LOUISVILLE (WAVE) - The White House is delaying a plan to add a new 15-cent fee to Christmas trees that conservative critics have dubbed the "Christmas Tree Tax."
The idea originally was to be used to start a Christmas Tree Promotion Board that would promote the live Christmas trees vs. artificial ones. Fresh-tree sales have been falling from 37 million in the early 1990s to just 31 million four years ago. Artificial tree purchases are rising steeply – doubling in just four years starting in 2003.
The fee made big news late Tuesday when the Drudge Report posted a photo of President Obama, calling it his tax and linking to the Heritage Foundation. Much of the tree growing industry supported the fee.
But, the confusion was out there and the White House announced Wednesday evening that the idea would be put on hold.
The growers would have been forced to pay the fee and would likely pass the cost along to consumers. After three years, growers would have decided whether to continue the effort.
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