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Loading...Morning Mix: War On Christmas Starts Early Due To Tree Tax
It’s the most wonderful time of the year…
No, not the holidays. It’s the annual “War on Christmas” and, just like the retail holiday season, it appears to have arrived early.
Conservatives are all up at arms over a proposal that would “tax Christmas trees,” adding 15 cents per tree to each fir or evergreen grown or imported. The Daily Caller dubbed the president a “Scrooge,” adding “The taxman got an early Christmas present from the Obama administration this week with the approval of a new fee on all fresh Christmas trees.”
But was it really the Obama administration trying to “bah, Humbug” the season? The Hill reports that the “tax” was actually a payment for a promotional campaign. According to an administration spokesman, “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 Heritage Institute is undaunted by the clarification. “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.”
Really? Then why is the number of fresh trees decreasing annually, according to reports?
So the conservative War on Christmas brigade can feel free to stuff that one in their stockings. At least, until they find another issue to get their holly all in a bunch over. Meanwhile, they’re going to have to take a moment to realize it will be hard to accuse the president of declaring a War on Christmas when he’s actually getting federal agencies to try and find ways to promote the holiday.
Read more: christmas, economy, taxes, war on christmas
Photo credit: wikimedia commons
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45 comments
+ add your ownCatt R.
“Steve R..... you are right, how dare the government agree to oversee the campaign for the National Christmas Tree Association as they requested, even if they made the plan and this was how THEY wanted to pay for it.......--- BUT President Obama's administration did not come and get your permission to do this...... silly people, don't they KNOW that you personally have final say in the UNITED STATES???????
. EVERYONE in America should understand by now that ALL government ideas and anything any association asks of them must be run by you personally first....... what are the idiots in government thinking anyway ???????????????”
LOL that’s too funny, too bad it’s over Steve R’s level of understanding.
Catt R.
“and it is none of your damn business how the Obama's celebrate Christmas, Steve R....... remember it is a FREE country, Congress has not YET passed a law stating YOU are allowed to dictate how others live or celebrate holidays.”
It’s the goal of the new dictator GOTbag party. They want to dictate how women use their uteruses, they want to dictate who gets to vote, they want to dictate who gets to go to what school, they want to dictate who gets to marry whom, they want to dictate who gets who gets to serve in our military, etc. and yet in the same breath they claim to want “less government” and “leave our guns alone”.
Steve R
“Didn't he promise NO TAX INCREASES?”
He means payroll taxes, and he means no payroll tax increases for the 99%’ers.
Steve R
“Don't give us that crap about Obama actually trying to "promote" the holiday.
We'll be keeping a close eye on how it's celebrated in the White House.”
If you were as diligent with watching the republicon party as you are “keeping a close eye on Obama” we wouldn’t be in this economic mess in the first place. The problem with you and others like you is that when "your guy" is in the whitehouse you sit on the couch with your hand down your pants, drinking beer, belching and watching your fav sports on the telly. And then act all surprised when all the crap you ignored during the years of “your guy” comes to light when the party changes hands. And you conveniently forget that it was “your guy” who caused the mess in the first place.
progressives otoh, keep a watchful eye no matter who's in charge. And if we don't like what's going on (IE; OWS ) we complain. Kind of funny that all during Bush years we heard; "America, love it or leave it" from far right. We're not hearing that now, and I don't see any of the fright right leaving.
btw, How much do you get for shilling for the Koch brothers?
Suzi
“This silly article is typical liberal clap trap to turn around and blame anything on the conservatives.”
Oh please, it’s the cons squealing about some imagined war; “the war on Halloween” “the war on Christmas”, “the war on Easter”. They’re not happy unless their at war with something.
Linda M.
“So the idea to tax food and raise sales tax by 9% makes you an economic genius and the idea to tax Christmas trees makes you the antichrist. IN WHAT UNIVERSE ARE THESE PEOPLE LIVING?!”
Good question.
To all RWNJ's: STFU you freaking Idiot. It's 15 cents! You a$$holes are crying about a dime and a nickle? Are you idiots serious? You fundy idiots make me sick. I bet you can go to your local 7-11 parking lot and find 15 cents on the ground (once you take your head out of your ass!)
I say they should put a $20.00 (yes, Twenty Whole Dollars!) in a form of a Tax. You are buying something that is going to last at most a month and then you THROW IT AWAY! You are wasting resources and you are whining about 15 cents? Please.
I can tell people like that are the kind who do NOT give to charity, skimp at the collection plate and probably ignore money on the ground because it's beneath them to pick it up!
The tax supports a corporate group... Obama did not do it. Ask the corporate kissers.
Sounds like a tiny tempest in a stupid Tea Party - er - tea pot.
Well if the Republican Party is not spouting lies they have nothing to say. Thanks for the very informative article.
The tree that is used for Christmas is the YULE tree that was hijacked by Christians more than 800 years ago. part of the church's campaign to create converts from Paganism. The Yule log and wreath are also from the long held Pagan traditions of Europe.
The Christians are upset over the cost of Christmas trees? Too bad for them. They hijacked the tradition.
The origins of the Yule tree/Christmas tree are in Pagan traditions of bringing an evergreen tree into the home with the belief that, because the evergreen never loses it's color or goes dormant, it would provide life-giving health and force to the household over the longest of the winter nights.
That is why that particular tree is used. It has nothing to do with the Christ myth or any other religion.
Nowadays, it makes more financial and fire safety sense to use an artificial tree.
Yes, I agree Christmas is not really about the birth of Christ, as it is to make the retail chains much, much richer.
I haven't had a real tree since 1977. If you've ever had a beloved animal eat pine needles from the floor, and be rushed into surgery for a perforated esophagus, stomach, or bowel, you'd understand why buying cut trees is bad for the ecology, and unsafe for animals and small children. Yes, I remember how GRRRRRREAT they make the house smell. I always had a cut tree at Christmas throughout my childhood. But I'd rather give more oxygen to the planet and save our trees, then have my house smell good for 10 days, put my animals at risk, and risk a fire that could destroy everything.
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