[ClevelandMike]

Nebraska Wendy's franchisee slashes worker hours to sidestep ObamaCare | Fox News

I am afraid this is what we expected from the Bill that Obama Signed into law. Mitt told us it was the #1 Job Killer. It's too bad it's hitting the lower income earners first. Wonder how these employees voted in Nov?

[Hollytree]

Well, we can decide what kind of a society we want to live in.

1. Continued exploitation of minimum wage workers who have no benefits or healthcare.
2. They either suffer or have to rely on the public dole for healthcare.
3. You get a cheap hamburger.

OR

1. Companies are responsible to provide healthcare at some minimal level, especially those with many employees.
2. Fewer people need to rely on public assistance and the hospital emergency room.
3. More expensive burgers.

Of course companies will come up with every crappy dodge they can to avoid doing what is right and fair. I mean how awful for them to actually have to provide- gasp- medical insurance- gasp. Look at how hard it was to get Walmart to change their policies of worker exploitation. Look how the health insurance companies raise rates every year to keep up their enormous profits while crying poverty.

The healthcare bill as passed, we all know, is far from perfect and needs more tweaking (the proposed single payer program would have been better), but is it not a step in the morally right direction?

REad this: Health Insurers Making Record Profits as Many Postpone Care
By REED ABELSON
Published: May 13, 2011
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/bu...alth.html?_r=0

[Dale Cooper]

An employer's responsibility is to provide pay for work. Health insurance is a 'benefit', and is not required.

I don't blame Wendy's. They have a bottom line to meet.

[suzy_q2010]

The solution is to disconnect health insurance from employment altogether. However, purchasing it should not be voluntary unless you can demonstrate another way to pay for your care. That means a single payor national plan with the premium withheld from wages --- essentially Medicare for all. There would have to be a mechanism for people who are not working to pay and one to subsidize those who are unable to pay.

That shifts the responsibility to the worker and would make insurance more affordable for those who are not employed. Those who are working should expect wages to increase to offset losing the insurance benefit.

The insurance package should include a set of basic benefits and there should be the option to purchase a more comprehensive plan or pay out of pocket for uncovered procedures if you wish.

[Hollytree]

I don't think this is a "blame" issue either- it is a philosophical one and one that has no easy solution.

The problem is that if the bottom line is all that is at issue, then Wendy's would pay .75 an hour if not required by your state to pay minimum wage. There was a good reason for minimum wage laws in the first place. Lack of a living wage was why governments got involved- and whether this is ultimately good or bad- people will have different opinions. The taxpayer picks up the tab for the lowest echelon of workers in the US one way or another in social services.

Our economic system does thrive on low wages and few, if any, benefits- that's why so many jobs have gone overseas- if you can't exploit 'em here, exploit 'em there.

[Hollytree]

Just saw Suzy's post. Sounds like one potential solution!

[31st State Citizen]

Originally Posted by ClevelandMike

Nebraska Wendy's franchisee slashes worker hours to sidestep ObamaCare | Fox News

I am afraid this is what we expected from the Bill that Obama Signed into law. Mitt told us it was the #1 Job Killer. It's too bad it's hitting the lower income earners first. Wonder how these employees voted in Nov?

Wendys won't be the only one. Ronald Reagan warned us about Socialized Medicine in 1961. Ronald Reagan’s Warning About Socialized Medicine | AMAC, Inc.

Socialized Medicine kills!

If you love the service at the DMV and failed public schools, why would you expect any different with government union monopolies on healthcare?

[31st State Citizen]

Originally Posted by Hollytree

The problem is that if the bottom line is all that is at issue, then Wendy's would pay .75 an hour if not required by your state to pay minimum wage.

Minimum wage laws do one thing: Make it illegal for uneducated and inexperienced workers with no skills (usually young and minorities) to get a job and gain experience to make more money.

Why would a business hire someone for minimum wage if they aren't worth minimum wage? They won't. They will hire those with some experience, skills, and education.

Minimum wage laws are the reason why Black and Latino unemployment for teenagers is 50%.

Where is the evidence that if there was no minimum wage that Wendys or anyone else would be able to pay anyone $0.75/hour? If what you were saying were true 100% of all workers in America would make the minimum wage, but only 3% do and that is usually only for 6 months or less.

Workers make their market labor rate. Employers cannot get away with paying them less because there are other employers vying for the same pool of workers who will pay more for workers. Free markets are the best friend of the poor.

[31st State Citizen]

Originally Posted by suzy_q2010

The solution is to disconnect health insurance from employment altogether. However, purchasing it should not be voluntary unless you can demonstrate another way to pay for your care. That means a single payor national plan with the premium withheld from wages --- essentially Medicare for all.

Government force at the point of the gun is not the solution. Try freedom for a change.

Free markets work with iPads, cell phones, cars, and PCs.

Government union monopolies don't work at the DMV, Medicaid, Medicare, SS, public schools, etc.

Yet those who profess that they don't want the government to make any decisions regarding their bodies (i.e. abortion) want the government to make every single healthcare decision for them (including abortion).

[Hollytree]

Originally Posted by 31st State Citizen

Yet those who profess that they don't want the government to make any decisions regarding their bodies (i.e. abortion) want the government to make every single healthcare decision for them (including abortion).

Nobody wants the government to make all their healthcare decisions for them (abortion is still a choice) and if you think "Obamacare" will make all your healthcare decisions- you are wrong. Read the healthcare law and what it does.