Artificial Christmas Tree

Artificial Christmas Tree, With black Friday being the unofficial start of the Christmas season, for many, that means it’s time to go get that Christmas tree. Some swear by that Fraser Fir or White Pine, maybe one they even cut themselves. But others say no way; they stick to the artificial variety. Well we found out just what the argument is really about in the real versus fake Christmas tree debate.

From white pine, to pretty and plastic, Christmas trees come in all different shapes, sizes and synthetics. But which is better? Farm fresh or assemble upon delivery? “I definitely would suggest an artificial tree,” said Sarah Talbard who works at The Gingerbread House in Danville. “It’s an investment. I’ve had mine for nine years and it still looks wonderful,” said Jean Daniels.

An investment is right. On average, a fake tree costs ten times what a fresh one does, but can last nearly two decades longer. “You go pay for a real tree, fifty, sixty dollars and you go burn it up, or mulch it up. I pack mine away and pull it out next year,” said Daniels.

And what about that clean up? “You don’t have to worry about watering a tree, needles falling. It looks like you’ve actually gone out to the forest and cut down your tree,” said Talbard.

Artificial Christmas Trees

Artificial Christmas Trees, The US Department of Agriculture is reconsidering “Christmas tree tax” which is not really tax at all, at a time of confrontation sparked by a conservative think tank. The Heritage Foundation set tongues wagging when it said a levy of 15 cents (11 euro cents) for every fresh Christmas tree harvested in the United States or imported, amounted to a new tax by Barack Obama’s administration.

“The economy is barely growing and nine percent of the American people have no jobs,” blogged David Addington, one of its vice presidents. “Is a new tax on Christmas trees the best President Obama can do?”

In fact, the picayune assessment is meant to bankroll a Christmas Tree Promotion Board to help American tree growers and importers to better compete against artificial Christmas trees imported mainly from China.

“I can tell you unequivocally that the Obama administration is not taxing Christmas trees,” a White House spokesman, Matt Lehrich, told AFP in an email on Wednesday.

“What’s being talked about here is an industry group deciding to impose fees on itself to fund a promotional campaign, similar to how the dairy producers have created the “Got Milk?” campaign,” he said.

“That said, the US Department of Agriculture is going to delay implementation and revisit this action.”

Under federal law, the department approves and oversees programs set up by various agricultural sectors — such as dairy, beef and pork farmers — to encourage consumers to buy their produce.

Unimpressed by the brouhaha was the National Christmas Tree Association, based in Chesterfield, Missouri, whose spokesman Rick Dungey called the notion of a Christmas tree tax “a completely false representation.”