asked for the fee of 15cents to fund research and fund ads to encourage people buying live trees. A lot of folks have been buying fake ones. It is no different than the ‘Got Milk?’ ads. This 15 cent tax is simply a way for the Association to raise funds, it isn’t a government thing at all.

Shia or Sunni?????? anyone want to take a guess

The Drudge crowd are not the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree. N’uff said.

The government is quite literally nickle and diming us with this tax. One nickle plus one dime equals 15 cents!

Obama would tax your kids front teeth if you let him. Sorry Barry. Try taxing fake trees from China $5 each and other cheap imports while youre at it and maybe youd be on to something.

My guess is that he figured he had to do something to replenish all that Treasury (taxpayer) money he gave to his labor union and ‘green-energy’ buddies in the form of a stimulus. Four more years!

Obama is the Grinch that stole Christmas. Or he is Scrooge. Either way Ba Humbug!

I guess nobody read the story before commenting. The Christmas Tree growers decided to place this fee on members to promote fresh trees. The government did not place this tax at all!. For some reason the growers are having the government handle the money for their, “got milk?” type of promotion. I wonder why they didn’t administer the fund themselves? Perhaps because is would be too expensive to do so. Hiring administrators and such. The government will do it for them at no cost. Maybe, huh?

If the Agriculture Department is collecting the tax, it’s a government tax.

This is Not like the Got Milk or Beef campaigns that were voluntarily funded by their industry members, this is the Government imposing taxes on all growers and delivering proceeds to one organization that wants to promote their business.

This organization does not represent all the growers that are being forced to pay the tax, and was not selected by all the growers to champion their cause.

An un-named Administration official went on to defend the new tax stating, ” I don’t know when I first heard about this. I thought it was weeks ago. It could have been months ago. But let’s be clear about this.This is not an Obama Christmas Tree Tax. It is a” Mandatory Holiday Fee” on Holiday Tree growers that’s designed to enhance revenue and lead to Safe Schools. It’s very different from a tax….and that’s the Higher Power’s honest truth- as I recall it”

Why does Obama always look so idiotic in pictures?

The Drudge anti-Obama crowd are not the brightest bulbs on the Christmas tree.
____________________

No kidding!

This Bali vacation must have given Obama visions of grandeur that he is a Balinese fire god, they’ll put statues of him out there to roast little children for Christmas Dinner in the statue’s belly – like Molech.

Is this our government double-talking or the lame stream media? The article starts by saying the US Department of Agriculture is imposing the fee at the behest of the National Christmas Tree Association. By the end of the article a spokeperson is saying it’s a fee imposed by an industry trade group on itself. So what does the Department of Agriculture have to do with it? If the USDA is involved, or any other government agency, we can bet it will be money out of our pockets. How many fifteen cents will it take to pay off a 13 trillion dollar debt?

Drat! I was so looking forward to avoiding this tax by cutting my own tree!

Thank you, one and all, for the mid-morning entertainment! I am not usually one to read all the comments in such a lengthy list, but this ridiculous diatribe has to be the best yet! A few comments: (1) For the hordes of you who do not appear to own or know how to use a dictionary, there is a computer tool called “Spellcheck”. Oh wait, that would require that you know what a homophone is. No you say? Whoops, there is that pesky old dictionary rearing its ugly head again. And then there are the words such as its and it”s. Don’t see the difference? Oh my, never could grasp that punctuation stuff in grammar school, huh? Doi you really expect intelligent people to take you seriously when you present yourselves as illiterates? (2) The holiday is Christmas, not xmas. (3) Use of a Christmas tree is a custom; it is not a religious symbol. Scholarly consensus places its origin to Germany, probably around the year 1600.

And to the one person, Voice of Reason, who knows the difference between a fact and a rumor, between fact and innuendo, betweeen fact and hype, thank you for the breath of fresh air.

Hey JAQUEBAUER says”Doi you really expect intelligent people to take you seriously when you present yourselves as illiterates?”

I believe the correct spelling is “Do”. Ever use spell check?? LMAO

trying to post again, sorry if it double posts.
Time to start OCCUPY CHRISTMAS…..

But seriously, this tax is ridiculous. It’s not the amount, but the fact that it is the Administration that is imposing this fee to CREATE another gov’mnt agency that really does nothing. The beef commercials are somewhat lame, except for the score (some of them). …….Aha! Who benefits from this tax the most? Perhaps a National Big Company, or a Crappy BS company, or maybe even an Absolute Bullocks and Crap will benefit a nice chunk of change. (Sorry I used the word Crap too many times. But hey….) we know that NBC and President Obama are close (especially when NBC was given a break on taxes (I seem to remember zero tax). This tax/fee is small, yes, however once it gets going, who says it will stay just 15 cents? If 200 million trees are bought (more or less) that will only put 30 million into this (not yet created) Agency. That is not a lot of revenue for them, maybe they could tax it $1.00? (300 million), and tell the Christmas Tree Sellers to include it in any verbal or written price, yet not allowed to divulge this to the customer? I cringe at the fact that fast-food restaurants and others have to post the calories. Most, if not all of the fast-food chains have this information on location, typically in a folded pamphlet. I guess it was too much for “Us UnEdjubbicatchid” (edge-oo-ba -cate-chid) people to have to take time to read it, and make a decision…now fast food prices are going up once again(except for the delicious dollar menu) *que Homer Simpson salivating at the sign of a donut* the reason? They then had to buy new signs, and I know what people will say, “big deal, a sign is only $x.00.” But again, it’s the way it seems to be now, “taxation without representation” if you will. The founding fathers tried to put a “checks and balances” government into place, but over the last few years, but now President Obama’s Administration skips congress and tax (ahem, fee) us, sort of like a certain King in 1776. We are not a Democracy! Democracies don’t work, they divide a Winner/Loser mentality, a ‘
Who cares about the ones that lost, I don’t care what it will do to the country in the future, and I want this now!’ mentality. That is the reason they set up our government as a constitutional republic so we would have our members of congress representing and voting, *cough*, the way his district (or state in the case of the Senate) wants to vote.
Very rarely I have seen any Congress member actually vote the will of the people they represent on all 3 sides R – I – D. Now it seems that our President is choosing not to involve us with any decisions because ‘Yes He Can! and Yes He Will!’ Taking our ‘voice’ out of the picture should not be tolerated no matter what side is doing it. If the “Occupiers” want to protest, maybe they should set up shop on the White House front lawn, and defecate and urinate all over, at least there will be some free food- Auntie Michelle’s garden….mmmmmmmmm Or-Gannnnn-ic, Mmmmmmm. I apologize for such a long post, however I do believe that something such as this should be identified for what it is – a dictatorship which is normally how democracies end up, the leader takes the helm, and proceeds to weed out the ones who actually have morals, integrity, and honor. Dear Lord, let us not return to where we once were, under a self proclaimed king, (regardless of which side is in ‘Da House’, or ‘the Coop’, or ‘Casa de Blanca’, in other words,the White House’.

(Flamers, Flame On!)

Only Congress has the power to levy taxes. What this White House did AGAIN was to trampled on the CONSTITUTION. Democrats have no respect for rules put together by the PEOPLE. They intend to make up their own rules as they go along. That is a DICTATORSHIP> If you want to be ruled by a dictator, vote for Obama the unilateral rule maker.

Obama is an idiot.

Hmmm. If it truly is “an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself”, why the need for a new federal regulation mandating the “fee” (i.e., tax)?

Democrat party no longer exists. Replaced by Anti-Christ Marxist Communists.

What a poorly written story! Story slanted to not report the truth as to why the tax was proposed or why under whose rules the tax aspect was implemented. Blame it on Obama is the only mantra the Republicans know even if it’s their own program. LIES! REPUBLICANS! LIES! REPUBLICANS! LIES! REPUBLICANS! LIES! REPUBLICANS! INTERCHANGEABLE!

So many people here saying “it’s only 15 cents, so what?” The income tax started as a 1% tax “only on the wealthiest 10% of Americans.” In a few years, it would be a 15 DOLLAR per tree tax, just speaking from experience.

Are we supposed to be stupid?! Why would the Federal Government need to be involved in collecting a fee that “will not be passed along to consumers” that will be paid by the growers to support programs that increase industry sales? If the industry wants it and doesn’t truly intend to pass it along to consumers then they could raise the money directly wadding the oversight cost of involving the the Department of Agriculture, adding an accounting burden on sellers, etc. Ridiculous.

Not one more penny for taxes for programs that the government has no business being in. Almost 15 trillion in debt and so many serious problems to fix, and we’re supposed to give this stupidity any kind of credibility? Really? Paying for private business marketing?

It’s not the amount, it’s the principle of the thing. No more money for nothing. And as a former CA native, I’d like to offer that this is how CA is now on the verge of bankruptcy. !5 cents here, nickel there until you cannot afford to live. Government grows and the people live on the knife’s edge.

If you want to know why I’m a tea partier, you’re looking at it. Spent a lifetime paying for things that the government shouldnt’ be involved in, and going into massive debt as a result, while risking the future of ourselves and our children.

I always buy live trees, I love Christmas, but Christmas tree people, PAY FOR YOUR OWN MARKETING. And to the government? No common sense, no ethical core, only wants to feed and grow itself.

I believe the author is referring to the “FEDERAL REGISTER” and not the “FEDERAL REGISTRY”. It’s not a wedding.

Gee taxing the Christins now huh? Guess the Obama Admin is showing that he really does support the Musilm community more than the rest. Next tax will be on candles during Hanaka (spelling?) for teh Jewish community… Ooops, did I just give him an idea? This tax is wrong on so many levels!!!

it doesn’t say it is 15 cents per each tree purchased. it is for every tree grown and harvested. therefore the cost passed down to consumers would likely be more..maybe a couple of dollars increase in tree price at the retail level.

the main point is – that it is one more useless tax – where the money will be wasted on things that don’t need doing. what’s next? how about a billion dollar ad campaign for oxygen awareness? you know, to remind people to breathe and stuff.

Obama’s Crony Capitalists

A little over 60% of Americans believe in Christianity. Let’s look at the numbers.

307 million (current pop.) x .60 = 184 million people celebrating Christmas (at least)
Let’s consider that half buy real trees 184 million \ 2 = 92 million
92 million x .15 (15 cent tax)= 13.8 million dollars.

Don’t kid yourself money adds up.

Dumb idea to tax Christmas trees …. blame George W. Bush.

I guess they realized that Christmas has nothing to do with the birth of Jesus, but is really a pagan holiday, and Christmas trees are pagan so they want to encourage it.

Listen to those in opposition to Obama…He is wrong to collect a tax from the masses (mostly middle class Americans) that benefits business. Conclusion: middle class taxes shouldn’t benefit business, if the business wants the fund they should pay for it themselves. We could probably go so far as to say that business shouldn’t expect a tax break for the fund either. Hmmmmmm double-speak much?

So Obama’s “Grinch” tax receives a lump of coal?

It’s very simple…..buy artificial and give the sales tax to the states instead!

Are any of you literate? It says the 15 tax was recommended by the Christmas Tree industry, not the Obama administration, and the tax will be paid by the growers, not the consumers. A way of allocating money for the industry to create a board to waste money on whatever they want to waste money on. They are saying they will eat the tax themselves and it will not show up in the final price of live Christmas Trees that few people even buy (most of you idiots by fake plastic trees). And good golly wolly, let’s say the evil Xmas Tree Growers of America lied, and will mark up the price of Xmas trees by a whole 15 CENTS…are you effing morons so poor that you can’t afford that? Stop buying McRib sandwiches and maybe you will have more pocket change to spare.

The Obamas don’t say “Christmas Tree” they say holiday tree and they do not want any religious scenes in the WH this year! Remember, we are not a Christian nation.

Most of the posters on here need lessons in reading comprehension. This was not an Obama administration tax, It is a National Christmas Tree Association tax and it was going to be on the growers of Christmas trees not consumers.