Jim Demint of SC: Crony Capitalism, Christmas Trees, and the Stupidest Tax of All Time

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You really can't make this up

Crony Capitalism, Christmas Trees, and the Stupidest Tax

 of All Time

No, it’s not a joke.  President Obama really is imposing a

 special new tax on Christmas trees.

And while the policy seems a ludicrous political misstep – 

and possibly an unconstitutional one at that – in truth, the

 Obama Christmas Tree Tax is much worse than that.

The $2 million the Obama Administration expects the tax to

 raise will not reduce the deficit or cover needed

 government services.  Instead, it will serve as a marketing

 slush fund for the Christmas tree industry.

The money will set up a brand new government agency

 called (no, seriously) the Christmas Tree Promotion Board.

  The CTPB will use the $2 million to hire a staff – most

 likely the industry lobbyists who cooked up this scheme – 

 and then run advertisements to “enhance the image of

 Christmas trees and the Christmas tree industry of the

 United States.”

Don’t the Christmas tree growers and retailers already do

 that?  Yes.  Isn’t marketing something that all companies

 should do with their profits, to grow their business and 

attract new customers?  Yes.

And while we’re asking questions, does anyone in America –

 anyone? – believe that Christmas trees have a bad image

 that needs taxpayer-subsidized improvement?

So why should the government-funded Christmas Tree

 Promotion Board tax us to fund a marketing campaign?  So

 the Christmas tree industry can pocket the $2 million they 

now won’t have to spend marketing their trees.

That’s it.  That’s the whole purpose of the Obama Christmas

 Tree Tax: to take money from hard-working families

 celebrating Christmas and give it to clever lobbyists and

 businessmen running a crony-capitalist subsidy scam.

And while this policy will, by design, help one group of

 people, it will hurt others: businesses that sell artificial

 Christmas trees, people who work at your local stores that

 sell them, and, don’t forget, the consumers who are out 15

 cents a tree.

Business groups using government connections to enrich 

themselves by hurting everyone else.  Makes you just want

 to break into “O Holy Night,” doesn’t it?

Hopefully, the Crony Capitalists in the Obama 

Administration have gone too far this time, and public 

backlash will force Congress to shut down the Christmas 

Tree Promotion Board and repeal the single stupidest tax of 

all time. I will soon offer an amendment on the Senate floor 

to do just that.

All I want for Christmas is a free market.

Amen, brother.