Posted on 11/10/2012 12:23:22 AM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
A day after Barack Obama earned a second term in the White House, Papa John's founder and CEO John Schnatter said the president's signature health-care reform law would increase his business costs and possibly result in employees' hours being cut.
Schnatter, a part-time Naples resident, made the comments Wednesday night inside a small auditorium at Edison State College's Collier County campus. In August, he made national headlines after telling shareholders the Affordable Care Act — commonly known as Obamacare — would result in a 10- to 14-cent increase for customers buying a pizza.
"I got in a bunch of trouble for this," he told the students. "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, a Mitt Romney supporter and fundraiser, said he was not "pro or against" the reform law but likened the government's involvement in health care to its operation of the U.S. Postal Service, saying "the worst entity in the world for running the thing is the government."
About a third of Papa John's employees are covered by the company's health insurance plan, although Schnatter said he has always wanted 100 percent of them on the plan. The rising costs of health insurance, he said, have been a deterrent.
"The good news is 100 percent of the population is going to have health insurance. We're all going to pay for it," he said, estimating the new law would cost the business $5 million to $8 million annually.
Under the Affordable Care Act, full-time employees — those working 30 hours or more per week — would have to be provided with insurance at companies with more than 50 workers. Schnatter said it was likely that some franchise owners would reduce employees' hours in order to avoid having to cover them.
"That's probably what's going to happen," he said. "It's common sense. That's what I call lose-lose."
Other than his comments on health care, Schnatter largely steered clear of politics. The 50-year-old said future entrepreneurs need to marry talent and passion in their endeavors, his being business-savvy and a love of pizza.
"I don't consider this work," he said. "I wake up thinking about Papa John's and I go to bed thinking about Papa John's."
He credited the business' success to having a strong team of people and a quality product, repeating his commercial's catchphrase — "Better ingredients, better pizza, Papa John's" — several times.
Schnatter answered questions for about 45 minutes before leaving to participate in a telethon with the University of Kentucky basketball team to raise money for Hurricane Sandy victims. He told students he hopes to present the American Red Cross with a $1 million check on Friday.
Cash or barter. Dozen eggs for a slice. etc...
My company has a policy of “you don’t show up for work for days without calling, we assume you have quit.” And we hire replacements. Without fail, the foRmer employee files for unemployment and whEn we provide documeNteD policy and prooF do warNings, no shows, etc, we still lose and are obligated to cut weekly unemployment checks. Happens almost weekly now. Costs us tens of thousands and keeps us from hiring some worKers and frm paying more to our best perforMerS. The system is completely broken.
HOORAY Papa John’s founder and CEO John Schnatter! Prepare. Persevere.
The obvious solution is to nationaliz big pizza. It’s those greedy CEOs like Schnatter who have stood in the way of fairness for far too long.
The obvious solution is to nationalize big pizza. It’s those greedy CEOs like Schnatter who have stood in the way of fairness for far too long.
Papa John has my respect. Everything about him indicates decency, values, and common sense.
They cut people to 35 hours. ObamaCare says 30 hours is full time.
So they cut people to 29 hours. The Red Lobster/Olive Garden Deardon company. People will be working two or three part time jobs.
Government doesn’t get the law of unintended consequences.
And government will keep legislation down the number of hours which constitutes full time employment to the point that no one will risk their capital in either starting, maintaining or expanding a business. Hey, but think of all the reduced reliance on fossil fuels because there won’t be any jobs available to drive to (if we could afford to do so)!
The indoctrination is now complete. It took less than 75 years to change the concept of freedom. The Left has done an amazing job and last Tuesday proved it. Que sera, sera.
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