O’ Christmas Tree…Oh Christmas Tax!

Now they want to add a tax to live Christmas Trees? I don’t know – the Dept of Agriculture hasn’t ever paid the black farmers – now they want to hit up the public at the corner tree lot…

A fee on thee, oh Christmas tree

The U.S. Agriculture Department, after debates that pitted one U.S. region against another, approved a new industry-funded Christmas tree promotion plan.

The 15-cent per-tree fee on growers will help fund the industry’s ad campaign promoting the merits of real Christmas trees over artificial ones, the Chicago Tribune reported Wednesday.

Growers estimate the fee will raise $2 million.

“As demographics and buying habits have changed, we have watched the market for real trees shrink drastically, requiring us to spend much more time and money on promotion,” said Don Cameron, past president of the California Christmas Tree Association.

Similar to programs that promote milk, beef and cotton, the Christmas tree program imposes a fee of 15 cents per tree on U.S. domestic producers and importers. A panel directs the money into ads, other promotions and research.

“We have good reason to believe it will be successful for our industry,” Betty Malone, an Oregon tree farmer and Christmas Tree Promotion Now president, told the Tribune. “We looked at what other industries have done, and how successful they’ve been.”

After three years, growers and importers will vote on whether to continue the program.

Michelle Obama As NORAD Operator, Tracking Santa

Michelle Obama payed a surprise visit to NORAD last night, to help out with the little ones calling in to find out where Santa was…

Where’s Santa? Ask Michelle Obama

While President Barack Obama took his daughters to the beach, the first lady played the role of Christmas elf, surprising little girls and boys inquiring about the whereabouts of Santa.

“Hello, this is the first lady, Michelle Obama, with NORAD, tracking Santa. How can I help you?” she said, taking a call from an 8-year-old boy named Max from Los Angeles.

It was a decidedly different greeting than other families across the country got after some confusion about which was the proper number for NORAD in Colorado Springs, Colo.

“Sorry, they gave out the wrong number,” the man informed one caller before giving out the correct number.

The first lady took a dozen calls over 40 minutes from inside the family’s vacation rental in Kailua. She reminded the kids to put out cookies — and vegetables — for Santa and his reindeer and warned the kids to get to sleep or their houses might be skipped.

She also answered a few questions about what it’s like to be first lady — and to be married to the president — from an inquisitive little boy named Austin.

“Is it a hard job?” Austin asked.

The first lady said it’s not as hard as being president and can be fun because she gets to work with kids.

“Is it hard to have all that security around you?” Austin wondered.

It’s not, the first lady said. The Secret Service are very nice and professional, she added.

“They’re good with the girls,” she said, referring to her daughters, Sasha and Malia. “It’s almost like they’re family after a while. So it’s not that hard having them around. And they’re there to keep us safe, right? You can’t be mad at that, right?”

 

 

 

 

Santa… That List!

Last but not least, a salute to American consumerism –

To those of you who celebrate such, a Merry Christmas. To those of other persuasions, may your Holidays be Joyous, and may the road after the New Year lead you to good things.

We’ll resume posting after visits with friends and family.

A Christmas Song – For These Hard Times

Found this one on YouTube. This young man has quite a voice. Check out what he says at the end in terms of what the song means to him –

Senator Roland Burris Wishes Republicans a Happy Holiday!

Think some Senators and Congressmen are pissed about spending the Holidays at work for a change –

more about “Roland Burris Wishes Republicans a Ha…“, posted with vodpod