Oh cool! A Christmas tree tax! Only they're not calling it a tax, they're calling it a fee....and they say it's not to generate revenue.....the monies will be used by the appointees of the Board (for the new Federal program), so they can research, pass ideas about, and promote the image of Christmas trees. Say what??
First, it IS a tax. Second, it IS to generate revenue, and third...now we have yet another federal program? Goodness, my guess is that by next Christmas, the tax will increase to cover the increasing costs of the Christmas tree promotion Board. Below are the particulars:
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).
The 15 cent fee will be charged to Christmas tree sellers, and of course the fee will be passed to the consumer.
Bizarre.
No comments:
Post a Comment