Vegas Employer: Obama Won–So I Fired 22 Employees

[LP2K12]

Vegas Employer: Obama Won–So I Fired 22 Employees

LAS VEGAS (CBS Las Vegas) — A Las Vegas business owner with 114 employees fired 22 workers today, apparently as a direct result of President Obama’s re-election.

“David” (he asked to remain anonymous for obvious reasons) told Host Kevin Wall on 100.5 KXNT that “elections have consequences” and that “at the end of the day, I need to survive.”

“I’ve done my share of educating my employees. I never tell them which way to vote. I believe in the free system we have, I believe in the right to choose who they want to be president, but I did explain as a business owner that I have always put my employees first. I always made sure that when I went without a paycheck that made sure they were paid. And I explained that I always put them first and unfortunately I’m at a point where I’m being forced to have to worry about me and my family now and a business that I built from just me to 114 employees. And I explained to them a month ago that if Obama gets in office that the regulations for Obamacare are gonna hurt our business, and I’m gonna have to make provisions to make sure I have enough money to cover the payroll taxes, the additional health care I’m gonna have to do, and I explained that to them and I said you do what you feel like in your heart you need to do, but I’m just letting you know as a warning this is things I have to think of as a business owner.

Source: http://lasvegas.cbslocal.com/2012/11/07/vegas-employer-obama-won-so-i-fired-22-employees/

Wow, just... wow. No words.

[sammytko]

1. Doubt this is even true

Anyone can call in to a radio station.

[LP2K12]

3. Oh, I agree...

However, just to think of something this vile to share with the public is insane.

What's wrong with these people?

[sammytko]

12. Will probably be hearing lots more of these "scary" stories in the next few weeks

[LP2K12]

19. I'd like to see a headline...

that reads...

Business Owner - "Obama won so I hired 22+ people"

Just to counteract this crap.

[Marrah_G]

2. Mr Anonymous is lying.

[n2doc]

7. Yep. Until there is a news story interviewing said employees I agree

I am sure this would be a story the MSM would jump on if it were real.

[LaydeeBug]

18. yep. nt

[closeupready]

64. +1. Or stupid.

[LynneSin]

4. That guy is gonna need every penny he can find - Civil Lawsuit

[ProgressiveProfessor]

36. On what basis? If they are at will employees, he could have just as soon fired them if

Romney won.

[onenote]

59. +1 and see reply #58

[newspeak]

86. that's right

when you have a "right to work" state, no union representation; the mastah can fire you at will. but, i live in the vegas area, if you find out who this heartless jerk with daddy (i know best) syndrome is, just let me know.

[Blue_Tires]

70. It doesn't matter, because this "story" is fantasy fearmongering bullshit

I'm betting this clown has no business and barely makes above minimum wage at 7-11 or something...

[ProgressiveProfessor]

78. Would not surprise me in the least

[gollygee]

5. Like he'd ever have 22 people he didn't actually need to run his business on the payroll

Does he hire that many non-essential people he can easily just let go just to be nice?

[sammytko]

10. I know. Makes no sense at all

22 people! How much was that costing him to have them hanging around?

[seabeyond]

17. that is what i am thinking. businesses are already so stream lined. an employee doing more than

just one position as it is.

if he fired 22 that would be because of waste.... unneeded employment.

[PA Democrat]

40. He would be a lousy businessman if that were the case, wouldn't he?

I think the guy is lying.

[Blue Owl]

6. I suspect Mr. X's business is located at the base of Bullshit Mountain.

n/t

[lalalu]

11. LOL

[coalition_unwilling]

49. Hah! DUZY! - n/t

[Wind Dancer]

63. Too funny!

[LadyHawkAZ]

81. He runs the ticket booth. n/t

[BeyondGeography]

8. Angry, gunna hurt some people

[CreekDog]

9. people are going to figure out who did it

22 people fired on the same day?

i bet they figure out who did it in another day.

bet on it.

[RomneyLies]

88. They'll NEVER find out who did it.

It is quite impossible to find out who did something that never happened.

[Sadiedog]

13. I shouldn`t have read the comments section!

Man turned my stomach.

[LP2K12]

20. I didn't...

read the comments. Now I'm afrad to go look at them.

[Blecht]

14. This local CBS "news" outlet needs to fix their headline

Some anonymous guy: Obama Won–So I Fired 22 Employees

It's another example of catapulting the propaganda, and I'm sad to say it's not surprising.

[apples and oranges]

100. They should be more responsible

and not report random blogs and/or emails as news.

[Walk away]

15. That should be a lesson to everyone who works for someone else....

Your employer can dump you anytime they want. Unless you are union you are one minute away from your last paycheck if your boss decides it is so.
Without Obama Care you and your family are shit out of luck.

I think he just illustrated why the ACA is so important.

[littlewolf]

25. even if your in a union - if you live in a right to work state

it doesn't matter, you can be fired and nothing can be done.

[OrwellwasRight]

30. But 22 is a large number. Does it qualify for the WARN Act notifications? n/t

[tammywammy]

33. No, he wasn't laying off 50+ employees. n/t

[coalition_unwilling]

50. Not if you're covered by a Collective Bargaining Agreement (aka 'Contract'). Those

supercede any 'at will' rights of non-unionized workplaces, irrespective of whether state is right to work or not.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

55. I was just wondering about this

How does this work with a union? Assume this same situation, i.e., employer says hey, with the new health care law, I can't afford to pay the taxes, pay the bills and pay the employees, I have to let 22 employees go.

Can a union stop an employer from letting people go for economic reasons? If so, on what basis, i.e., does the employer have to show the union the books, etc?

Looks like another good reason to unionize small workplaces.

[onethatcares]

16. that just doesn't make sense, at all

I call bullshit.

[beachbumbob]

21. most of obamacare not even underway yet

so this is pure BS

[JHB]

22. An enterprising reporter would look up the local businesses with ~114 employees...

...and check into any recent layoffs.

Exposing this guy - if he's not a figment of some blowhard's wishful thinking - would be a public service. I'd hesitate to do business with someone so ideologically blinkered that he would lay off 20% of his workforce based on what he imagines will happen.

[OrwellwasRight]

31. I donn't think there are any enterprising reporters anymore.

They mostly just plagiarize off of press releases and call it a day.

[OriginalGeek]

52. Hey now

sometimes they supplement their stories with Twitter feeds.

[OrwellwasRight]

94. i stand corrected

LOL!

[Uben]

23. I can't assume he is lying, or telling the truth, but.....

....when you own a business, you do what you gotta do to survive. My guess is, if indeed he is telling the truth, is that he was in trouble financially before the election, and most likely was planning to fire these workers either way. That's business. In a lot of sectors, it ebbs and flows, and seasonal adjustments are necessary.
That said, to come right out and state that the reason he was firing these workers was solely because of Obama Care, was probably more opportunistic blather rather than fact, which does say a lot for this persons character.

[nolabels]

29. If it could or ever was true, F the employer, the employees make the bussiness mostly anyway

The employees would be better off if it was true on any level. If your game-fully employed, the last place an employer looks at cutting costs is laying off any employee. The employee is what makes the business money. If your working for employer who gives you employment as a favor then your in wrong career and or job at any rate.

Next thing the freaking stupid news will telling us about is how they have this new invention where the cart goes in front of the horse. Just more effing B.S. News

[exboyfil]

24. No law has changed from yesterday to today

His entire premise is garbage. He is right that the marginal cost per employee pay go up in the future (http://www.khi.org/news/2012/oct/08/new-report-aca-will-benefit-not-burden-most-employ/), but it didn't today so his current profitability has not changed. Faced with increased cost of employees in the future, he may elect to increase his prices, reduce his own profit, or a combination of both. If he increases his prices, he may see a lower demand and thus need to reduce his workforce.

[arthritisR_US]

26. And just how much money did he flush down the

toilet on his candidate?

[LP2K12]

27. Probably...

his whole nest egg.

[arthritisR_US]

77. So now he destroys the nest egg of others for his stupidity

[BootinUp]

28. Maybe he needs to stop being such an asshole?

It might be a better business strategy.

[Whovian]

32. Right. The guy has a "thriving business" and cans appx 20% of his employees after an election

of the same guy that has been Pres for the last four years. Why do I smell bullshit? I just stepped in it by listening to him at the link.

[OrwellwasRight]

41. And his employees mean everything to him.

That's why he lays off nearly 20% of his workforce to prove a political point. Such actions occur all the time at thriving businesses. It's that kind of decision-making that makes the American businessman the leading job creation force in the world.

[ProfessorGAC]

98. What Were Those 20 People Doing?

He was overstaffed by 18% and was thriving? And, as you said, he was thriving despite being overstaffed while Obama was in office for 4 years.

This one is too full of holes to be believed.
GAC

[HopeHoops]

34. Dickhead.

[treestar]

35. Bull shit

There is no way the election of the Presidency means that businesses bottom lines changed overnight.

My take is he needed to do that anyway and waited until after the election to make a grandstanding political statement.

[Waiting For Everyman]

37. He likely got extra business from the Repub election contracting

and would've laid people off after the election was done anyway.

[mmonk]

39. Lawsuit?

[ProgressiveProfessor]

43. On what basis if they were at will employees?

While as others have pointed out, it may not even be real, but if they were at will employees, they could just as well have been fired if Romney won

[mmonk]

46. A public declaration that their firing was politically based.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

57. I'm not aware of any laws that prohibit firing someone for their political beliefs n/t

[mmonk]

72. Wrongful termination?

[SickOfTheOnePct]

74. Won't float

Employees have to prove it was wrongful, i.e., violated some part of a contract, which they probably didn't have.

If an employer says that they have to cut back the number of employees as a business decision, they are free to do that.

[mmonk]

95. Back to the public declaration why.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

96. Yes, and it's not illegal to do so

His public reason why was because since Obama won, he needed to cut expenses now in order to be prepared for higher expenses later.

And you're claiming that's illegal?

[onenote]

58. I don't see any such thing

He doesn't know how the employees he fired (if you believe the story, which I don't) voted. And his explanation for the firings was not that they were politically based, but were based on his belief that health care reform will adversely impact his bottom line and that, given the results of the election, that isn't going to change.

As I indicated, I think this is made up BS and even if its not, the guy would be firing these people anyway because healthcare reform wasn't going to be repealed by a romney administration as long as there were enough votes to filibuster repeal efforts in the Senate.

But a lawsuit? No chance.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

79. That's still would not be illegal or a civil tort

If they were at will employees

[Chiyo-chichi]

42. If there is any truth to this,

let one or more of the 22 former employees come forward so that the people of Nevada (a state carried by President Barack Obama, by the way) can decide whether they wish to boycott his business.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

45. Good thought

[txdemsftw]

44. What a POS.

I really feel for those people having to work for such a vile POS.

[agentS]

47. What sort of business is this guy running?

22 workers out of 114 is a LOT. I doubt he fired 22 janitors- unless he runs an outsourcing firm like Manpower or Labor Ready.
Out of 114 workers there's bound to be a few mission critical employees.

[JHB]

91. Republican political consultant?

I'm sure they've just entered their off-season.

[coalition_unwilling]

48. Oh, for Chrissakes, it's CBS. (They predicted race as too close to call the day before

the election.)

David prefers to remain aanonymous "for obvious reasons"???? What might those be???

I call total and utter BS on the entire story as written, other than that someone called a talk radio program. 'David' doesn't exist except perhaps in the fevered imagination of some right-wing douchebag.

I could call my local talk radio and claim to be the Cat God Bastet (from ancient Egypt). Wouldn't make it true.

[Blue_Tires]

82. Yeah, I'm very surprised the local news ran it with zero confirmation...

But this is the "new normal" in American journalism now...

[coalition_unwilling]

92. If I were re-writing their story, it would read like something like this:

"A caller to Talk Radio Blah-Blah who claimed to be a small business owner said he had fired 22 of his 114-member staff because of Obama's re-election. The caller's claims could not be verified because the caller insisted upon remaining anonymous."

If I had re-written the story as that, my editors would have left it on the cutting room floor as a non-story!

[Initech]

51. What an asshole!!!!

[libertypirate]

53. This guy for political reasons just choose to make less money, Reall?

I am not buying the hype. Oh it's anonymous, bullshit!

[NoGOPZone]

54. He's lying, unless he runs a paid Internet troll service

and doesn't need the workers because the election is over.

[lumberjack_jeff]

56. The "obvious reason" he's anonymous is because he's lying.

Business owners only carry the employees they need to service their customers.

If he fired 25% of his workforce, he also fired 25% of his customers.

[Canuckistanian]

67. Exactly

Nothing Obama does is going to affect his bottom line so badly that he has to fire people to survive.

If this is true, his ability to do MORE business has just been curtailed. And the employees he has left are going to be overburdened and may burn out.

This guy (again, if it's true) is a shitty businessman.

[aquart]

60. Generic business so poorly staffed that 22 people make no difference?

Suree.

[TRJuan]

61. Needs his business confiscated

Since he can't run it properly and uses it to punish his employees, he shouldn't be allowed to own it. The State or City needs to confiscate under eminent domain and give it to someone responsible who will show more concern for the community.

[SickOfTheOnePct]

66. sorry, but that's just ridiculous n/t

[PowerToThePeople]

62. If it is true

I hope those 22 people have a blanket party on said employer.

Fuck him.

[Kablooie]

65. There were reports of this from other states on Freerepublic.

None of them had enough information to research at all so it's all just bullshit to try and scare Obama supporters.

[amborin]

68. if David exists, ID his biz, and boycott it......eom

[HooptieWagon]

69. Probably not room for all 114 employees

In his mother's basement.

[Blue_Tires]

71. His "employees" were probably all on SimCity or one of those games

[HooptieWagon]

83. Or sock-puppets he trolls internet with. nt

[jwirr]

73. If true that makes the owner to blame for the harm to the economy - not President Obama.

[Go Vols]

75. Tells me a lot

The station’s roster includes nationally respected journalists and legendary broadcasters. With names like Joe Gillespie, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Kevin Wall, Dave Ramsey, Mark Levin and George Noory, Las Vegans describe KXNT’s family of broadcasters as “friends you can depend on.” KXNT is the home to an experienced group of broadcasters who represent the diverse interests and needs of their audience.

KXNT’s pledge is simple…to be the dominant information and entertainment source for the Las Vegas and greater southern Nevada region! KXNT is committed to news. KXNT is committed to providing traffic and weather information. KXNT is committed to educating, informing and entertaining Las Vegans.

[alp227]

102. Gillespie is the morning news host; Wall the afternoon drive time talk show host.

Gillespie hosts the Las Vegas' Morning News show that's right before Rush. Here's his interview with Sen. Harry Reid from Dec. 2010.

Wall of course is the typical run-of-the-mill local radio right winger, but he has interviewed liberals, such as Stephen Biel of MoveOn.org concerning Harry Reid's call for Romney to release more tax returns. Obama campaign press sec Ben LaBolt has also appeared on Wall's show.

[RogueRose]

76. This is the way I see it...........

Yes - so it's all Obama's fault. (sarcasm)

It's like if your husband cheats on you, it's not HIS fault, it's the other woman's fault. But people fail to see that the transgressor is the one that directly transgressed, not the one that is indirectly.

[Matariki]

80. " I always made sure that when I went without a paycheck that made sure they were paid"

Because you are legally OBLIGATED to pay your employees for their work, dumbass. So quit pretending that they are paid only out of your incredible largess and generosity.

[City of Mills]

84. I smell BS - name your business chickenshit, lets see you survive without dem $$$

But i'm sure you already let all the customers know your decision, too.

Doesn't matter though, I'm sure 1 or more of these 22 "very much real" employees will come forward to name the business, shortly...

[librechik]

85. Job Cremators--that's what they actually are! The veil has been lifted on another GOPBig Lie

[RomneyLies]

87. He's a liar.

No different from an internet tough guy.

He's probably a minimum wage employee who votes against his own self interests.

[Liberal_in_LA]

89. he was on rightwing radio this morning.

[Care Acutely]

90. Translation: I am a shitty businessman who's failed and is now scapegoating

the black guy.

[arcane1]

93. Well, if an anonymous radio caller said it, who am I to question it?

[Spock_is_Skeptical]

97. What an ass

Just trying to take out his petty revenge on his employees, and make it seem like he's "proving a point."
Perhaps he found out that some of his employees might have voted for Obama? Seems likely, given this guy's level of nastiness.

I'd hate to work for that scumbag. At least these peeps can get unemployment and look for a better employer.

It really shines a light on the idiotic mindset of these people, doesn't it?! Just sad.

[apples and oranges]

99. Immediate boycott?

I think so! If this is even true...

[yourout]

101. Sounds like BS to me. I just hired one and will likely be adding another in the next month.

[LP2K12]

103. Looks like another one is making excuses...

This shouldn't be legal.

Source: http://www.ksl.com/?sid=22890041&nid=148&title=utah-company-blames-president-obama-for-102-workers-laid-off&s_cid=featured-4

Source II: http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/after-obama-re-election-ceo-reads-prayer-to-staff-announces-layoffs/2012/11/09/e9bca204-2a63-11e2-bab2-eda299503684_story.html

Utah company blames Pres. Obama for 102 workers laid off

EAST CARBON, Carbon County — A Utah coal company owned by a vocal critic of President Barack Obama has laid off 102 miners.


The layoffs at the West Ridge Mine are effective immediately, according to UtahAmerican Energy Inc., a subsidiary of Murray Energy Corp. They were announced in a short statement made public Thursday, two days after Obama won re-election.


The layoffs are necessary because of the president's "war on coal," the statement said. The slogan is one used frequently during the election by Murray Energy CEO Robert Murray, who was an ardent supporter of Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.


In its statement, UtahAmerican Energy blames the Obama administration for instituting policies that will close down "204 American coal-fired power plants by 2014" and for drastically reducing the market for coal.

[Wernothelpless]

104. It isn't legal ...

An employer can lay people off is it's normally the time of year when that business would have layoffs, (as in construction or farming payrolls during the winter months) but to specifically STATE that he's laying them off because of politics? ... He may not think he must answer for this but EDD, workers comp, and his liability insurance companies may have lawsuits to defend which my cause him to be UN-insurable ... All business people must answer to their insurance companies and if even one of these businesses has a class action lawsuit (and some smart lawyer will get these employees all together and file one) it will cost hundreds of thousands of dollars to defend the lawsuit no matter who wins ... even if they all settle for ZERO in the end ...

He is going to have to prove his statement "drastically reducing the market for coal" ... he has contracts to fill ... did those contracts disappear suddenly the day after the election or was it just his employees that we forced to leave? ...

This is just the beginning of this one ...

[salin]

105. I can't imagine that this would be a *good* business decision.

Lower your workforce by about 20% and try to maintain the same level of business?

If true, unless there are other business factors at play (ala a branch of the business that was losing money and is thus being shut down regardless of the election), then this is a foolish businessman.

[Wernothelpless]

106. It's the winter months ...

This is normally when Vegas would be giving away rooms really cheaply, there's nobody by the pool cause they are closed, as are the golf courses ... After NFR, National Final Rodeo, in Dec. Vegas is quiet for a couple months until it warms up in February again ...

He was looking for an excuse for something that happens in that town every year when the weather makes the desert less fun for outdoor sports ... he should have just shut up, but he sat himself on fire and now he'll pay and pay and pay ...