| Author | Message | ||
     Pwnzor |
My uncle got his layoff notice from Abbott Vascular in Santa Clara, CA about 1 day after the election. 15 years on the job, with three stents in his heart from his own QC department, and now a pink slip. | ||
| Glitch |
How can any business keep up with that? Simple answer, as best they can. Ann's got this responsibility, along with Certified Payroll, another pile of unnecessary government red tape. They're in survival mode. Leaning out, trying to stay afloat. | ||
| Sifo |
http://www.washingtontimes.com/blog/inside-politic s/2012/nov/8/ron-paul-election-shows-us-far-gone/, Ron Paul: Election shows U.S. 'far gone'
Ron Paul is pretty wacko when it comes to foreign policy, but I agree with him a lot on fiscal policy. We have met the enemy and he is us. | ||
| Strokizator |
Add my company to the list of those calling it quits. Why bother anymore? It's been a great run, we did some high profile work all over the country but I'm sick and tired of govt regulations and insurance companies. Not all my guys can simply go to work for my competition as there's another recession coming. Guaranteed. Europe is already feeling it. China is heading downhill along with Japan. The US is not immune. I've got enough to live on the rest of my life but I do feel bad for my employees who will soon be looking for work. When they ask me why, I will tell them "elections have consequences, choose more carefully next time". | ||
| Aesquire |
Going Galt, eh? Enjoy retirement. My current plan is the Megamillions. Let's see... 18,22,33,35,40,...11. Nope, not retiring today. | ||
| Glitch |
Here's some dreaded Copy Pasta for y'all to chew on... The Tax System: Explained in Beer Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this… The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing The fifth would pay $1 The sixth would pay $3 The seventh would pay $7 The eighth would pay $12 The ninth would pay $18 The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59 So, that’s what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve ball. “Since you are all such good customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20″. Drinks for the ten men would now cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes. So the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men ? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share? They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man’s bill by a h higher percentage the poorer he was, to follow the principle of the tax system they had been using, and he proceeded to work out the amounts he suggested that each should now pay. And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% saving). The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% saving). The seventh now paid $5 instead of $7 (28% saving). The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% saving). The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% saving). The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% saving). Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But, once outside the bar, the men began to compare their savings. “I only got a dollar out of the $20 saving,” declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man,”but he got $10!” “Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar too. It’s unfair that he got ten times more benefit than me!” “That’s true!” shouted the seventh man. “Why should he get $10 back, when I got only $2? The wealthy get all the breaks!” “Wait a minute,” yelled the first four men in unison, “we didn’t get anything at all. This new tax system exploits the poor!” The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks so the nine sat down and had their beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn’t have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill! And that, boys and girls, journalists and government ministers, is how our tax system works. The people who already pay the highest taxes will naturally get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas, where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier. David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D. – Professor of Economics. | ||
| Smokescreen |
Simply brilliant. The only thing that story is missing, is that the 9 guys left will eventually ask the government for a subsidy that is paid for by taxing those who don't drink beer.  | ||
| Cityxslicker |
And so it begins: "Human Terrain / Human Geography All Source Intelligence Analysts. Duties will be related to upcoming Geospatial work in regards to terrain mapping and socio-cultural analysis. Individuals with all source intelligence backgrounds possessing a Geography degree and experience in Human Terrain mapping and analysis are encouraged to apply. Work will be performed in DC Metro area." I don't like the smell of that - not one bit. | ||
| Alfau |
What's the gene for fat and lazy? | ||
| Aesquire |
I won't give you a DNA sample, so you'll just have to go somewhere else.  http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/333421/obama- s-three-strikes-elliott-abrams | ||
| Jima4media |
Papa John's Obamacare Costs Are Far Less Than Price Of Free Pizza Giveaway By Jillian Berman Posted: 11/13/2012 3:14 pm EST Updated: 11/14/2012 4:10 pm EST News flash to Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter: Obamacare isn’t the only thing costing your business money. The pizza chain head has made his views on the Affordable Care Act clear in recent months, claiming the new health care law will cost his business about $5 to $8 million per year. To compensate Schnatter's said he will likely raise pizza prices and cut back some workers’ hours so he doesn’t have to insure them. Caleb Melby of Forbes has graciously done the math on Obamacare’s cost to Papa John’s and according to his analysis, to cover the cost of Obamacare, the pizza chain would have to raise prices by 3.4 to 4.6 cents per pie -- way less than the 11 to 14 cents Schnatter claims he needs. And there are other changes the chain could make to save some money, Melby notes, like not giving away 2 million pizzas for free at a cost of between $24 and $32 million to the company, for example. (Read Melby's full analysis here) We're guessing Obamacare won't impact life at Schnatter's lavish home, a 40,000 square-foot mansion in a tony suburb of Louisville, Kentucky, that features several swimming pools, a private golf course and a 22-car garage among other amenities, according to CelebrityNetworth.com. “Who would’ve imagined pizza could build this," said former presidential candidate Mitt Romney earlier this year. "This is really something. Don’t you love this country? What a home this is, what grounds these are, the pool, the golf course…. This is a real tribute to America, to entrepreneurship." Schnatter is just one of many company heads using Obamacare as an excuse to make changes at his company. Murray Energy's CEO laid off 160 workers the Wednesday following President Obama’s reelection, claiming his company was in “survival mode” due to regulations and taxes Obama put in place. The reality: the coal industry, of which Murray Energy is a part, is in decline thanks in large part to a recent influx of natural gas into the U.S., according to the Washington Post. The owner of 40 New York-area Applebee’s franchises told Fox Business last week that he wouldn’t hire any new workers and would be cutting back the hours of some of his current employees as a result of Obamacare. Applebee’s parent company distanced itself from his statements as the company faced backlash over his comments. One super-rich CEO backed down from his threat to downsize if Obama was reelected. David Siegel, the CEO of Westgate Resorts and the man who tried to build the biggest house in America, said that he actually gave his workers raises in the wake of Obama’s win. In the lead up to the election, Siegel sent his employees an email warning them to vote for Romney or else. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/papa-john s-obamacare_n_2123207.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular | ||
| Cowboy |
I see in the news today that the jobless NO is going through the roof and the stock market is still falling. I just wonder what a bad fix we would be in if Romney had won. | ||
| Cowboy |
I can see it now Obama sez it is last adm. fault Oh shit that is me. | ||
| Sifo |
I assume Poppa John's is set up with franchises owned by individual owners. Ultimately, it's up to the store owner to follow guidance of the franchise or not. The guidance of the franchise will be pretty close to the reality of most individual stores. The franchise is there to help store owners sort out things like this, it's part of what makes it worth being in a franchise. Of course I may no have a clue what I'm talking about. I did work as an Operations Manager in a franchise business though. I had a lot of discussions with the owner during that time. Most people don't have a clue about business expenses. Playing the class warfare card is always a nice touch though. Classy thing to do when you have no actual facts on your side. The simple fact that there is this sudden change happening across so many businesses shows that it is the reality that they face. Brace yourself for the fact that most businesses will simply quietly raise prices and cut employees to try to compensate. This was predicted before Obamacare was passed. Now we are seeing that the predictions were correct. This is just the tip of the iceberg. | ||
| Reepicheep |
Ignoring math doesn't demonstrate that one is more compassionate, it just demonstrates they are either more stupid or more cowardly in their compassion. That is basically what converted me from a young liberal to an old conservative. | ||
| Cityxslicker |
It's official - if you do not like this guy, and are upset about the results of the election.... you could be clinically depressed, anxious, or mentally ill. Let the therapy and medication begin ! "It's good for our country to have people know what the issues are, to have strong opinions, and to vote. But just as it's important for the nation as a whole to come together after an election, it's important for families to come together and be supportive no matter what their disagreements." Dr. Stack believes, "brief counseling and therapy 'can be helpful in regaining perspective.' " (remember it takes a Village, and we are all one family now - you are too depressed/mad/anxious/manic/weak to depend upon yourself) Yes Komrade - be not depressed, the glorious new shining path is your answer - take these twice a day with meal. | ||
| Smokescreen |
It's official, Brian Mckenzie has lost his mind. No one is listening to you anymore Komrade. Please find a new avenue to spit your venom. The quickboard is not your personal podium to talk trash about the country I swore to defend. And for the record, you are quickly earning your way towards being the enemy (the domestic variety). Why aren't you in the Ukraine with your super hot mail order wife? Or your blacked out off the grid "spook" buddies? I believe it's because you have no friends. If you were on fire in the streets, anyone who knows you wouldn't even piss on you to save your life. Talk about the anti-patriot. Man up or get the hell on. PLEASE!  | ||
| Cityxslicker |
The last holocaust didnt happen, so say some, surely neither will the next, if we all just practice tolerance and appeasement Take a long hard look at the Constitution, this is not the country that document envisioned; It is however exactly on the road to the one Lenin advocated. Best read up on it, the guy in charge sure loves it: http://www.marxists.org/archive/lenin/works/1901/w itbd/iv.htm | ||
| Smokescreen |
For Christ sake.... CITYXSLICKER PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF STALIN, GO THE F**K AWAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | ||
| Hybridmomentspass |
" Why aren't you in the Ukraine with your super hot mail order wife? " I've been asking this for a while. He talked and talked about this, posting pictures of these girls that were waiting for him. Talking about the apartment that was being prepped for him. And yet he is STILL HERE. to many in this thread - complaining on the internet (badweb to be exact) about our president doesnt fix the problems that youre so upset about. So what will you do? What will you actually do to try to get our country back on the right path? More copy and paste on a bike site? Im sorry, just too many armchair quarterbacks here not really doing anything but whining. | ||
| Moxnix |
My blue leather lounge chair next the a reading lamp & stereo remote, what with wifi, plus fridge at hand, generates opines faster than I'm able to type. But, I have a request. I started this shambles of discourse. Santa Claus won a second term. Would one of the powers that be here kindly close this thread? | ||
| Roderick |
I finally saw what Christi Parsons did at Obama's press conference. How sad for a supposedly 'professional' journalist. - Does this woman have any idea how childish she was at that moment? - Does she even care? | ||
| Jima4media |
Papa John's CEO John Schnatter’s recent statement that the Affordable Care Act will force the pizza chain to raise prices came as good news to Nick Martin. Martin, a part owner of Ian’s Pizza, a pizza shop with four locations in Wisconsin, said his business has offered full heath care coverage to its 50 full-time employees for years, making it all the more difficult to compete with national chains like Papa John's that pay workers low wages without health benefits. "This may level the playing field for us,” Martin said of the Papa John's price hike. “If they have to pay for benefits, and that pushes their prices up closer to ours, it will justify what we’ve been paying for and what we’ve been fighting to do the past few years.” (Ian's knows a bit about fighting, having fed demonstrators free slices during last year's protests in Madison.) Like many of the 60 percent of small businesses that pay employees health benefits, Ian's Pizza has struggled to compete with national chains that enter local markets and undercut existing prices. But Obamacare may give local businesses some breathing room as national chains lose the advantage they once wielded through not providing health insurance, according to Jonathan Gruber, a professor of economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Obamacare mandates that businesses with more than 50 workers offer an approved insurance plan or pay a penalty of $2,000 for each full-time worker over 30. “Evidence suggests that when health insurance costs go up, worker wages fall, rather than prices going up,” Gruber said. “If firms are forced to give their workers health insurance, they generally react by paying workers less in wages; they don’t raise the price of goods." However, in the case of Papa John's, a portion of its employees are already paid at minimum wage, Gruber pointed out. "So you can’t reduce wages for those employees, and the firm may have to increase prices a little bit,” he said. But Gruber emphasized that such price hikes will likely be small, meaning local business owners shouldn’t expect their prices to become that much more competitive compared to the big guys. "A lot of what drives statements like those of Papa John’s CEO are politics, not economics," Gruber said. Schnatter, a Romney supporter who held a fundraiser for the former Republican nominee, said in August that Obamacare would cost the company between 11 and 14 cents per pizza. Subsequent analysis by Caleb Melby of Forbes found that the price increase would actually be closer 3.4 to 3.6 cents per pie. “It’s not going to have much of an effect on the gap in prices between Papa John's and smaller competitors,” Gruber said. “That gap is much more about the efficiencies that come from being a large operator, being able to buy in bulk and things like that.” Still, small business owners who already offer employees health insurance reported feeling a sense of vindication upon hearing that large restaurant chains are now being forced to consider a cost that they’ve shouldered for years. “I’d tell Papa John's' CEO, ‘Welcome to the club,’” Martin said. “We’ve battled the whole way giving health insurance to employees ever since we could afford to do it 9 years ago, as a two-year-old business.” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/15/papa-john s-obamacare-ians-pizza_n_2133050.html | ||
| Jima4media |
Applebee's Backlash Sparked By Zane Tankel's Obamacare Slam Heated comments from an Applebee's franchise owner sparked viral outrage against the giant restaurant chain, marking a new phase in the war over Obamacare. Over the weekend and on Monday, Applebee's employees and customers expressed their anger over comments made on the Fox Business Network last week by Apple-Metro CEO Zane Tankel, who owns 40 Applebee's franchises in the New York metropolitan area. Tankel said he would not hire any more workers and was considering cutting the hours of current employees because of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare. Already Applebee's parent company, DineEquity, is distancing itself from Tankel's remarks. "It's certainly our hope that our guests recognize and realize that Mr. Tankel's views are not representative of the broader Applebee's brand," said Dan Smith, a spokesman for DineEquity. Smith said the company has received a torrent of customer feedback on Tankel's comments and noted that individual franchise owners do not speak for all of Applebee's. Tankel, who declined repeated requests for comment through a spokesman, is just one of several CEOs who've announced they will take drastic measures to deal with Obamacare. Last week, Papa John's CEO, John Schnatter, said he'd likely reduce workers' hours as a result of President Barack Obama's reelection. In October, Jimmy John Liautaud, founder and CEO of Jimmy John's sandwich shops, said he would cut employees' work weeks -- "bring them down to 28 hours" -- in order to skirt Obamacare requirements on providing health insurance for full-time-equivalent employees. Liautaud was a prominent Mitt Romney supporter. These outspoken businessmen may find such political comments hurt their bottom lines. Some employees seem eager to find new jobs. And customers are threatening boycotts -- on Twitter and Facebook. Applebee's waiter Brandon Baker is considering quitting in light of Tankel's remarks. "It's ridiculous with all the money they make they can't take care of their employees. They sit in their mansions and we scrape by," said the 35-year-old artist, who waits tables to pay the bills. "I have no idea what it would be like to get a real break or have sick days or insurance." Baker, who lives in Seattle and doesn't work at a Tankel-owned store, pays out of pocket for his dentist and doctor visits. Ninety-nine percent of Applebee's 2,000 locations are owned and operated by about 40 franchisees. DineEquity doesn't mandate its franchisees' health care policies and coverage, and Smith, the DineEquity spokesman, said that "it's not Applebee's place to engage in political commentary." Despite that clarification, many customers don't differentiate between a franchisor, its franchisees and the overall brand. "Zane Tankel is a pathetic, greedy, mentally and follicle-impaired fraud," wrote Rex Kenneth, a New York City resident, in an email to The Huffington Post. "By [boycotting] Applebee's you can save money and improve your health." Kenneth is planning to boycott the chain in his area and hopes to persuade his nieces and nephews in Ohio to do the same. "I would rather pay a few cents more at a business that treats employees with decency than one like [Tankel's]," Sandy Goodwick, another potential customer, wrote in an email to The Huffington Post. Jimmy John's and Apple-Metro would not comment on the current controversy. Papa John's did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Even before the Obamacare brouhaha, Applebee's, like others in the casual dining industry, didn't offer the best wage and benefits packages. Many of its franchisees other than Tankel pay low wages, keep workers part time and offer unaffordable benefits plans, according to testimonials from six current and former Applebee's employees. "Most employees live paycheck to paycheck," said German Ramos, a former manager at an Applebee's in Newtown, Pa., who supervised 60 workers. "As managers, we did not promote the insurance as a benefit because the premium was tough to manage." "The [franchisee] has done a lot to cut all benefits for hourly employees and managers," said Ramos. "Applebee's had an insurance plan, but the cost was more than I was earning," said Krista Trovato, who worked at locations in Pennsylvania and Florida. "I think paying insurance for employees is the cost of doing business, and if they can't afford it, they need to get out of business and accept their failure." Smith of DineEquity responded that Applebee's "certainly can't comment without knowing the details about these individual cases. I can speak on behalf of Applebee's the brand, but not on behalf of our franchisees." Meanwhile, many franchise owners beyond Applebee's argue that the costs of Obamacare are just too high to stay in business. "I can't tell you how many franchises say they would like to be able to provide coverage, but once they start analyzing the costs, say this isn't going to work," said Judith Thorman, senior vice president for government relations and public policy with the International Franchise Association, a trade group that has opposed the health care law. "They're looking at a tough business climate and this tremendous cost. It's hard for them to deal with this law, however they decide to deal with it." Under Obamacare, businesses with 50 or more full-time-equivalent employees that do not provide health insurance coverage must pay a penalty of $2,000 per full-time employee in excess of 30 full-time employees. Many more franchise owners may be quietly considering taking the same actions as Tankel. Obamacare will add more than $6.4 billion in costs to franchise businesses, not including the cost of regulatory compliance, according to a report prepared for the International Franchise Association. The report warns that this could cause about 3.2 million full-time employees at tens of thousands of franchise businesses -- mostly quick- and full-service restaurants and retail stores -- to lose their jobs. Thorman acknowledged that franchise owners are discussing several ways to deal with Obamacare, including reducing employees' hours to part-time status. As for the customers who object, Thorman said, "This is a country where people have the right to express their view. [Boycotting] would be unfortunate, though, because these are small-business people trying to deal with a complicated law and keep their employees employed." http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/applebees -backlash_n_2118231.html | ||
| Two_seasons |
huffpost...  now that's journalism! | ||
| Pwnzor |
Funny... The libs can't stand the fact that they are wrong even AFTER they get their way. Temper tantrums when faced with facts. It is to laugh. We may all sit here spouting opinions which is fine. To actually post about what we do about it would be a fool's errand. How do you really know Brian is not already in Ukraine? Have you physically seen him? How about this... Since he keeps it civil and you don't... Why don't you follow your own advice and move on? | ||
| 99savage |
Tee-Hee Hostess Goes Gault HOSTESS BRANDS TO WIND DOWN COMPANY AFTER BCTGM UNION STRIKE CRIPPLES OPERATIONS http://www.hostessstrike.info/ On Nov. 12, Hostess Brands permanently closed three plants as a result of the work stoppage. On Nov. 14, the Company announced it would be forced to liquidate if sufficient employees did not return to work to restore normal operations by 5 p.m., EST p.m., Nov. 15. The Company determined on the night of Nov. 15 that an insufficient number of employees had returned to work to enable the restoration of normal operations. | ||
| Macbuell |
Newsflash to you Progressives. This laws and taxes you impose do not happen in a vacuum and have real impacts that affect people. Let's do some math. The new Obamacare law states than a company with 59 or more employees will have to pay $2K a year per employee to pay for the healthcare exchange. So, for a company of 60 employees that is an additional expense of $120K a year. Where do you think that money will come from? I think most progressives with little to no sense of reality think these companies will just absorb those extra expenses and therefore decrease earnings by that dollar amount. Sorry, wrong, try again. They will do what they need to do to cut expenses elsewhere to cover those expenses or they will try to figure out a way to not have to incur those expenses. So they can cut peoples hours to get below "full time" status or they can lay off people to get below the number of employees. No matter how you look at it the impact is a negative one for the employees of that company. But to think small businesses are just going to happily eat those additional expenses is just naive and really just stupid. In larger public companies where decisions are based on EPS, the same thing will happen. And before you talk about evil corporations, I hope you don't have a 401K. If you do you should consider yourself a hypocrite for decrying corporate profits. | ||
| Smokescreen |
Very well Matthew. Glad to see you brought your Cali state of mind to Georgia with you. If you aren't prepared to back up your words with your ass, you've lost all respect in my book. Actions are much louder than words. I've took my turn at defending your freedoms. Thanks for the love fellow patriot.  And if your calling me liberal, man you're dead wrong.  | ||
| Sifo |
Great pair of articles Jim. The first one argues about HOW MUCH of a price increase is needed to cover BOcare. The question is, who is better able to determine this, the franchise owner who built the business, or someone who likely has never even worked in a Papa John's restaurant? The next article talks about the opinions high level management decisions from a waiter/artist who doesn't even work in a store under the management in question. Very worthwhile! There is one bit of truth in that second article though...
Read that again and let it sink in. This is what the right predicted would happen with this legislation. The left denied it, and still does. It sucks to be wrong, but it really sucks to be right, but stuck with the decisions made by those who were so clearly wrong. It's time to man up and accept responsibility for destroying millions of full time jobs for people during very hard economic times. I know you think these people are just making a political statement. No doubt they are making a political statement, but it goes far beyond that. They know that making political statements can alienate large portions of their customers, yet they are willing to do so. This is being done in the hopes that people will wake up to the fact that there is no free lunch in the world. If you for a moment think that for every business owner who is talking about their price increases to consumers, that there aren't literally hundreds who are making the same price adjustments, but keeping quite about it, you just are not living in the world of reality. This IS what you voted for. It's going to be ugly. |
