Scrooged! American Businessmen live up to the Stereotype
Posted: November 13, 2012 Filed under: right wing hate grouups | Tags: bad boys of business, Chicke Fil A, Cracker Barrel, Dominoes Pizza, Papa John's, Right Wing Hate Groups 98 Comments
Every toddler goes through a period of temper tantrums. They’re almost all rooted in the inability to share or when the toddler learns that everything in his world is not going to go his way. You can always see it coming. The tightening of the body, the look of intensity, and then the completely irrational explosion of nothing but pure emotion is typical of toddler tantrums. Some of them throw themselves on the floor. Others lash out and try to punch whatever is near to them. Some just scream and cry bloody murder. Then, others just get on TV and in front of their employees and tell them they’re all fired because their candidate didn’t win. Oh, wait, that’s not a toddler doing that. That’s a bunch of grown white men who just haven’t gotten past the toddler phase.
We’ve just learned how many rich old white men can throw temper tantrums for no particular logical reason other than they didn’t get their way and some one might tax a few of their toys. Boo Hoo!
Let’s start with Papa John who I shall now refer to as Toddler John. Toddler John has fired workers because he just doesn’t see why he should provide insurance benefits to people that work for him and the mean old supreme court, the President, and the congress are going to either fine him or ask him to do it. Toddler John has more than enough money and profits. He just doesn’t want to have to eat his peas. He’d rather we all pay for his sick workers when they show up at emergency rooms. Well, folks, we don’t have to eat his pizza either.
Papa John’s CEO John Schnatter said he plans on passing the costs of health care reform to his business onto his workers. Schnatter said he will likely reduce workers’ hours, as a result of President Obama’s reelection, the Naples News reports. Schnatter made headlines over the summer when he told shareholders that the cost of a Papa John’s pizza will increase by between 11 and 14 cents due to Obamacare.
“I got in a bunch of trouble for this,” he said, referring to the comments he made in August, according to Naples News. “That’s what you do, is you pass on costs. Unfortunately, I don’t think people know what they’re going to pay for this.”
Schnatter went on to say he’s neither in support of, nor against the Affordable Care Act, even admitting that “the good news is 100 percent of the population is going to have health insurance.” But he’s not the only one in the chain restaurant industry to admit that workers hours may be reduced, since Obamacare mandates that only employees that work more than 30 hours per week are covered under their employers health insurance plan. For example, Darden restaurants, the parent company of Olive Garden and Red Lobster, has already experimented with reducing workers hours in anticipation of the legislation.
Any one that lives in the New York region should also consider never eating at an Applebee’s again. Apple-Metro CEO Zane Tankel, who owns 40 Applebee’s franchises in the New York metropolitan area is throwing a similar temper tantrum. He appears to have a bad case of toddler behavior and scrooge ethics too.
An Applebee’s New York area franchisee is the latest CEO to go public threatening drastic plans to avoid costs associated with the Affordable Care Act, otherwise known as Obamacare.
“We’ve calculated it will [cost] some millions of dollars across our system. So what does that say — that says we won’t build more restaurants. We won’t hire more people,” Zane Tankel, chairman and CEO of Apple-Metro, told Fox Business Network on Thursday.
Apple-Metro, which runs 40 Applebee’s restaurants, employs from 80 to 300 people at each of its locations. Obamacare mandates that any business with more than 50 workers must offer an approved insurance plan or pay a penalty of $2,000 for each full-time worker over 30 workers.
Most small businesses with 50 or more employees already do offer health insurance, notes John Arensmeyer, CEO and founder of Small Business Majority, a national small business advocacy organization. But restaurant chains typically are among the sliver of businesses not offering insurance to workers. Other food chains have commented publicly that they would take strong measures to avoid the effects of Obamacare, but so far none of them have taken that action.
Notice it seems to be the folks that have put themselves into businesses where they can exploit workers. Oh, wait, here’s another one. This dude not only throws temper tantrums but has holy temper tantrums. We know that one well.
For the chairman and chief executive of Murray Energy, an Ohio-based coal company, the reelection of President Obama was no cause for celebration. It was a time for prayer — and layoffs.
Robert E. Murray read a prayer to a group of company staff members on the day after the election, lamenting the direction of the country and asking: “Lord, please forgive me and anyone with me in Murray Energy Corp. for the decisions that we are now forced to make to preserve the very existence of any of the enterprises that you have helped us build.”
On Wednesday, Murray also laid off 54 people at American Coal, one of his subsidiary companies, and 102 at Utah American Energy, blaming a “war on coal” by the Obama administration. Although that charge was repeatedly leveled during the election, energy analysts say that the coal-mining business is suffering because of competition from low-cost natural gas and rising production costs of coal, especially in the Appalachian region.
I’ve got a very long list of places that I boycott. It includes Chick-Fil-A and Cracker Barrel for outrageous anti-GLBT policies. It includes Dominoes Pizza and Mormon establishments like Marriot Hotels for their outrageous anti-women political donations. For some reason, some of the worst right wing nut cases run food companies. But, there are more than that. Make sure that your consumer dollars are not going to fund political movements that work to deny your humanity and promote unsafe, environment and people-damaging polices. Unfortunately, some are even sports franchises so you may have to give up a team.
Remember, reinforcing toddler behavior only encourages it. Just ignore their businesses and hopefully, the country can live in peace and quiet.
peej
Carissa
ecocatwoman
mablue2
peggysue22
quixote
skydancingguestblogger
Mona (aka Wonk the Vote)
Sky Dancing 
Thanks for this post. I hope we can keep a list of those who deserve a good boycott.
I’m thinking about putting up a separate page with a list of them. I try to remember not to buy an Koch brothers paper products. Never shop at a Staples. I stick with local hardware stores or Loews’. NEVER Home Depot.
That would be good. Since I don’t utilize the food establishments mentioned due to first to general disgust, but more recently gluten intolerance, I doubt my boycott would count. It’s a good reminder about Home “Despot” and Staples.
I know a few charities for Veterans that everyone needs to stay away from……….
CNN has been investigated them for some time. One of the these groups builds home for wounded warriors, and were totally bashing Obama.
Add Waffle House to the list.
The restaurants like Applebee’s, rarely hire people full-time or even work people 30 hrs per week. So they’re not really doing anything new here, they’re just posturing and blowing smoke up their own butts. The fast food & takeout restaurants like Papa Johns, McDonalds, Chik-fil-a and Dominoes are particularly blatant abusers of their workers, working them split shifts, split days and paying minimum wage. The only thing new here is they have something to blame, aka Obamacare, other than themselves for their greedy-assed, abusive, long standing, bad business practices .
Please do! I would love a list and will definitely boycott them.
roofingbird, I’ve taken my family gluten free the past couple of months and we are all feeling so much better! I’ve been buying gluten free bread at Whole Foods and even making gluten free desserts with almond & coconut flours. I hope it works out for you!
yep, I’ve been off gluten for over two years now, after my younger daughter was diagnosed WHAT A DIFFERENCE!!!. I thought of Minx and her headache yesterday. From almost daily headaches since I was eleven, to almost no headaches at 65. I was a health food type most of that time baking my own full grain bread and stuff. It turned out I could have dairy and cheese after all, just not the kinds laced with gluten products. Whole Foods is great but 40 miles away. My local store, Raley’s, made a real effort and has a full isle of products. Unfortunately, right now their workers are on strike and I won’t cross a picket line. So I will be traveling to Berkeley soon.
That is interesting r-bird, I haven’t thought about the gluten component, although Outis, one of our readers has mentioned the bread and chocolate connection before.
Amen! I buy local Pizza. They won’t get my money. Never been to Applebee’s. My sister that worked for the United Mine Workers for 35 years could tell you horror stories about Murray. And she could also tell you the sexist treatment she had to put up with within the men at the top of the local union. We live in hell. I don’t remember who put up the link to the PBS “Independent Lens” but it was wonderful. I hope everyone here watches it.
I just don’t understand bosses that don’t do right by their employees. My dad taught me just the opposite when he ran his business. I was so shocked by the number of big ol’ SOBs when I went to work for others.
Dak, My Grandfather and father had a general store in the country. They treated everyone that worked for them and costumers with great respect. Sold to poor people on credit when others would not, because they were farmers who got paid by season. I was little girl sacking their food, clothing and shoes, hardware, feed. My father made sure everyone who worked for him treated people with respect.
OK this is really the best thing I have read about all this “affair” shit.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1112/83733.html
I agree that if either one of them were more dimwitted, they would have to be watered. 🙂
Sex hormones and brain cells don’t tend to coexist peacefully.
Helps keep track as the story goes from spy thriller to ridiculous farce.
Gawker: A Flowchart of the Petraeus Affair’s Love Pentagon, from the Shirtless FBI Agent to Chuck Klosterman
life time movie clusterfuck … or thinking from below the waist
While the ACA’s implementation will not affect Papa John’s until 2014, it is estimated that it would cost Papa John’s between $5 – $8 million and their operation’s budget is over $1.3 billion — all the while John Schnatter lives in his 40,000 square foot home with a 26 car garage. Papa John’s will join Cracker Barrel on my “must never eat” list.
What, no car elevator?
Nope, but he cleverly designed a moat bridge with an “in” and “out” — here’s a link to youtube, it’s a bit clunky, but you can get a good idea on the irreparable hardship 14 cents would do to the guy.
and he lives in a hillbilly state… figures
Yup … they are both on my list now. Plus, Chick-Fil-A. They were actually on my list before because of something that happened at one of the restaurants on a campus I was teaching at during grad school. The owner came over while I was in line paying for the meal and grabbed my bag, mumbled something about checking something … basically thinking I wasn’t paying for my meal. Just looked at her and said last time I EVER eat here and I left … all those evangelicals just can muck up customer service better than any one I’ve ever met.
I try so hard not to say Hate when it comes to people but I am coming to embrace it late in life.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/pat-robertson-on-general-_n_2123111.html
he’s a man … he’s just a man … and Pat’s known so many, men before, in many different ways … he’s just one more ….
(sing alone everyone!!!)
“Who knows?” he said. “The man’s off in a foreign land and he’s lonely and here’s a good looking lady throwing herself at him. I mean, he’s a man.”
I feel so sorry for men just being men. NOT! 🙂 I think I want to vomit.
oh oh
Petraeus scandal UPDATE: Did “inappropriate” emails between Afghanistan general & Tampa woman include pics? http://bit.ly/SSU6LD
I think it’s time to invoke Imani’s request here.
yes definitely … I’ve had that happen before I will tell you that it just grosses me out …
Florida may have rid ourselves of Allen West but my sister from Georgia may have to deal with him now.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/allen-west-georgia-gop_n_2122407.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
oh for pete’s sake … Georgia loves carpetbaggers? Is that it?
LOL! Carpetbaggers in Georgia. Bring out the fainting couch. 🙂
Naturally this loony freak job was a Paulbot. It;s a long road to sanity from here.
TigerBeat: Lawmaker asks to be paid in gold
Pay him in gold and send him on a Somalia coastal cruise before which we publicize his good fortune in “Pirates Illustrated.”
I like that idea, a lot.
yup, great idea … wtf kind’ve nuts put these weirdos into office? heaven save us!
Tell you what, let’s withhold his check, while we look into whether or not his request can be honored.
While we’re at it we should be supporting the attempt to strike by the most underpaid and under-appreciated workers in this country, the employee’s of Wal-Mart. Four of the Walton heirs are in the top 20 of the richest people in the world and their workers are treated like garbage.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/08/walmart-black-friday-strike-organized-online-video_n_2094698.html
I don’t do walmart … I don’t care how much I might save … I don’t sell my soul for a few pennies
I don’t do Wal-mart either, but I support their workers and I would do Wal-mart IF they treated their workers with fairness and quit using chinese slave labor.
I call my Walmart where women go to get attacked. Since i have lived in Florida our local Walmart has had women raped, abducted, killed and a serial killer. I don’t go there for good reasons but i wouldn’t go even if it wasn’t crime central.
Rare for me to try to find real ‘news’ on teevee – the debt crisis is looming large on some channels – they are saying it is going to cost the average family $3,400 – then we have this
As Talks Begin on “Fiscal Cliff,” Report Warns “Fix the Debt” a Front for More Corporate Bailouts
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/11/13/as_talks_begin_on_fiscal_cliff
paging eco doc Dak –
eessh… I’ll have to watch this
Boo, you are right, and the MSM has been pushing this for years. We all know who William Black is so his article is not a surprise but he names names in this article on the Third Way.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/william-k-black/third-way-wall-street_b_2121372.html
He exposed them before and has done it again brilliantly. Thanks for the link.
Only 16 ‘working’ days to find out what congress will do….
I would start praying if it would make democrats stand up.
This is just the best reason I have seen lately that media should fold up their tents and give up.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/13/abc-station-botches-petraeus-book-cover-all-up-in-my-snatch/
omg! SNL type buffoonery on regular news. It figures.
Republicans must be losing this race if they’re suing.
TPM: Arizona Republicans Sue To Block Ballots In Latino Precinct
But where are the buses of suits, the angry mob, we had in Florida? 🙂
They may show up outside the courthouse, if there are TV cameras. 🙂
I just know someone tonight will have this on MSNBC.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/11/13/limbaugh-i-am-the-primary-reason-mitt-romney-lost/
I hope this is true, true true.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/obama-bush-tax-cuts_n_2124324.html
I loved this quote from Richard Trumka
“It was a very, very positive meeting,” said AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka. “We’re very committed to making sure that the middle class and workers don’t end up paying the tab for a party that we didn’t get to go to, and the president is committed to that as well.”
How about that? Actually seems to be following through on what he ran on. I hope it’s true myself.
If the unions through on their promise to fight anything that doesn’t help workers, that should help Obama resist the siren call of bipartisanism.
Nate Cohn does some vote analysis and finds what I kind of expected, considering the election outcome.
TNR: The GOP Has Problems With White Voters, Too
Wonder what unique thing about Obama could cause him to lose Knott County, KY by 47 pts when Kerry won it by 27? I can’t be sure but I suspect it would go blue for a white woman.
Oh, Yea. No argument from me on this Ralph.
May I suggest Topix?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topix_(website)
Yeah, I wonder what that could be?
Glenn Hubbard more or less admits to being a shill for Rmoney.
HuffPo: Mitt Romney Economic Adviser Calls For Raising Taxes On The Rich, Contradicting Entire GOP Campaign
Yes it shows the Republican platform is a con, but after reading the article I think it’s a double cross to get the gullible blue dogs and and the Media to keep on keep on pushing National Debt Debt Debt. They don’t need Social Security or Medicare and will never need medicaid. I can remember Tim Russert very well.
let’s see if he can published again in an AEA journal
opps this is from the FT op ed he’s still shilling for Mitt:
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/66564c38-2cbd-11e2-9211-00144feabdc0.html#ixzz2C9MUgO8v
He’s saying crap from the Laffer curve if you read the op-ed.
He’s suggesting they close loopholes again that primarily are there for middle class and not really the wealthy… same old mittster crap … increasing average rates would basically mean AVERAGE which includes folks down at the bottom. Marginal means don’t increase the top rates. Same trickle down shit. The HuffPo writer is really wrong about this. Probably another English major who thinks they don’t need to know economics and math to write about economic policy.
Sorry I didn’t read the op ed now. Bummer.
well, it’s a little more moderate than what Mitt said but not much … as long as he spouts shit about not raising marginal tax cuts and then talks about the loopholes that are of primary benefit to middle incomes, I’d say that’s not much of a change at all. He’s not talking about getting rid of special treatment of hedge fund managers or dividend income.
The Buffalo News offers the first endorsement for President in 2016.
Clinton has the leadership to be president
To which I would only add, good luck and God speed!
After reading the article above you linked to Ralph, about the true white vote. If Ashley Judd could run a really good campaign against McDonnell and Rand Paul “philosophers” (and Hillary running for President) that the government can do good things instead of falling for the “they are taking away your freedoms” I think the democrats could win back some of the Appalachian whites
I think so to and in the ’08 primaries she won by just as much as Rmoney did. I hate to say it but apparently race was a killer there.
Ralph I agree that race is part but I really think what we are dealing with in low information, low education and just looking for a reason they have been flung back further into poverty. Something that just sounds simple and explainable is the government is taking a away our freedoms. I really believe they have bought that Paultard shit.
Well….Idjits! Where were they in 2008?
What the hell is this, Paula Broadwell’s Driver’s License found in Rock Creek, Maryland?
http://livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/paula-broadwells-drivers-license-turned-in-to-maryland
OK who the hell are these people? I don’t know people who talk or act like this. A 911 call from Jill kelley
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/2012/11/just_gets_better_and_better.php?ref=fpblg
I loved this part, “A one woman USO”. LOL
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/jill-kelley-charity-david-petraeus_n_2124213.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
Wow … this I take back my comment about life time movies this is more like the Real House Wives of the Military/National Security Industrial Complex
Consul general of what, “party planning”? And a fake cancer charity? This shit just gets better and better all the time. Are all these people grifters of some kind?
I’d say of a sort… but it’s unusual real grifters would call the police … I’d say these our rank, social climbing money grabbing nouveau riche idiots whose heads and expenditures got bigger than their brains and wallets.
What a horrendous scam!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/jill-kelley-charity-david-petraeus_n_2124213.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
Jill kelley must have had something on the CIA director and Ge. Allen to get them to write letters to a judge.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/jill-kelley-sister-custody_n_2124316.html
You know I was beginning to start to feel bad for these women about the way the media especially old white men were talking about their appearance and their so called feminine wiles. The woman made me do it meme. But these two women are privileged entitled and sound Crazy as hell!
Paula Broadwell Yearbook Photo Slogan: ‘Work Hard, Play Harder!’
WASHINGTON — “Work hard, play harder!” That was the ironic motto that Paula Broadwell, the mistress of former CIA Director David Petraeus, wrote for herself in her West Point yearbook in 1995,…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/paula-broadwell-yearbook_n_2126014.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003
From one region to the next they are known as unofficial social liaisons, as in MADAM.
OT, but did anyone watch Jon Stewart last night. His moment of Zen was Norquist being interviewed on CNN post election. I couldn’t help but laugh (and almost cry) at what he said: ” the president got committed, uh elected because he was NOT Mitt Romney & Mitt Romney was a poopy head.” A poopy head? Is this idiot who is holding the Republican Party hostage to his NO TAX Edict a 3rd grade nerd? What adult says poopy head?
Yea, Chris Jennings of MSNBC ask if she was talking to Grover of Sesame Street. 🙂
Nina Turner from Ohio wears T- Shirt “Get out of My panties!”
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/nina-turner-ohio-get-out-of-my-panties_n_2124223.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Obama Tells Progressives He Won’t Budge On Bush Tax Cuts
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/13/obama-bush-tax-cuts_n_2124324.html?ref=topbar
What a farce the Kelley’s scamming charity with Patraeus’ blessings – this is most likely just the tip of the iceberg of the relationships developed by those in power..
Well this shit is just great. The Sheriff’s office just called my house to tell me a wounded crazy man was last seen two streets from my house and to take caution and call if i see him. What the hell am i going to do? Yell at him.
Duck! and be ready to call.
The weather is really nice tonight damn. I had planned to go out on the patio and have a glass of wine. Should I take a extra glass? 🙂
Maybe stay inside? Until the crazoid is captured.
You got me howling with laughter……..hope your walls are thin, sounds like there won’t be any relief till morning……………Numbers, Numbers………don’t forget the numbers.
I know the real reason Applebee’s won’t won’t build more restaurants in the New York area. New Yorkers have taste buds.
Booorah!
The food really sucks but the deer from Van Cortlandt Park are partial to the dumpster behind the Applebees on 230th and Broadway.
Same with New Orleans. You have to go out to the nasty burbs to find them.
Could be completely wrong but, if true, it’ll be a high class problem for Obama’s successor to inherit.
Oil report suggests an earthquake in global politics
Rachel Maddow just said “And unlike most of my adult life, liberals were at the White House today and they were not protesting or chained to the fence”! HA! 🙂