Official WAR ON CHRISTMAS CRISIS CENTER Thread

[benji]

CRISIS CENTER ALERT: http://blog.heritage.org/2011/11/08/oba ... -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.

This is one of the stupidest things I've ever read. Who the fuck needs this Board or wants this Board and why do we need to create some kind of Board to improve the image of CHRISTMAS TREES?

Feel free to post other ATTACKS ON CHRISTMAS since it's that season.

As Speaker Gingirch warned us:

I have two grandchildren — Maggie is 11, Robert is 9. I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.

Now is the time to join together and defend Christmas and America from the radical secular Islamic atheists!

[rise]

by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists

What.

[Dc311]

Bah, humbug!

[el badman]

It'd be pretty easy to think that you're making this kind of stuff up if you were not including a link for the source each time...Still don't understand how you can "improve" the image of a fucking christmas tree.

[benji]

Even if we suppose the image of the christmas tree needs to be improved this is a perfect example of the stupidity of the political process.

We could assume that the christmas tree industry could get together and advertise, you know like everyone else does*, but instead no, we have to take 15 cents from the people who buy each christmas tree to fund an unaccountable political committee who will then decide how the christmas tree industry should advertise and create "awareness" programs and other shit. And why does it have to be part of the Agriculture Department? Or any part of government, let alone the federal government?

What's the point of any of this other than graft?

*EDIT: What's this?
http://www.christmastreeassociation.org/
http://www.christmastree.org/home.cfm

Thanks to Media Mutters from in their latest tu quoque effort to protect the government from criticism making it clear this is nothing but "sensible" graft and corporate welfare (and started by Bush so you should shut the fuck up and like it you teabagger) and not the latest attack by the Kenyan Atheist Muslim on Christmas and christians:

While the fake tree industry is investing dollars to vigorously promote their product, the Real Tree industry is pulling back and devoting fewer funds to public relations and marketing. More than 1,000 people donated more than $900,000 for 2004 promotion and marketing programs. By 2007, donations to the market expansion activities had dropped to about $400,000. The erosion of funding resulted in fewer projects aimed at positively impacting consumer attitudes about Real Trees limiting the ability of the industry to affect the sales of Real Trees in the marketplace.

Given this continued erosion of the market share of farm-grown Christmas Trees, an industry task force is being formed to study the possibility of a federal marketing order that could establish a nationwide checkoff designed to support expanded promotion, marketing and research projects.

The NCTA Board of Directors supports the industry task force study of a federal marketing order.

Even if the industry decides to pursue a nationwide checkoff, it takes at least a year for USDA to follow its "rule making procedures." Thus, it is highly unlikely that a checkoff could start before 2010. In the interim, NCTA will engage in an aggressive promotion and protection program as funds allow.

lol, missed this:

Far from a tax initiated by the Obama administration, the proposal to create an assessment on tree growers

It's not a tax, it's an involuntary assessment!

[Andrew]

by the time they’re my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American.

Fantastic quote. The notion that atheists don't celebrate Christmas or object to Christmas trees, the idea that atheists and radical Islamists are one and the same, and of course the suggestion that a tradition that began in Germany and is observed throughout the Western world is a defining trait of American values...just outstanding.

I suppose in lieu of spending time and money developing solutions for problems in areas such as medicine, education and the like, this is the next best thing. We can't cure cancer but damn it, we won't stand for discrimination (real or imagined) against the noble but defenseless Christmas trees!

[shadowgrin]

The Grinch approves of this.
Wait, I'm confused if it will help or destroy Christmas.

But the best part is a Board will be created that will only fully function for 2 months during a year or the holiday season.

[benji]

But the best part is a Board will be created that will only fully function for 2 months during a year or the holiday season.

Why would you think that? It'll exist year round with $120,000+ salaries with full benefits and pension.

[shadowgrin]

I know they will get paid for the whole year but will only do some semblance of work during the holidays. That's great. If you're a part of it.

[benji]

Again, why do you think they'll only do anything during the holidays? You think christmas trees are only useful for Christmas? You think they plant and grow trees only then? You think they can just write up all these plans and programs and implement them only in a couple months of the year? There will be all sorts of conferences and meetings and studies to conduct all year every year. And these programs will have to be run 24/7/366 or these poor christmas tree farmers will be dying in the streets like they are currently.

Maybe you should actually care about the poor christmas tree industry and members of this new board instead of lashing out and claiming they're lazy and don't work as hard as "real" christian Americans. Stop being such a bigot.

[el badman]

We can now safely assume that shadowgrin hates our freedom and is plotting a Jihad on our most cherished institutions.

[Andrew]

Enough of the heresy, I say. Let's join together in a rousing rendition of O Tannenbaum!

phpBB [video]

[shadowgrin]

I will only stop my holy crusade if you bring me the legs of the one known as Oznogrd.

[benji]

Whew, crisis averted:

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to delay implementation and revisit a proposed new 15 cent fee on fresh-cut Christmas trees, sources tell ABC News. The fee, requested by the National Christmas Tree Association in 2009, was first announced in the Federal Registry yesterday and has generated criticism of President Obama from conservative media outlets.
...
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.

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.”

Of course not, nobody would ever pass on costs to the consumer.

[Oznogrd]

I will only stop my holy crusade if you bring me the legs of the one known as Oznogrd.

Hm. If you find em let me know. It'd give me an answer to all these kids who ask me where they are.

[shadowgrin]

Tell the kids you gave away your legs to the government a long time ago for use in fertility experiments the results of which are the kids you are talking to because their parents are infertile so they needed the help.

[Andrew]

The U.S. Department of Agriculture is going to delay implementation and revisit a proposed new 15 cent fee on fresh-cut Christmas trees, sources tell ABC News. The fee, requested by the National Christmas Tree Association in 2009, was first announced in the Federal Registry yesterday and has generated criticism of President Obama from conservative media outlets.
...
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.

If that's not a heartwarming Christmas special waiting to be made, then I don't know what is.