Christmas tree tax gets the ax

[OakRidgeStars]

First, it was on: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/11 ... -tree-tax/

Then, it was off: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/20 ... -tree-fee/

So is Emperor Obama the savior or the Grinch?

[mk4]

why the "h" does the xmas tree industry need a tax to fund a marketing campaign? they should put on their big boy pants and figure out how to promote their interests on their own.

crikey! what's this country coming to? at every turn people want uncle sam to take care of them. sheesh!

maybe it really is time to go off the grid! >_<

[OakRidgeStars]

This is similar to what the dairy industry did some years back with their milk campaign.

So instead of seeing people with milk mustaches, we'll be seeing idiots with spruce twigs under their noses.

Or something.

[mk4]

i can suggest a good place for those spruce twigs.

[Diomed]

Hey, that's how crony capitalism works. If you've got enough money, you get the government to make you bigger/crush your competition. It's the American Way!

[VBshooter]

Real simple ../Stop buying the trees with tax on them if it happened.. Obama is grabbing straws here,,and what better thing to attack then a Christian symbol.. Notice they aren;t taxing prayer rugs, turban wax, or genie costumes,

[Kreutz]

Real simple ../Stop buying the trees with tax on them if it happened.. Obama is grabbing straws here,,and what better thing to attack then a Christian symbol.. Notice they aren;t taxing prayer rugs, turban wax, or genie costumes,

Christmas trees are pagan.

[VBshooter]

oops my bad!! Pagan symbol then/// And then Turban Wax, Prayer Rugs and Martha Stewart Bed Sheets

[OakRidgeStars]

[WRW]

Real simple ../Stop buying the trees with tax on them if it happened.. Obama is grabbing straws here,,and what better thing to attack then a Christian symbol.. Notice they aren;t taxing prayer rugs, turban wax, or genie costumes,

Christmas trees are pagan.

Are you sure? I've read that mistletoe and holly boughs were pagan, but the Christmas tree seems to have its origin in German Christianity.

[OakRidgeStars]

That's why we should all celebrate Festivus!

http://www.festivusweb.com/

[Kreutz]

Real simple ../Stop buying the trees with tax on them if it happened.. Obama is grabbing straws here,,and what better thing to attack then a Christian symbol.. Notice they aren;t taxing prayer rugs, turban wax, or genie costumes,

Christmas trees are pagan.

Are you sure? I've read that mistletoe and holly boughs were pagan, but the Christmas tree seems to have its origin in German Christianity.

Naw, its a Yule tree. I'd insert a joke about the Germans having never stopped being pagans, but, why bother?

Its worth remembering much of Europe wasn't Christianized (and often went back and forth a few times in some areas) until the 12th century, so alot of those traditions just became absorbed by the new Christian populace.

In the case of the Baltics, (victims of the little known Northern Crusades) they weren't converted in significant numbers until the 15th century!

[SHMIV]

Much of our current Christmas tradition is Pagan. I suppose that I could even make a case for some of it being downright Satanic.

The important thing to celebrate is not the birth of Christ, but the Resurrection.

In regard to the trees, well, I've never put up my own tree. I live by myself, and I really don't want the hassle of trees. Growing up, my family never bought trees. We always went for a walk in the woods, as a family, and we picked a tree, then cut it down. Good family bonding time, that was.

When the tree came down, it went on the fire pit. That, also, was good family bonding time. With Marshmallows!!

[WRW]

Christmas trees are pagan.

Are you sure? I've read that mistletoe and holly boughs were pagan, but the Christmas tree seems to have its origin in German Christianity.

Naw, its a Yule tree. I'd insert a joke about the Germans having never stopped being pagans, but, why bother?

Its worth remembering much of Europe wasn't Christianized (and often went back and forth a few times in some areas) until the 12th century, so alot of those traditions just became absorbed by the new Christian populace.

In the case of the Baltics, (victims of the little known Northern Crusades) they weren't converted in significant numbers until the 15th century!

The origin is a little sketchy, but I subscribe to the notion that it is an offshoot of the "Paradise" tree. Although the timing is correct for the Yule tree, there is only one Winter Solstice each year, which makes the possibility of coincidence in timing a distinct probability. Besides, Yule trees were brought into the home live...Christians killed their trees.