The Daily Mail is reporting that (similar to one of Applebee’s’ biggest franchisees) a Florida owner of about forty Denny’s Restaurants will add a surcharge to customers’ bills and cut employees’ hours in response to the continuation of Obamacare. From the story:
President Obama’s election victory ensured his Affordable Care Act would remain the centerpiece of his first term in power – but that has left some business owners balking at the extra cost Obamcare will bring. Florida based restaurant boss John Metz, who runs approximately 40 Denny’s and owns the Hurricane Grill & Wings franchise has decided to offset that by adding a five percent surcharge to customers’ bills and will reduce his employees’ hours. With Obamacare due to be fully implemented in January 2014, Metz has justified his move by claiming it is ‘the only alternative. I’ve got to pass on the cost to the customer.’
If President Obama is serious about wanting to help the middle class, he will work with Republicans to refashion the law–understanding that he will never agree to a repeal–so that it is less likely to claim working stiff victims. But since he is the reincarnation of Huey Long, I suspect instead that he and his minions will demonize companies for making rational business decisions. Part of the problem, of course, is that the president doesn’t understand the concept of rational business decisions.
Forward.