They had to pass it to find out what was in it and now it’s been discovered that Obamacare contains an appetite suppressant. Specifically, the uncertainty the bill creates regarding future healthcare costs suppresses any appetite companies may have for investing money in their operations.
At least, that’s what CKE Restaurants (owner of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr restaurants) CEO Andy Puzder says in this video:
Healthcare is probably the most significant unknown at the moment. People are unsure how much it will impact their business but they know … it will be negative. It’s very hard to model the costs because the [Obamacare] bill was so complex and it’s very difficult to find people that understand it. We have a national healthcare … consultant that we use …. and the range that they gave us for our healthcare costs increasing at CKE restaurants was between $7.3 and $35.1 million dollars. That’s a huge range… Their estimate was that it would increase our healthcare costs by about 18 million dollars. We spent about 9 million dollars last year building new restaurants so that would be totally wiped out.
OK, demolishing the only “achievement” he has to show for his political career ain’t as much fun for Obama as taking bus tours or dropping mega-bucks for a train from Nadaville to Zerotown. But if he’s serious about creating jobs, the surest way is to remove his roadblocks and let those who normally do it, do it. That’s the problem.
Unfortunately, allowing the private sector to create jobs now would mean Obamacare, the Stimulus and all of his Keynesian delusions were wrong. Ensuring high unemployment and blaming his opponents appears to be the strategy around which his 2012 campaign is wrapped.
Obama has to make sure nothing (nor anyone) works.
PS – Your new Carl’s Jr. advertising campaign sucks, Andy. Dull, dull, dull.
– Written by Bonfire of the Absurdities
