Free Republic

The answer, of course, is an emphatic yes, since by its very nature, ObamaCare is too much for ObamaCare, but individual states' freedom to opt out of designing their own state-specific health insurance exchanges is turning out to be yet another flaw in the oh-so-masterful plan.Last week, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that the government is extending the deadline by which states must submit their blueprints for their exchanges, meant to be tools with which consumers can shop around for insurance options, but all states must still indicate whether they're planning on doing it themselves, forging a...

Small business owner Judy Nichols, a Papa John's franchise owner, told FOX and Friends today that she will be forced to cut her staffing or pay an Obamacare fine of $40,000 that she cannot afford. Nichols says, "Every restaurant you eat at is impacted negatively by the new health care law."

Operative Faith reveals that Kroger will soon join the ranks of Durden Restaurants and slash the hours of its non-exempt (hourly) workers to avoid millions in Obamacare penalties. To give you a sense of Kroger’s size and importance, its sales last year were $90 billion and it employs nearly 350,000 people. Most of its jobs are hourly and the vast majority of workers are neither millionaires or billionaires. Faith is a mid-level manager at Kroger and reports the dire news: Last week we found out that, beginning in January, any employee who is not full-time at that point,will be limited...

Among the objections to ObamaCare, one that has not gotten as much attention as it should is the president's power to waive the law for any company, union or other enterprise he chooses. The 14th Amendment to the Constitution provides for "equal protection of the laws" for all Americans. To have a law that can cost an organization millions of dollars a year either apply or not apply, depending on the whim or political interest of the President of the United States, is to make a mockery of the rule of law. How secure is any freedom when there is...

We are less than 50 days away from the fiscal cliff, and Congress returns to Washington today with a mission to avoid a fiscal and economic crisis that would easily spin the country into a new recession. Peter Ferrara blasts Obamanomics in general at Forbes today, but also explains the stakes involved for the lame-duck session: Last year I wrote a short book for Encounter called “Obama and the Crash of 2013.” I predicted then that Obama’s policies of increased top tax rates for nearly all major federal taxes, soaring new regulatory burdens, and loose, cheap dollar monetary policies, would...

Obamacare’s coming. Love it or hate it, President Barack Obama’s re-election Tuesday cleared the last major hurdle toward implementing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Businesses are being forced to take a fast and hard look at how to handle the shift in health-care benefits and potential costs that are part of the law that goes fully into effect in 14 months. “This is here to stay,” said J.D. Piro, a senior vice president at Aon Hewitt who leads the company’s health law consulting group. “I’ve been saying for a couple of years this is by and large an...

As Twitchy has been reporting, the layoff bomb has detonated. Many companies, both large and small, have been forced to lay off workers due to President Obama’s re-election. With no hope of Obamacare being repealed, they are now forced to lay off employees in order to stay in business. But it’s not just layoffs. Some companies are also contemplating cutting hours. Sadly, many companies have already done so. Part-time is the new full-time in Obamaville. This doesn’t just hurt the workers, who now have to try to live on a far more meager salary. It hurts the country as a...

The CEO of popular pizza chain Papa John's says his employees may face reduced hours and he expects his business costs to rise because President Obama's re-election most likely insures the president's health care reform law will be implemented in full. NaplesNews.com reports John Schnatter made the remarks to a small group at Edison State College's Collier County campus the day after the election. Schnatter, who supported Mitt Romney in the election, said all Americans having health insurance under ObamaCare is a good, but estimates the change will cost Papa John's $5 million to $8 million annually. Schnatter estimated that...

Almost four years ago Rush had chest pains during a vacation in Hawaii. He received the best possible care, and all turned out well. He revealed that he does not have health insurance and pays out of pocket, negotiating the best rate. Will Rush take this opportunity to be the civil rights leader of the 21st century and engage in civil disobedience? Will he tell Pharaoh Obama to let his people go!

The CEO of a huge New York Applebees franchise decided to join fellow fast food CEO John Shattner of Papa John’s in saying that he will layoff workers and stop hiring new ones if the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, is implemented. Applebees franchise owner Zane Tankel, announced his plans almost immediately after President Obama’s reelection. The Twitterverse immediately went crazy with plans for boycotts. One tweet read: “So far I’ve seen Papa John’s and Applebees threatening to fire people since their choice didn’t win the election. Disgusting on either side.” Others said: “BOYCOTT APPLEBEES NOW.” “Add @Applebees...

The Obamacare Layoffs Begin...By Jillian Kay Melchior November 9, 2012 12:25 P.M. The Obama health-care law’s adverse effects on employment are no secret. But it’s one thing to look at the economics, and it’s quite another to hear it firsthand from a small-business owner who’s being forced into an untenable position. Yesterday, a Las Vegas business owner fired 22 of his 144 employees, phoning in anonymously to a local radio host and explaining how the decision was directly caused by President Obama’s reelection. The interview is articulate and nuanced, worth listening to in its entirety. But here’s the jist of...

Businesses with 50 or more employees who average at least 30 hours of work a week will be subject to the Obamacare insurance coverage mandate. Companies are reportedly planning large layoffs due to the implementation of Obamacare. But, companies can potentially avoid being subject to Obamacare's insurance requirements by limiting employees’ weekly hours to less than the 30 hour level defined by Obamacare as “full-time.” A little-known section in the ObamaCare health reform law defines “full-time” work as averaging only 30 hours per week, a definition that will affect some employers who utilize part-time workers to trim the cost of...

...Congress did a poor job of deliberating regarding EESA. Its leadership deferred to leaders of the executive branch and failed to show a seemly skepticism about the bailout. In the end, Congress resorted to less seemly methods to pass the law. After the initial rejection of EESA, congressional leaders purchased the necessary votes for passage by offering funding for projects favored by members who had voted “no” earlier. In other words, the leaders bought the passage of EESA by wasting perhaps $150 billion on what were essentially bribes.56 Vote-buying, not deliberation, brought victory on October 3.... ...The first vote taken...

Seven ways to save on 2013 health insurance billsBy MARCIA HEROUX POUNDS Sun Sentinel Updated 11/11/2012 12:15 AM **SNIP** • Set pre-tax dollars aside. Use a flexible spending account either from your employer or a third party, such as a bank, to deposit money to cover health costs not covered by insurance. Find the list of IRS-approved expenses on your health insurer's website. Note that contributions in 2013 for flexible spending accounts have been lowered to $2,500 in 2013, but Byers said she doesn't think it will affect most people. "I don't see many people using the full $5,000," she...

In an imaginary world, government does things efficiently and economically. In that world, you would want government to provide health care. In the real world, politicians cobbled together a monstrous piece of legislation called Obamacare, with a structure that cannot possibly be efficient or economical. John C. Goodman at Townhall.com has a superb analysis of what Obamacare will do when reality comes up to bat. If you read this at the source, you will see links to other supporting information. John Goodman: The morning after Tuesday’s vote, there is one thing every commentator agreed on. The election of Barack Obama...

As local employees sign up for their 2013 benefits, many are learning that they’ll lose a bigger chunk of their paychecks to health-care costs. For the first time, central Ohio employers will deduct, on average, more than $2,000 from their workers’ paychecks next year to help pay ever-pricier health-care premiums, according to a recent survey by benefits consultant Aon Hewitt. The survey included 113 employers in the Columbus area that represent 79,000 employees. Cost-shifting is just one way that employers have long tried to handle higher health-care costs. Local health-benefit experts say they’re seeing several other strategies emerge, too. For...

Job seekers will soon have a harder time finding full-time work, thanks to Obamacare. As of 2014, the law will attempt to force employers to provide insurance — but in doing so, it will have the unintended effect of making part-time employees more desirable than full-timers. That’s because if a business with more than 49 full-time employees fails to offer insurance coverage, it will be required to pay a fine. And the fine will apply starting not with the 50th employee, but with the 31st. At $2,000 per employee after the first 30, these fines add up fast. A business...

Contrary to popular myth, states are under no obligation to expand Medicaid or create a health insurance exchange, and they should refuse to do either. That from Michael F. Cannon, director of health policy studies at the Cato Institute. He argues that the costs to the private sector will be significant if states agree to create exchanges.

From the Twitchy staff:

Some low-wage employers are moving toward hiring part-time workers instead of full-time ones to mitigate the health-care overhaul's requirement that large companies provide health insurance for full-time workers or pay a fee.Several restaurants, hotels and retailers have started or are preparing to limit schedules of hourly workers to below 30 hours a week. That is the threshold at which large employers in 2014 would have to offer workers a minimum level of insurance or pay a penalty starting at $2,000 for each worker. Pillar Hotels & Resorts this summer began to focus more on hiring part-time workers among its 5,500...