Happy Halloween!! Now give us your money.

It just so happens that the state of Iowa has decided to begin taxing pumpkins, just in time to reap the benefits of decorative pumpkin distributors.


Understand that I emphasize decorative because the new tax only applies to pumpkins not intended for consumption. Take that, holiday commercialization!! (although, now that I think about it, it seems that people could take advantage of this and say they were selling them for "pumpkin pie")

Anyway, take this with a grain of salt, because I don't make enough money to dislike taxes, but according to the interesting stat below, I can see why Iowa would want to do this:

"Nationally, U.S. pumpkin sales in 2006 were valued at $101.3 million, with 90 percent of the country's pumpkins grown within a 90-mile radius of Peoria, Ill."

With Peoria just down the road a spell from Iowa, the state just want to make a quick buck. However, jacking up taxes on the stressed American farmer might not be the best way to do this. Then again, I'm not an economist. I'd love some weigh-ins from my friends more knowledgeable in this regard.