You have to hand it to the Obama administration, they are remarkably consistent.  Stupid, but consistent.

They honestly believe, all evidence to the contrary, that the best way to create more of something is to tax it.

Want more economic activity?  Raise taxes on the economy.

Want more prosperity? Raise taxes on the prosperous.

Want more energy?  Tax it to death until it turns green or something…

But now, the Obama administration has come up with the winningest idea since Charlie Sheen decided to make a youtube video.

Tax Christmas trees to promote 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).

To pay for the new Federal Christmas tree image improvement and marketing program, the Department of Agriculture imposed a 15-cent fee on all sales of fresh Christmas trees by sellers of more than 500 trees per year (7 CFR 1214.52).  And, of course, the Christmas tree sellers are free to pass along the 15-cent Federal fee to consumers who buy their Christmas trees.

Let’s leave aside the fact that the Federal Gov’t has absolutely no business promoting real Christmas trees over fake ones or any such thing.  What are they thinking?  Making Christmas trees more expensive is going to promote Christmas trees?  Only in Grinchland does stealing from the Who’s promote Christmas.  But hearts and the Christmas tree industry will not be growing three sizes this Christmas, just government coffers.

On the upside, however, I can guarantee that they will Never Ever tax Christians.  They certainly don’t want any more of those.