Christmas tree tax derided by conservatives, denied by White House
Is the Obama administration really taxing聽Christmas聽trees?
No, but the White House said Wednesday it was reversing its decision to approve an industry-sponsored聽Christmas聽tree聽promotion program after conservatives accused the Agriculture Department of spoiling聽Christmas聽with a new聽tree聽tax.
The program 鈥� similar to familiar industry campaigns like "Got Milk?" ''Beef: It's What's For Dinner" and "The Incredible Edible Egg" 鈥� would have been fully funded by fees on the industry at 15 cents per聽Christmas聽tree聽sold. The industry had asked the USDA to set up the program.
Conservative critics said the costs could eventually be passed on to consumers. The National聽Christmas聽Tree聽Association said it wouldn't have an impact on the price consumers pay for their聽trees.
White House spokesman Matt Lehrich said the USDA would delay the program, but defended it, saying it was not a tax.
"I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama administration is not taxing聽Christmas聽trees," Lehrich said. "What's being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign."
That said, Lehrich added, "USDA is going to delay implementation and revisit this action."
USDA promotion and research boards are common, used by at least 18 other agricultural commodities. The聽Christmas聽tree聽industry petitioned to set up its own promotional program after years of concern about lost market share to the artificial聽Christmas聽tree聽industry. The NationalChristmas聽Tree聽Association said a majority of growers favored the petition.
Industries get the Agriculture Department involved to make sure the effort to promote their product is fair and unified. If the USDA eventually approves it, a board of industry representatives will make decisions on how to promote and research聽Christmas聽trees.
Conservative critics were unbowed. David Addington, a former chief of staff to Vice President Dick Cheney and now a vice president at the conservative Heritage Foundation, said in a post on the think tank's website that the money coming into the federal government constitutes a tax.
"The American聽Christmas聽tree聽has a great image that doesn't need any help from the government," Addington said.
Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., piled on.
"This new tax is a smack in the face to each and every American who celebrates聽Christmas, and may be the best example to date of President Obama's obsession with taxing and regulating hard-working American families," he said.
