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This looks like a piece right out of the Onion, but it’s real, and from a less credible source that has five letters and begins with “O”…
Obama’s Department of Agriculture is implementing a 15-cent tax on all producers and importers of (Wait for it!)…Christmas trees…
16 comments
2 |
Gus Tue, Nov 8, 2011 9:25:03pm |
OK. I'll bite genius. This is being promoted by the Christmas Tree industry. Wake the feck up man and smell the coffee.
The industry continues to await the USDA's decision on a potential checkoff program. The proposed program was published November 8, 2010. The initial public comment period was scheduled to close on February 7th, 2011 and was subsequently extended to March 8th, 2011.
The majority of public comments submitted and 17 of 19 trade organizations that submitted comments support the order.
It is still possible for a program to be in place to collect funds on trees sold this season to be used to promote Christmas tree sales in 2012, but action is needed soon.
---
A Christmas tree promotion, research and information order would allow producers and importers the structure to self-assess real Christmas trees to fund research and promotion similar to dairy farmers or cattle ranchers.
The Christmas tree industry is a mature industry in need of mature promotion.
Tree producers and importers work hard now more than ever to practice responsible farming, select quality trees and offer extended services, but in the last 20 years the number of farm grown Christmas trees in households have fallen by 21% while the number of households in the US has increased by 27% (from census data and Gallup, Wirthlin & Harris polling services).
Real trees tell a positive story about local farms, environmental stewardship and cultural tradition. And they need the fair and sustainable structure such an order provides to compete against factory built, outsourced, plastic trees, which are dramatically increasing in market share and landfills.
Voluntary marketing efforts have had success in the Christmas tree industry; however the challenge has always been the ability to sustain funding. A program that provides fair, consistent funding for promoting farm grown Christmas trees is needed so that all producers and importers can benefit.
| 3 |
jaunte Tue, Nov 8, 2011 9:27:16pm |
The majority of public comments submitted and 17 of 19 trade organizations that submitted comments support the order.
Tyranny!
| 4 |
CuriousLurker Tue, Nov 8, 2011 9:37:44pm |
| 5 |
cnredd Tue, Nov 8, 2011 10:35:04pm |
I fully understand it's being promoted by the Christmas Tree industry. You obviously didn't read the full story...
| 6 |
Gus Tue, Nov 8, 2011 10:39:08pm |
re: #5 cnredd
I fully understand it's being promoted by the Christmas Tree industry. You obviously didn't read the full story...
OK. Well. There's really no story here then. I see someone else posted the same link I posted. I'll tentatively reverse my downding.
| 7 |
RogueOne Wed, Nov 9, 2011 3:44:40am |
re: #2 Gus 802
I'm having a hard time seeing how the fact that the real tree industry is supporting this tax makes this non-stupid. It's the government, once again, choosing sides in an industry when it should be minding its own damn business. The consumers are the ones getting the shaft, again.
| 8 |
Obdicut Wed, Nov 9, 2011 3:47:13am |
re: #5 cnredd
I fully understand it's being promoted by the Christmas Tree industry. You obviously didn't read the full story...
Then why did you say:
from a less credible source that has five letters and begins with “O”
| 9 |
Obdicut Wed, Nov 9, 2011 3:48:31am |
re: #7 RogueOne
How are the consumers getting the shaft? Did you read the story?
| 10 |
Decatur Deb Wed, Nov 9, 2011 3:52:50am |
Beginnings of the real War on Christmas--
Hi sceptic8:
I found the text for this Act of Parliament at
[Link: www.zetnet.co.uk...]
It reads as follows. (The funny spelling is just Olde English.)
*****************************
Refolved by the Parliament,
That the Markets be kept to Morrow, being the Five and twentieth day
of December; And that the Lord Mayor, and Sheriffs of London and
Middlefex, and the Iustices of the Peace for the City of London and
Weftminster and Liberties thereof , do take care, That all such
perfons as fhall open their Shops on that day, be protected from Wrong
or Violence, and the offenders be punifhed.
Refolved by the Parliament,
That no Obfervations shall be had of the Five and twentieth day of
December, commonly called Chriftmas-Day; nor any solemnity ufed or
exercifed in Churches upon that day upon that day in refpect thereof.
Ordered by Parliament,
That the Lord Mayor of the City of London and Middlefex, and the
Iustices of the Peace respectively be Authorised within the late lines
of Communication, and weekly Bills of Morality.
- Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parliaments
London, Printed by John Field, Printer of England, 1652.
*****************************
--lifted from Google Answers
| 11 |
RogueOne Wed, Nov 9, 2011 3:52:59am |
re: #9 Obdicut
How are the consumers getting the shaft? Did you read the story?
Yes, who do you think is going to end up paying the increased costs of a real tree? This goes hand-in-hand with artificially high costs of sugar, milk, grains, and OJ where the feds have stepped in to "help" an industry to the detriment of the consumer. I realize, in this case, that it's not a very high tax but it's the principle of the matter.
| 12 |
Obdicut Wed, Nov 9, 2011 4:02:12am |
re: #11 RogueOne
The price of the Christmas trees will be set by what the market will bear.
The price of a product is not determined by taking the cost of producing the product and then slapping X on it.
This has no relationship to the cost of food, where there are huge subsidies, price floors and ceilings, and other economic tactics at work.
This is an industry-wide tax to produce an industry-wide benefit. It shouldn't be in the least bit controversial, except that it is favoring one industry-- natural Christmas trees-- over another-- artificial Christmas trees-- for no real reason that I can think of.
So take them to task for someone real, not for bullshit.
That is the reason to oppose this, not because of some misunderstanding of how prices are set.
And if you read Cnredd's full post over there, he's a rather severe ODS sufferer:
So they want the GOVERNMENT to FORCE the rest of the real tree growers to hand over their cash....and with the wealth redistribution ideology of this administration, they jumped on board in no time...
And an ellipsis abuser to boot.
| 13 |
RogueOne Wed, Nov 9, 2011 4:17:42am |
re: #12 Obdicut
I understand why he got so many downdings, unnecessary partisanship. I happen to be taking them to task for 2 reasons, one for choosing one industry over another. Secondly, for getting involved in increased pricing that does not help the consumer.
Your view on economics needs some revision. You cannot pretend that subsidies, cost controls, taxes, and regulations play no role in the price of goods. Everything I listed up thread (milk, grain, sugar) are all artificially high thanks to government intervention and trade policies. Those prices may help the industry but it doesn't help the consumer. With all the OWS protests going on all around the country it's weird to find people defending the governments role in propping up corporations/industries when that help hurts consumers.
| 14 |
Obdicut Wed, Nov 9, 2011 4:21:32am |
re: #13 RogueOne
The cost of a good is set by what the market will bear.
The cost of food has direct inputs on the amount of supply, and direct inputs from the government on demand, so there it really does affect the price.
Unless the government is buying shitloads and shitloads of christmas tree, your analogy is idiotic.
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