Welfare Queens

It was recently reported that the CEO of Darden, the corporation that owns Olive Garden and Red Lobster is actively working to fight a bill in California that would thwart attempts by large corporations to cut employee hours to avoid the health insurance requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This bill would make it unlawful for a large employer to, among other things, designate an employee as an independent contractor or temporary employee, reduce an employee’s hours or work, or terminate an employee if the purpose is to avoid the obligation of the ACA requirements. This is in direct response to the so called Wal-Mart Loophole…you remember Wal-Mart that wonderful company which chooses to hire only part-time workers to avoid required healthcare costs for full-time workers.

Now I’m not an idiot, I know that companies are in the business of making money and I know that added healthcare cost hurt the bottom line but give me a minute. Most of the arguments I read against the ACA state that it hinders economic growth in that it burdens employers with the cost of providing health care to workers. Wrong! It doesn’t hinder growth it hinders profit. There are those who argue the added cost of required healthcare coverage would increase prices however, there isn't a company yet that has shown that giving their employees health care would make their products too expensive. None of these corporations complained publicly when their fuel costs increased or when their food costs increased or when their building costs increased. Costs fluctuate, businesses adjust it’s been going on since the dawn of commerce. These arguments usually come from conservative Republicans, the same conservatives that insist on lower taxes and oppose all forms of social welfare, the same conservatives that insists government stay out of their lives. The problem with companies like Wal-Mart and Darden hiring only temporary workers is that these workers end up dependent on Medi-Cal and other government sponsored social programs to make ends meet. As the costs for these social programs increase so does the cost to the taxpayer. In an effort by these corporations to avoid additional costs and increase their bottom line, the taxpayer actually ends up supporting their means to profitability…it’s the ultimate outsourcing program. When corporations put their workers' on government programs for food aid, housing subsidies, and Medicaid and the taxpayer picks up the bill it is they, the corporations, who are the moochers and the new version of the 1980s Reagan "welfare queens". They pay minimum wage (sometimes below for tipped workers) and expect the government poverty programs to subsidize benefits. So the argument from the conservative right becomes invalid as it runs counter to their party platform and these corporations become part of that whole Mitt Romney 47% who don’t pay taxes and live off the government thing.

So far most of the outspoken corporate resistance to the ACA requirements has largely come from fast food and restaurant chains, which I find a bit unsettling and I’m beginning to wonder in what reality these CEOs exist. These greedy people will do anything immoral or unethical to make a buck, including denying the people that work their butts off for them healthcare. Really folks, they’re saying they don’t want to be responsible for assuring that the people preparing and serving your food are healthy and disease free…does penicillin come with that shake? It’s real simple, people who are covered by health insurance and receive continuous, managed, preventive medical care are more likely to be disease free and provide constant dependable workers. What CEO in his right mind would actively seek to obstruct such a workforce?

The bottom line is that any business that requires government social program subsidies for its employees in order to remain profitable probably shouldn't be in business to begin with. Who knew that a great side benefit of Obamacare (ok, just this once) would be shedding light on these self-entitled corporate moochers dependent on taxpayer dollars to run their business model?