Obama Backer Laying Off Workers Due To….ObamaCare!

By William Teach November 16, 2012 – 4:26 pm

Kinda sucks when the cold dead mackerel of reality smacks you in the face, eh? (via The Lonely Conservative)

(Freedomworks) One of the biggest medical device manufacturers in the world, Stryker will close their facility in Orchard Park, New York, eliminating 96 jobs in December.  Worse, they plan on countering the medical device tax in Obamacare by slashing 5% of their global workforce – an estimated 1,170 positions.

Hmm, that’s weird. Another super big company not willing to take in the wallet for their workers, he must be a big meanie….who’s given over 2 million dollars to Democrats, and $66k to the Obama campaign, making him a top 5 donor.

Read: Obama Backer Laying Off Workers Due To….ObamaCare! »

Posted in Beyond Moonbat, Democrats, Healthcare | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach November 16, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…is the flag of a nation that is suffering from hotcoldwetdry and has passed legislation to stop the rise of the seas, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Right Wing News, with a post on what lessons the GOP should learn from the 2012 elections.

PS: Australia is not a socialist paradise, like most of the rest of the week, but, the far left Labor Party did pass AGW legislation. And got thumped during the Queensland elections earlier in 2012. Oh, and it is also rather hard to find sexy socialist photos, at least without a big explanation.

Read: If All You See… »

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Lame Duck Bev Perdue Opts For State-Federal Insurance Exchange

By William Teach November 16, 2012 – 10:45 am

North Carolina Governor Bev Perdue was such a complete SCOAMF of a chief executive that she decided to forgo running for re-election in 2012. But, she’ll make darned sure she hoses the state on her way out the door

(News14) All eyes have been on Governor Bev Perdue this week, as a Friday deadline approached for North Carolina to declare its intent on how to handle health care exchanges under the federal Affordable Care Act.

In a press conference Thursday, Perdue said her first choice is clear: a state run exchange. But, she said, did not believe she could pick that option.

“The legislature did not provide us the ability to move forward with that type of exchange in time to have a timely completion by 2014. But they did indicate in their budget bill their preference as well for a state exchange,” said Perdue.

Instead she picked a federal state partnership, which her administration said will still give the state options.

State GOP leaders (the GOP now controls both the legislative and executive branches) stated that this was a horrible decision made by a SCOAMF, and that she should just STFU and GTFO. Well, not in so many words.

Administration officials say the exchange under the partnership should not cost the state anything because of the federal grant money attached to it.

Yeah, “shouldn’t”. Except, the money from the Central Government Planning Office (CGPO) still has to come from somewhere. In-coming governor-elect Pat McCrory hasn’t commented on it yet. I hope people understand that he is a rather squishy Republican, but, he best knock this program down the minute he comes into office.

In South Carolina, Gov. Nikki Haley has opted not to go with a state based option, and looks to be playing the “hey, give us more info and guidance so we can take forever to make a decision” game.

Just breaking, Wisconsin Scott Walker says state will not set up exchange, will not create a state-federal one, and leaves everything to the CGPO.

Read: Lame Duck Bev Perdue Opts For State-Federal Insurance Exchange »

Posted in Healthcare, NC News | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Horror: Hostess Files For Bankruptcy, Shutters Business

By William Teach November 16, 2012 – 9:03 am

Nanny Bloomberg is probably a happy nanny today as Hostess brings Halloween to mid-November

(WRAL) Hostess Brands Inc. filed for bankruptcy early Friday, announcing it has shuttered operations and ended production of the snack cakes and breads known to generations of Americans.

The Texas-based company said in a statement on its website that it will try to sell its assets, including the iconic Twinkies, Ding Dong and Wonder bread brands. Bakery operations have been suspended at all 36 plants, including one in Rocky Mount, following a weeklong strike by thousands of workers protesting 8 percent wage cuts and benefit concessions.

No more Twinkies, cupcakes (those baseball ones were awesome), cinnamon streusel coffee cakes, Suzy Q’s, donuts, mini muffins, pastries, pies, and sno balls (gross). All gone. And it looks like Hostess really means business, since they even shut down their website. Oh, hey, look

In its statement, Hostess said the strike “crippled the company’s ability to produce and deliver products at multiple facilities.”

“We deeply regret the necessity of today’s decision, but we do not have the financial resources to weather an extended nationwide strike,” said Gregory F. Rayburn, chief executive officer. “Hostess Brands will move promptly to lay off most of its 18,500-member workforce and focus on selling its assets to the highest bidders.”

Certainly, Hostess had financial issues to start with, and the strike by the union employees killed the company. So, instead of seeing an 8 percent wage cut and benefit concessions, the workers get a 100% cut.

Despite annual sales of $2.5 billion, the company said its current cost structure was unprofitable, largely because of union wages and pensions.

Sound familiar?

More: Memeorandum is running a few threads on this. Not quite sure what prompted pictures of Mick Jagger to be next to the NBC story. Wouldn’t Woodie Harrelson make more sense?

Anyhow, Hostess has released a statement on what is going on. Others covering include: Politico, Michelle Malkin, Hot Air,  The Lonely Conservative, www2.wkrg.com and The Gateway Pundit as well as Weasel Zippers, The Right Scoop, LewRockwell.com Blog, Gawker, This Just In and Guardian

DrewM:

“People voted for irresponsibility, now they must get it. No soft landings, no pity. It’s time for harsh lessons to be learned.”

Sounds like a microcosm of the economic state of America.

Oh, and since someone asked in an email, yes, there is a point to the weasel eating Twinkies photo. Think about it.

Read: Horror: Hostess Files For Bankruptcy, Shutters Business »

Posted in Current Affairs, Economy, Food and Drink | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

People’s Republik Of California Now #1 In Poverty

By William Teach November 16, 2012 – 8:34 am

The brokeyest broke state in the nation (which means it is also one of the brokeyest broke entities in the world, as it has the world’s 8th largest economy) has long served as the place where the far left has conducted field experiments for their policies. How’s that working out? Neil Munro tells us

(Daily Caller) The Golden State has fallen on hard times, with a poverty rate that is now twice as bad as West Virginia’s and substantially worse than the rates of poverty in Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas and Texas.

Democrat-run California earned its last-place rank under the federal government’s new measure of poverty, which incorporates more detailed analyses of welfare payments and the local costs of food, gasoline and housing. (View the new census data report)

The state’s costs are boosted by its environmental and workplace regulations, and by 38 million residents’ competition for housing close to the sea.

Hooray, they’re #1, they’re #!!!!!1!!!! I’m betting they really want to lean on the liberal trope that there are no winners and losers, so everyone should get a blue ribbon for competing.

The new measure, dubbed the “Supplemental Poverty Measure,” revised the California’s poverty rate from 16.3 percent up to 23.5 percent.

The report estimates that roughly 8.8 million people in California were poor during between 2009 and 2011, when Democrats controlled the state legislature and governorship, as well as the White House. (snip)

The new measure supplants a poverty gauge developed in the 1960s. It incorporates the economic impact of welfare programs, transportation and child-care costs, changes in child-rearing practices — especially the impact of single parents raising kids — plus differences in the region’s average prices and health care costs.

This is all despite the large number of lefties working in the entertainment and tech industries, making boodles of money and refusing to give back. A large number of 1%ers failing to help the 99%ers.

The massive influx of illegal aliens sure doesn’t help. They’ve caused many southern California emergency rooms to shut down, and approximately one third of the California prison population is comprised of illegals. Then you add in the “progressive” nanny state policies and high taxes, the job killing uber-environmental policies, support of unions policies, and other workplace policies, and you end up with Brokeifornia having the worst poverty rate. Congratulations!

Crossed at Right Wing News and Stop The ACLU.

Read: People’s Republik Of California Now #1 In Poverty »

Posted in Democrats, Economy | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Goracle Pushes Sad Little Pledge To Stop “Dirty Weather”

By William Teach November 15, 2012 – 7:33 pm

Can you guess what’s missing from the pledge? (via Tom Nelson)

“I pledge my name in support of a better tomorrow, one fueled by clean energy. I demand action from the world’s leaders to work toward developing clean energy solutions. I pledge to demand action from our leaders. And I pledge to share this global promise. By uniting our voices, we have the power to change the world.“

That’s right, there’s absolutely nothing about actually implementing any changes within their own lives to reduce their own greenhouse gas output. Shocking!

Tom also points out that the new pledge is considerably watered down and generic when compared to the Live Earth pledge. Which did not get people to walk the talk, either. Of course, that was tough in many places where it was abnormally cold, like in South Africa, where it snowed and was too cold to perform.

Read: Goracle Pushes Sad Little Pledge To Stop “Dirty Weather” »

Posted in Climahypocrites, Collapsing Science, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

Obama Fiscal Cliff Plan: 73% New Taxation

By William Teach November 15, 2012 – 2:29 pm

During the campaign and previous rounds of talks, (NMP) Obama pushed $3 in cuts for every $1 in new taxation. Of course, just like happened with Reagan, the tax increases would come now, with the cuts down the road, which would never materialize. During the debate he pushed $2.50 cuts to $1 increases. What’s the reality?

(AEI) President Obama’s opening bid in budget talks with congressional Republicans is a reheating of his 80-page deficit reduction package from September 2011. The president calls it a “balanced” plan. Well, here it is:

Nice big graphic at the link.

Now, according to Obama’s math, his “balanced” plan cuts the projected cumulative debt by $4.4 trillion over ten years with 36% of the reduction coming from $1.6 trillion in tax increases — 80% from wealthier Americans, 20% from business. So, basically, $2 in spending cuts for each $1 in tax hikes. “Balanced.”

But once you begin to dig into the numbers, the plan doesn’t look balanced at all. As the bipartisan Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget noted back then:

The Administration claims that the plan would save about $4.4 trillion in total (including interest savings, war savings, and the costs of the jobs proposals). However … counting the war savings is counting a policy that is already in place and is thus a gimmick to be avoided. Taking out the war savings and savings from the discretionary cuts in the Budget Control Act leads to total savings of less than $2 trillion.

Of the supposed savings, then, $1.6 trillion comes from tax hikes and $577 billion comes from spending cuts, not counting saved interest. So 73% of the savings comes from taxes, 27% from spending cuts. That’s $3 of tax hikes for every $1 of spending cuts.

The cuts would never materialize, except, surely, to the military budgets (note, we do need to reduce military expenditures that are wasteful, just like with every federal agency. And surely need to reduce the horrible waste which creates surplus through the appropriations process, which needs to be reformed, which I somewhat cover in this post).

Interestingly, he also includes the cost of his “American Jobs Act” as $447 billion dollars. Another attempt at stimulus, despite all the others failing, but, he thinks it will pass this time. And actually expects $320 billion in “health savings”, despite the reality that ObamaCare will vastly increase the government’s costs.

Also, we see a reduction of $992 billion which would include disaster relief reductions.

Read: Obama Fiscal Cliff Plan: 73% New Taxation »

Posted in Uncategorized | 5 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach November 15, 2012 – 1:00 pm

…is a wonderful Socialist nation being flooded thanks to those evil capitalists, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Theo Spark, who points out that free stuff ain’t free.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Stimulus Recipient ReVolt Technology Files For Bankruptcy

By William Teach November 15, 2012 – 10:52 am

Yet another Obama backed company down the tubes

The parent company of a taxpayer-backer battery technology company has filed bankruptcy in a Norwegian court.

Portland-based ReVolt Technology, whose parent company is in Norway, said last month it would file bankruptcy because it had been unable to raise new capital or find a buyer.

The company had been developing a zinc-air battery technology that it said could deliver twice the energy of conventional rechargeable battery technologies, such as lithium-ion.

Along with around $6.8 million in state and local “loans”, they received $5 million from the Stimulus through electric car development program. Now, some, meaning ObamaZombies, may say that $5 million is chump change, and, in terms of government spending, it is. But out here in the real world that’s real money. Oh, and it’s a Germany based company. Oh, and ReVolt was considered a very risky venture to start with. It’s been around since 2004, and never really did anything. And the supposed 150 jobs they would create never materialized.

Read: Stimulus Recipient ReVolt Technology Files For Bankruptcy »

Posted in Economy, Good Move Slick | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

Restaurant Owner To Charge ObamaCare Surcharge To Customers

By William Teach November 15, 2012 – 7:17 am

For the most part, what ObamaCare will do to the economy and people’s lives has so far been an abstract concept. Sure, there are a few tangible effects, such as the 10% tax on tanning bed usage, and a few people with pre-existing conditions purchased health insurance (at enormous cost), but the true costs haven’t come into play as of yet (surely, that was the point behind implementing most of Obamacare in 2014). Now, one business owner is going to turn ObamaCare from conceptual to physical

(UK Daily Mail) 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 baulking 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.’

Over at the Huffington Post he explains

“If I leave the prices the same, but say on the menu that there is a 5 percent surcharge for Obamacare, customers have two choices. They can either pay it and tip 15 or 20 percent, or if they really feel so inclined, they can reduce the amount of tip they give to the server, who is the primary beneficiary of Obamacare,” Metz told The Huffington Post. “Although it may sound terrible that I’m doing this, it’s the only alternative. I’ve got to pass the cost on to the consumer.”

Obviously this mean Metz is a mean, heartless man who refuses to work his butt off while giving up most of his profits in order to pay for ObamaCare. Though, we can bet that virtually every liberal who supports ObamaCare and owns a company will refuse to give up their own profits and institute similar measures. We also learn that he’s going to reduce hours (back to the Daily Mail article)

The fast-food business owner is set to hold meetings at his restaurants in December where he will tell employees, ‘that because of Obamacare, we are going to be cutting front-of-the-house employees to under 30 hours, effective immediately.’

Government legislation has real world consequences. Price increases, reduced hours for employees, layoffs, and closings. And all for reduced quality of care and availability of care.

Read: Restaurant Owner To Charge ObamaCare Surcharge To Customers »

Posted in Healthcare | 2 Comments | Trackback URL
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