Dhimmitude starts today. We're being taxed for our beliefs. Sharia can't be far behind. Why are Christians being targeted? I might think it a bit fairer if they targeted Holiday Trees as well.
http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/0...-hope-ads.html By taxing themselves, growers will raise $2 million a year for ads promoting the merits of real, live trees. Or, at least, trees that once were living, as opposed to the artificial kind that have seized an increasing share of the holiday market. "We have good reason to believe it will be successful for our industry," Betty Malone, an Oregon tree farmer and president of Christmas Tree Promotion Now, said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "We looked at what other industries have done, and how successful they've been." There is no tax enforced by the FED. It is imposed by the growers board at the request of the growers.
Your link does not work for me. But the information in the first post is very different from you explanation. It says that Obama's Agriculture Department will appoint a board and impose a 15 cent tax to fund the board.
Sorry about the link. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2011...2011-28798.htm The proponent, the Christmas Tree Checkoff Task Force is an industry wide group of producers and importers that support this proposed program. They have conducted meetings throughout the United States with several State and multi-State Christmas tree organizations. The proposed program is not intended to duplicate any State program. The proponents have determined that they need a mechanism that would be sustainable over time. A national Christmas tree research and promotion program would accomplish this goal. This rule establishes an industry-funded promotion, research, and information program for fresh cut Christmas trees. The Christmas Tree Promotion, Research, and Information Order (Order), was submitted to the Department of Agriculture (Department) by the Christmas Tree Checkoff Task Force (Task Force), an industry wide group of producers and importers that support this program. Under the Order, producers and importers of fresh cut Christmas trees will pay an initial assessment of $0.15 cents per tree, which would be paid to the Christmas Tree Promotion Board (Board). This Board will be responsible for administration and operation of the Order. Producers and importers that produce or import less than 500 Christmas trees annually will be exempt from the assessment. The program is authorized under the Commodity Promotion, Research, and Information Act of 1996 (1996 Act). A referendum will be conducted, among producers and importers, three years after the collection of assessments begin to determine if Christmas tree producers and importers favor the continuation of this program. A final rule on the referendum procedures will be published in the Federal Register at a later time. The rule also announces the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) approval of new Christmas tree information collection requirements by the OMB for the operation of the Order. That link seems to not be working either. Let me see if I can get one that works.
If the tax is voluntary then you don't have to involve the Agriculture Department. Private trade groups have existed for a hundred years signing up members, charging dues and rendering services.
... seriously? He can't find something more useful to do than "improve the image and marketing of Christmas trees"?
I have no clue. You have to wonder if its the enviornmental lobby. Maybe they rather have real trees be killed over companies making fake trees?
Those fake ones might omit something toxic in the air that will cause more global warming...LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!
The growers agreed to pay the fee to help market their product. It is not a tax. It doesn't even affect any body who doesn't buy bulk trees. Are you planning on buying a few thousand trees?
So the growers do not have to pay the tax that you call a fee if they don't want to? This is totally voluntary?
The EPA needs to come out with a 20 page booklet on how to get rid of fake trees, just like they had to do with the new bulbs lol
The federal government is taking sides between Christmas Tree growers and manufacturers of artificial Christmas Trees by promoting the products of the former at the expense of the latter. This choosing of winners and losers in the marketplace is unfair, un-American, and should be declared unconstitutional.
No they didn't. Obama imposed the tax. Otherwise the tree growers could have just joined a trade association like everyone else.
Maybe I can clear it up.... See: Backdoor attempt to create more government bureaucracy...and yet another rapidly breeding batch of pampered government workers/pensioners/parasites living off the backs of taxpayers. It's what leftists do....and it's called placing as much private sector wealth under government control as is humanly possible.
Hilarious. Because they're Christmas Tree lobbyists, it's OK huh? It's always amazing to me how those who claim to hate big govt are the first in line to defend more govt intrusion into our lives... and our pockets. The hypocrisy of the left just never ends. They're like a snake, eating it's own tail.
EVERY Republican since Johnson has had an opportunity to repeal the law that provides for these marketing associations. Further, Oddly, the Republican presidents had some of the largest expansions of ag marketing councils. Like Bush and beef and milk. Ahh, well, but NOW it is Obama's fault! And in examining the Tea Party Rhetoric and "platform, I see NO sign of any plans to get rid of these boards. Could the Tea Party have forgotten about repealing popular among industry money schemes? I am SHOCKED!
This one has been kicked down the road for now. Seems some common sense prevailed. http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politic...tion-to-delay-new-15-cent-christmas-tree-fee/
