TAX THE INFIDELS !!

[ironglow]

  What is that tax called which the Islamic countries levy on Christians ?  No matter whatever they call it, it's aimed at Christians...        http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/

[subdjoe]

Iron, your subject line is just as bad as Crustys about 'Conservative court supports Obamacare"

Has NOTHING to do with infidels or mohammedeans or anything like that.  Purely a (stupid) tax to support some spurious advertizing board.

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.  I would be REAL interested to see who is on that board, what they get paid, and how much of the "fee" - right, fee - goes towards the salaries.  National Christmas Tree Assn. says only about 30,000,000 trees are sold in the US each year, so that only generates $4.5 million, not much of and advertizing campaign.) 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?

And, by the way, the American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn’t need any help from the government.

There are plenty of reasons to dislike the current POTUS without resorting to cheap and misleading distortions.

[ironglow]

Iron, your subject line is just as bad as Crustys about 'Conservative court supports Obamacare"

Has NOTHING to do with infidels or mohammedeans or anything like that.  Purely a (stupid) tax to support some spurious advertizing board.

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.  I would be REAL interested to see who is on that board, what they get paid, and how much of the "fee" - right, fee - goes towards the salaries.  National Christmas Tree Assn. says only about 30,000,000 trees are sold in the US each year, so that only generates $4.5 million, not much of and advertizing campaign.) 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?

And, by the way, the American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn’t need any help from the government.

There are plenty of reasons to dislike the current POTUS without resorting to cheap and misleading distortions.

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   Relax Joe and smile a bit;  that's why I placed the "winky eye"    at the end of the single sentence...

[yellowtail3]

  What is that tax called which the Islamic countries levy on Christians ?

jizya; it is paid in lieu of military obligation, amongst other things. From Wiki:

Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah (Arabic: جزية‎ ǧizyah IPA: [dʒizja]; Ottoman Turkish: cizye; both derived from Pahlavi and possibly from Aramaic gaziyat^[1]) is a per capita tax levied on a section of an Islamic state's non-Muslim citizens, who meet certain criteria. The tax is/was to be levied on able bodied adult males of military age and affording power,^[2] (but with specific exemptions,^[3][4] From the point of view of the Muslim rulers, jizya was a material proof of the non-Muslims' acceptance of subjection to the state and its laws, "just as for the inhabitants it was a concrete continuation of the taxes paid to earlier regimes."^[5] In return, non-Muslim citizens were permitted to practice their faith, to enjoy a measure of communal autonomy, to be entitled to Muslim state's protection from outside aggression, to be exempted from military service and the zakat taxes obligatory upon Muslim citizens.^[6][7][8]

No matter whatever they call it, it's aimed at Christians...        http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/

Aimed at Christians, is it?

Iron, your subject line is just as bad as Crustys about 'Conservative court supports Obamacare"....
Has NOTHING to do with infidels or mohammedeans or anything like that.  Purely a (stupid) tax to support some spurious advertizing board...
There are plenty of reasons to dislike the current POTUS without resorting to cheap and misleading distortions.

When cheap & misleading is all ya got... it gets used. A lot.

Relax Joe and smile a bit;  that's why I placed the "winky eye"    at the end of the single sentence...

NOTE TO SELF: winky eye means, "this is a disingenuous lie; do not take seriously"

[gypsyman]

Nope, not a big deal. Couple million tree's sold every year, .15 per tree. Maybe, what, $300,000 in tax money. Just enough to make for a few extra govt. workers, of course then, the Fed's will raise that to just a $1 a tree a couple years down the road, and increase the size of the dept. to a couple hundred workers, and of course, they'll have to have benefits and paid holidays. Then, Obama will as his last act before leaving office in 2020,(he'll get pushed out by Hilary) will be the Obama Christmas Tree Act,(renamed the Holiday Tree Act, as to not offend Muslims), and force everybody to buy a Chris, opps, sorry, Holiday Tree. If you don't buy one, and they catch you, you be jailed, and fined a couple thousand dollars, of which, that will go to needy union workers that can't afford a a Chris,opps, sorry, Holiday tree. See, no big deal.  gypsyman

[gypsyman]

Opps, sorry, missed the line about 4.5 million in revenue being picked up. Yea, it's only a fee, not a tax. No big deal. Heh guys, if any of you really don't think it's a big deal, throw a couple extra bucks towards the ''fee''(I wouldn't ask you to do that if it's a tax!!). That way the rest of us don't have to pay that ''fee'' gypsyman

[BUGEYE]

we'll drag out our artificial tree again and save 15 cents and space in the landfill.

[NWBear]

"Christmas" trees are a throw back to the Druids who worshiped trees because they thought the "Gods" lived there.
Of course I love Christmas, Christmas Trees and Fresh trees, so I guess I will pay the " pagan tax". 
I also know the difference between "Christmas Trees" and the birth of Christ, I don't confuse the two and enjoy both. 
Bear

[lakota]

Religious conotations or not it is another TAX. We dont need any more taxes. 15 cents here, a dollar over there, 20 dollars back over here, and 2k or 3K over there it starts to add up and it is complete crap. Why do we need a "christmas tree tax" to support a "christmas tree department" and a "christmas tree czar"?  Oh and calling it a "fee" doesnt change anything ITS STILL A TAX. You could call it a "Super Happy Fun Pocket Change Jingle Jam" and it would still be a tax.

[subdjoe]

"Christmas" trees are a throw back to the Druids who worshiped trees because they thought the "Gods" lived there.
Of course I love Christmas, Christmas Trees and Fresh trees, so I guess I will pay the " pagan tax". 
I also know the difference between "Christmas Trees" and the birth of Christ, I don't confuse the two and enjoy both. 
Bear

Although, being evergreen, they are also symbolic of the Everlasting Life that is promised by the Incarnation According to the Flesh.  The lights on the tree and the star on top are reminders of the starry firmament of the heavens the night the Angel appeared to the shepherds and proclaimed to them the Nativity of our Lord and God and Savior and the Star that guided the Magi.   The ornaments represent the gifts of God freely given us, both here and awaiting us in Heaven. 

[subdjoe]

subjoe,,,good comments on IG's funny analogy...I don't even know if this actually counts as a tax, or a fee, or whatever...but call it a tax anyway...Fact is this may actually help promote natural Christmas trees in the long run and Christian holidays...iow, might benefit the Christians.  Obiviously, some Christmas Tree industry lobbiests got this ramrodded thru, but it may actually benefit the industry and Christmas.. ..not a big deal...
 
 
..TM7

The Dept. Ag is calling it a fee to avoid having to go through Congress to get a tax passed.   That kind of BS goes on all the time.  As I pointed out, $4.5 million (assuming the 30 million estimate the National Christmas Tree Association is correct) won't go far for a national advertizing campaign, especially after the salaries of the members of the Christmas Tree Promotion Board are taken out of it.

As I mentioned in my post above, it would be real interesting to see who is on the Christmas Tree Promotion Board, what the salaries are, how they got the job, and what connections they have to SecAg and the current Admin.

Nice sophistry, though, on your attempt to spin it to make it sound good.

[Casull]

NOTE TO SELF: winky eye means, "this is a disingenuous lie; do not take seriously"

 
 
Hmmm, no moderator?

[ironglow]

TM says;
  " ...Fact is this may actually help promote natural Christmas trees in the long run and Christian holidays...iow, might benefit the Christians".
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     Sharp deduction TM..to promote the sales of something, you place an added tax upon it"....       
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  Casull;
  That "moderating' junk doesn't seem to apply to certain posters..   (darn ! there's that 'winky eye' again !)

[dukkillr]

TM says;
  " ...Fact is this may actually help promote natural Christmas trees in the long run and Christian holidays...iow, might benefit the Christians".
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     Sharp deduction TM..to promote the sales of something, you place an added tax upon it"....       
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  Casull;
  That "moderating' junk doesn't seem to apply to certain posters..   (darn ! there's that 'winky eye' again !)

Huh.  Just checked the moderating log, my personal messages, and email.  Nope, no one has "reported" this post, but rather it appears that a certain subset with a certain objective would prefer to compain about how badly they are discriminated against instead.  I've started calling that, "The usual". 
 
As always, if you'd like to discuss moderating please do so in the Moderating section, by personal message, or by email.  Thanks.

[BUGEYE]

they don't need to advertise trees.  the tree vendors are so thick they run into each other.
hussein stated that he would bypass congress to push his agenda, which is to tax you into the poorhouse.

[subdjoe]

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   Relax Joe and smile a bit;  that's why I placed the "winky eye"    at the end of the single sentence...

Ah...I couldn't make out which it was.  Not that I pay a whole lot of attention to those things anyway.         

[subdjoe]

Looks like maybe someone in the White House decided that the bad press over this would have a negative effect on POTUS' rating:

Obama Administration to Delay New 15-Cent Christmas Tree Tax

White House spokesman Matt Lehrich told ABC News that despite some media coverage, “I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama Administration is not taxing Christmas trees. 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.”

Nonetheless, the criticisms have apparently had an impact as the program is now being delayed.

“USDA is going to delay implementation and revisit this action,” Lehrich said.

Delayed until, oh.....say.....10 Nov. 2012?

[DDZ]

They should be dismantling the Dept. of Agriculture not increasing the cost of running it by implementing something as idiotic as a Christmas tree promotion board. I wonder how many worthless tax payer funded jobs that will entail. Instead of looking at ways to reduce costs our good ole government just keeps adding on, and finding more ways to extract money from our pockets. Yeah, lets not worry about just a little more tax added to the pile. After any fuss dies down, they will find something else to tax. We can count on it.     

[powderman]

They should be dismantling the Dept. of Agriculture not increasing the cost of running it by implementing something as idiotic as a Christmas tree promotion board. I wonder how many worthless tax payer funded jobs that will entail. Instead of looking at ways to reduce costs our good ole government just keeps adding on, and finding more ways to extract money from our pockets. Yeah, lets not worry about just a little more tax added to the pile. After any fuss dies down, they will find something else to tax. We can count on it.     

 
 
DDZ. Good post Sir. A great way to promote a product, raise the price. POWDERMAN. 

[Casull]

NOTE TO SELF: winky eye means, "this is a disingenuous lie; do not take seriously"

 
NOTE TO SELF:  When someone admits they're just kind of goofing, it's ok to take a cheap shot.

[nw_hunter]

NOTE TO SELF: winky eye means, "this is a disingenuous lie; do not take seriously"

 
NOTE TO SELF:  When someone admits they're just kind of goofing, it's ok to take a cheap shot.

I get the impression several of you don't really care about the subject matter. You just TROLL around looking for an opening to inject a little flame!There are some on here who DO enjoy debate without getting into these childish feuds, but a handful of the posters just don't want to see that happen. Just don't seem fair......DO IT? GIVE US A BREAK! Keep it on topic.

[powderman]

hunter. Other than a chance for you to jab at a couple of conservative Christians I'm just curious about why you felt the need to even comment on this, except for the obvious that I already stated. POWDERMAN. 

[DDZ]

Its not so much the 15 cents that is an issue. Do we really need something like a Christmas tree promotion board at a time when government is flat broke and trillions in debt? How many new federal employees will be hired for this? The staff will be most likely the industry lobbyists that cooked up this stupid scheme.
Don't Christmas tree growers run advertising to enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry? Isn't marketing something that all companies do with their profits, to grow their business and attract customers? Why do we need another government bureaucracy to tax us to fund a marketing campaign?
Do we or anyone in America really think that Christmas trees have a bad image that needs tax payer subsidized improvement?
This Christmas tree promotion board and the tax has to be one of the stupidest of all time.
Yes 15 cents is not much, but it certainly adds to "death by a thousand cuts".  Its exactly how government gets more and more money out of our pockets. A little tax here, a little tax there. Just a drip at a time. It keeps the masses quiet that way.  Why complain, everyone that buys a Christmas tree can afford 15 more cents in tax, right?

[powderman]

Its not so much the 15 cents that is an issue. Do we really need something like a Christmas tree promotion board at a time when government is flat broke and trillions in debt? How many new federal employees will be hired for this? The staff will be most likely the industry lobbyists that cooked up this stupid scheme.

 
It's all about control. What kind of a moron would want to form a commission hiring even more liberal dems for a year around job for seasonal  Christmas trees?? Easy answer, obummer. The libs must be real proud. POWDERMAN.                               

[DDZ]

Pm, I'd bet a pay check the new members of the Christmas tree promotion board don't get laid off after Christmas is past. Heck the tax payers are paying, why not have them shuffle paper or make coffee until next Christmas rolls around.

[OldSchoolRanger]

The tax is not going to be implemented.  Barry didn't want the bad press.

Fir-get Christmas-tree fee By GEOFF EARLE
 Last Updated: 3:06 AM, November 10, 2011
 Posted: 2:23 AM, November 10, 2011
             More Print   WASHINGTON - Call it a Christmas miracle: The feds are chopping a new 15-cent fee on Christmas trees just a day after the Grinch-like idea was announced.
The fee, published Tuesday in the Federal Register, was sought by a group of growers and is backed by the National Christmas Tree Association.
It would have funded a Christmas Tree Promotion Board designed to boost the industry, although the association notes on its Web site that there are already 446 million trees growing on US farms.
The tax scheme got panned after it was reported on a blog written by Heritage Foundation honcho David Addington, and the White House caved before President Obama could be painted as a Scrooge.
“I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama administration is not taxing Christmas trees,” said White House spokesman Matt Lehrich.
Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/fir_get_christmas_tree_fee_CxE3CqixsOdHR8aDzKZdwN#ixzz1dMTdgUlY

[powderman]

I can think of no tax that would do nothing but create even more worthless govt jobs that would be good for America. POWDERMAN. 

[lakota]

     
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).
 
Some big deal, huh?! BTW, the way boards are often made up of unpaid industry people...Seems like the industry has concerns and some problems and was going to self fund some effort to solve these concerns using the good offices of the USDA, which is what the USDA is chartered to do.  Then along comes the far righty Heritage Foundation, a group of wingnuts--actually a Koch Bros front, and poisons the well.  NICE...so typical...what a bunch of paranoid pr_ _ _s.....   geeeeesssszzz.
 
..TM7
.

Translation-More government...Its a good thing!

[DDZ]

     
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).
 
Some big deal, huh?! BTW, the way boards are often made up of unpaid industry people...Seems like the industry has concerns and some problems and was going to self fund some effort to solve these concerns using the good offices of the USDA, which is what the USDA is chartered to do.  Then along comes the far righty Heritage Foundation, a group of wingnuts--actually a Koch Bros front, and poisons the well.  NICE...so typical...what a bunch of paranoid pr_ _ _s.....   geeeeesssszzz.
 
..TM7
.

Translation-More government...Its a good thing!

Lokota, that is what I got out of it also. Its the main reason we are in debt up to our ears.

[ironglow]

  Who governs least, governs best..       Thomas Jefferson