The Down Range Forum
Member Section => Politics & RKBA => Topic started by: twyacht on November 08, 2011, 09:19:52 PM
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http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/
President Obama’s Agriculture Department today announced that it will impose a new 15-cent charge on all fresh Christmas trees—the Christmas Tree Tax—to support a new Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
In the Federal Register of November 8, 2011, Acting Administrator of Agricultural Marketing David R. Shipman announced that the Secretary of Agriculture will appoint a Christmas Tree Promotion Board. The purpose of the Board is to run a “program of promotion, research, evaluation, and information designed to strengthen the Christmas tree industry’s position in the marketplace; maintain and expend existing markets for Christmas trees; and to carry out programs, plans, and projects designed to provide maximum benefits to the Christmas tree industry” (7 CFR 1214.46(n)). And the program of “information” is to include efforts to “enhance the image of Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry in the United States” (7 CFR 1214.10).
To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52). And, of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent Federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.
Acting Administrator Shipman had the temerity to say the 15-cent mandatory Christmas tree fee “is not a tax nor does it yield revenue for the Federal government” (76 CFR 69102). The Federal government mandates that the Christmas tree sellers pay the 15-cents per tree, whether they want to or not. The Federal government directs that the revenue generated by the 15-cent fee goes to the Board appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the Christmas tree program established by the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. President, that’s a new 15-cent tax to pay for a Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
Nobody is saying President Obama doesn’t have authority to impose his new Christmas Tree Tax — his Administration cites the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. Just because the Obama Administration has the legal power to impose its Christmas Tree Tax doesn’t mean it should do so.
The economy is barely growing and nine percent of the American people have no jobs. Is a new tax on Christmas trees the best President Obama can do?
And, by the way, the American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn’t need any help from the government.
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Gee,...where's the Ramadan tax,...perhaps the Minora Tax,...how about a Christmas Light Tax.....Oh, and don't put a manger scene on city property....
Geez, folks....WTF?!?!
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This nearly the same as other commodities. The difference - it is on sales of over 500 trees. If you sell livestock or grains it is on ever pound you sell.
The money is used for the general marketing campaigns like "Beef! It's whats for dinner." or "Pork! The other white meat." I can't believe that the Christmas tree producers let it go through unless they are actually supportive of it. In other areas it has been an item of contention for decades, and the government finally gave an option for producers to file for refunds.
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Oh, dear Jesus, Mary and Joseph!
Maybe we need to start mailing pictures of Mussolini's last day above ground to everyone in Washington DC, ya know, as a gentle reminder?
They have these same Boards for cattle, eggs, and other commodities, but seriously, it has to stop somewhere. And preferably rolled back into non-existence.
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Christmas is a Christian holiday, and the Christmas tree is a symbol and accessory to that holiday. Therefore the US government cannot promote Christmas trees. They could promote "Holiday Foliage Decorations".
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Christmas is a Christian holiday, and the Christmas tree is a symbol and accessory to that holiday. Therefore the US government cannot promote Christmas trees. They could promote "Holiday Foliage Decorations".
Could you please point me to the scripture in the Bible that talks about Christmas trees? Thanks.
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"It is not a tax."
"It is not a tax."
"It is not a tax."
"It is not a tax."
Right. If people still believe that crap they should not be allowed to vote. Sort of like the "fees" on your telephone bill....tell me you noticed the "fees" right?
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It's now being reported that the program has been delayed and will be re-visited later. It is also reported that the "fee" was actually supported by various tree growers associations.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/09/merry-christmas-agriculture-department-imposes-christmas-tree-tax/ (http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11/09/merry-christmas-agriculture-department-imposes-christmas-tree-tax/)
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As I said before, it is a way to fund marketing for the industry. It is the producers that support the marketing campaigns trying to get the sloughs to pay their share for what benefits them. It is like the minority of us that support various gun groups that fight to protect our freedoms wishing and dreaming of all gun owners and freedom lovers joining the fight.
I do not like that the government is involved. For over a decade I gave up a penny here, a dime there and a nickel over here for every bushel of corn, soybeans, oats and wheat I sold. Every pound of pork and beef that went out of my barn or off my pasture sent a cut of my money to a board somewhere. These programs were all to "private" organizations, but the government dictated the collection of dollars and had goofy regulations on the administration and spending of the funds.
If everyone would do their part to support marketing you would not see people trying to force these things through. If consumers would give a damn about the people and businesses they supported the good businesses that support research, responsibility and marketing would be rewarded. However, we live in a WalMart society that only cares about their own pocketbook and only gives lip service to caring for their community, neighbor, family or the American way of life. Next thing we have is a group of hard working people that live by the sweat of their brow going to the blue side and asking the feds to force their neighbors to participate.
If you follow my thoughts in the previous paragraph you will realize that the reasoning and acceptance of ObamaCare is nothing new or surprising >:(
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If everyone would do their part to support marketing you would not see people trying to force these things through. If consumers would give a damn about the people and businesses they supported the good businesses that support research, responsibility and marketing would be rewarded. However, we live in a WalMart society that only cares about their own pocketbook and only gives lip service to caring for their community, neighbor, family or the American way of life. Next thing we have is a group of hard working people that live by the sweat of their brow going to the blue side and asking the feds to force their neighbors to participate.
If you follow my thoughts in the previous paragraph you will realize that the reasoning and acceptance of ObamaCare is nothing new or surprising >:(
Excellent summation M58..
I have no fewer than thirty WalMarts within forty miles of where I'm sitting as I type and battle this mentality in my own family every week. It's no wonder the Peoples Republic is so dependent on Beacon Hill!
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Could you please point me to the scripture in the Bible that talks about Christmas trees? Thanks.
There is no scripture that talks about Christmas trees, so I can't point to it. I can, however, point to the fact that the govt takes every opportunity to bash anything Christian and promote atheism or anything that's just plain anti-Christian, and ALWAYS point out that Christmas is a Christian holiday. But then they have the gall to propose a Christmas tree tax?
Good thing I don't look to the bible for everything I have because you can't point to scripture that talks about 1911s either- but I have one.
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Trying to depress the Christmas Tree Industry would only happen when a Muslim named Barry Soetoro was in the WH. G2G
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Trying to depress the Christmas Tree Industry would only happen when a Muslim named Barry Soetoro was in the WH. G2G
It isn't meant to and won't depress the live Christmas tree industry. It is a fifteen cent per tree fee that will pay for marketing the live tree industry.
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It isn't meant to and won't depress the live Christmas tree industry. It is a fifteen cent per tree fee that will pay for marketing the live tree industry.
The question is why? Why does the government need to collect this tax. (It IS a tax) To pay for marketing of live Christmas trees. Keep in mind that this is the same government who will sue people for putting up nativity scenes. While this is pretty minor, it just seems really out of the blue, and with this regime, I wonder if that was really the purpose of the tax.
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It's the Lib/Progressive Play: TAX & SPEND.... That's all they know.
Acting Administrator Shipman had the temerity to say the 15-cent mandatory Christmas tree fee “is not a tax nor does it yield revenue for the Federal government” (76 CFR 69102). The Federal government mandates that the Christmas tree sellers pay the 15-cents per tree, whether they want to or not. The Federal government directs that the revenue generated by the 15-cent fee goes to the Board appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to carry out the Christmas tree program established by the Secretary of Agriculture. Mr. President, that’s a new 15-cent tax to pay for a Federal program to improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees.
Nobody is saying President Obama doesn’t have authority to impose his new Christmas Tree Tax — his Administration cites the Commodity Promotion, Research and Information Act of 1996. Just because the Obama Administration has the legal power to impose its Christmas Tree Tax doesn’t mean it should do so.
The economy is barely growing and nine percent of the American people have no jobs. Is a new tax on Christmas trees the best President Obama can do?
And, by the way, the American Christmas tree has a great image that doesn’t need any help from the government.
http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/obama-couldnt-wait-his-new-christmas-tree-tax/
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One more encroachment of Fed intervention into EVERY (insert expletive) aspect of our lives....
I'm waiting for the residential commode flush meter. More than three flush's a day? You Pay... I know,....that's just crazy...
isn't it..... :-\
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The question is why? Why does the government need to collect this tax. (It IS a tax) To pay for marketing of live Christmas trees. Keep in mind that this is the same government who will sue people for putting up nativity scenes. While this is pretty minor, it just seems really out of the blue, and with this regime, I wonder if that was really the purpose of the tax.
You have to have been a farmer to really understand this process and how the feds get involved. It is a matter where there are thousands of producers in an industry. However, there is no cash pot to develop a marketing program. Some producers will pay, but the majority will benefit from the few that pay the way. Soon the few go to the feds to find a way to force all to help, and pretty soon the government collects and regulates the funds.
As I said before, this is done in pork, beef, egg, corn, soybean, oat, wheat and other commodities. It is these programs funded by mandatory participation that brought us "Pork - The other white meat", "Beef - It's whats for dinner", and "Milk, It does a body good".
Read my earlier rants, and you will understand both how it happens and how I feel about it.
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Can any one here, besides M58, say "Pittman / Robertson" ?
Same deal.
The Pittman-Robertson Act (Section 4181), federal excise taxes on firearms and ammunition could be eliminated. Since 1937, these taxes have pumped over $5 billion into conservation, wildlife management and hunter safety programs. "In 2007, the firearms and ammunition industry contributed a total of $303.2 million in excise taxes, up 21.2 percent from the $250.1 million in 2006." (NSSF press release June 23, 2008)
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Not at all the same thing, Tom. P-R is a legislatively passed excise tax. The proposed tree "tax" is an administratively mandated (well, it was mandated at one point, now it's moot - for the moment anyhow) fee imposed by some wanker in bho' administration and shuffled around to some as-yet unnamed board to dole out. M58 is right, we do have those fees on a lot of commodities, and individually, they don't add up to much. As an aggregate, though, they add up to some serious cash.
Here's how it works: When I bought my pairs (cow plus calf), I paid $1 for every cow and every calf. When I sold the calves to market, I paid another $1 for each calf. When I sold the cows - another $1 each. Assuming the producer who sent the pairs to the sale barn also paid the $1 per, that's starting to add up, all so Sam Elliott can intone - "Beef - it's what's for dinner!". I'm sure there are a lot of .gov bureaucrats who have to be paid as well to "manage" the money collected and distributed.
BTW, want to opt out? No can do, chum, the fix is in. The only way around that is private sales and that is a tough go, labor intensive and not always successful.
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Has anyone else considered the inflationary "cost" to literally all food products? Milk Does A Body Good,...how much more is it than two years ago? Same Beef, Pork, Coffee, Sugar, Poultry.
Heck, Turkey is up 22% alone. Where's the Thanksgiving Promo Tax for the bird? Raise it some more...Geez...
Read This.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/these-are-the-11-foods-making-your-thanksgiving-dinner-more-expensive/
Your Thanksgiving Dinner has gone up folks....Just like everything else....
This is a sham. The gov't does not need to "promote" a freakin Christmas Tree.
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There is no scripture that talks about Christmas trees, so I can't point to it. I can, however, point to the fact that the govt takes every opportunity to bash anything Christian and promote atheism or anything that's just plain anti-Christian, and ALWAYS point out that Christmas is a Christian holiday. But then they have the gall to propose a Christmas tree tax?
Good thing I don't look to the bible for everything I have because you can't point to scripture that talks about 1911s either- but I have one.
I'm not arguing with you. I'm just trying to point out that a Christmas tree tax doesn't stop anyone from celebrating Christ. I only brought up the Bible because it would seem to be the instruction book for Christians.
As to the 1911, when the Good Book says to pack a sword, I read that to include technological advancements. ;D