There was a time, I think, when business owners working with the public had the sense to shut-up about their politics. But from TPM:
“I think an awful lot of the country is becoming comfortable with the government taking care of them,” Rich Kelly, 59, said. “I think that’s a mistake.”
Kelly wore a blue polo shirt that read “Hard Times Cafe,” a local chain of 16 restaurants he owns with his wife. “There’s one thing I do very well, and that’s create jobs,” Kelly said. “In the last four years, I’m a bad guy.” According to Obama, he said, “I make too much money and I don’t share and I’m not, you know, I don’t play well with others.”
Well, here’s the thing. I pay taxes. A lot of taxes. I’m not part of the 47%. Truth be told, I’m not even part of the 99%. And yet, here I am voting for Obama. So, Rich, you can take your self-righteous whining and shove it.
And I can find somewhere else to get a bowl of mediocre chili in the DC area. And I hope other Democrats out there do the same.
nancydarling
Bernard, At least he didn’t say it was time to start target practice as a business owner did in my little town when she saw some Dems setting a rally for Obama/Biden on the square a week ago Saturday.
So, there’s that.
MikeJ
Sorry, Ben’s Chili Bowl isn’t mediocre.
Sad But True
personally, i hope these assholes keep talking. i want to know who to go after first when its pitchfork time.
burnspbesq
RIP Elliott Carter, one of the great composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
He lived to be 103, and he was still writing tremendous music at 100.
Steeplejack
And I bet that all of those jobs, below restaurant manager, are low-wage, low-hours, low- (or no-)benefits jobs.
But, yeah, we should kiss his feet because “job creator.”
smith
@nancydarling:
Can you let me know where this business is so I know where NOT to spend my money?
People are being more and more bold in their raging racism and don’t seem to care who knows it.
Bostondreams
So, little anecdote I heard today from a friend, his status a couple hours ago:
“So I’m leaving Publix wearing my Obama shirt and some jackass screamed at me and called me an ‘N’ lover. Now I don’t know if I’m more shocked that he thinks it’s cool to hurl racial, epithets in public or that it’s cool to yell them while I’m carrying my 11 month year old son. it’s good to know that the state of South of Carolina is on the forefront of racial tolerance.”
he just moved to SC from Florida, as his teaching position was cut. I simply struggle with the idea that anyone could say this like this. Ugh.
MikeJ
@Bostondreams: Tell him he’s not alone. I love narwhals too.
PeakVT
Having 1000-ish part-time low-wage employees doesn’t make you a titan of industry, dude.
Keith
Damn, even his business is named after his innate sense of victimhood?
Bruce S
I’ve never seen a Hard Times Cafe, but if I do I’ll be sure to pass on by. Some months ago, the legal counsel for Safeway Corp. opened up their shareholders meeting with a disgusting joke about Michelle Obama and Hillary Clinton, the punchline implying that it was a good deal to trade them for a couple of pigs. I actually managed to contact his assistant on the phone, and the poor young woman was obviously humiliated by her boss’s low-life comments. Even though it’s somewhat inconvenient for me, given that I live in a neighborhood under-served by supermarkets, I’ve not set foot in a Safeway store since. And never will, unless and until I happen on this asshole’s obituary.
Steeplejack
@Steeplejack:
And another thing: people are “becoming comfortable” with the government “taking care” of them because in the Galtian hellscape of modern America they aren’t being “taken care of” by their jobs–wages are stagnant and benefits are either nonexistent or under attack–so the government’s threadbare safety net has become the shield of last resort.
smith
Hard Rock Cafe routinely tops the list of one of the worst restaurants to work for, so I highly doubt this “titan” job creator pays his workers anything even remotely above minimum wage. So he can go fuck himself for lying his ass off about his “job creation” record.
geg6
I told the United Way committee on campus that I wouldn’t be attending their fundraising luncheon because it’s sponsored by the local Chik-Fil-A. First, I don’t believe in giving to the middle man like United Way is. When I give money to a good cause, I give it to them directly and only after knowing that at least 85% of the funds go to the actual charitable works and not to administrative costs. And second because I’m not attending anything sponsored by bigots. I gave some money to our department’s theme basket that will be auctioned and that’s enough. It will probably raise a lot of money because it’s a lottery tree. The committee chairperson was not amused. Tough shit.
Aaron S. Veenstra
If you see your objective as a business owner as being to create jobs, you’re doing it wrong. Job creation is an artifact of demand, not of the owner’s beneficence.
Bill in Section 147
Unfortunately when I hear these Republican whiners I often cannot deny them my business because I already don’t eat, buy or barter for their crap.
But I do make note of them. And corporations that contribute to conservative organizations, companies that hire conservative speakers or spokes-models, corporations that donate to groups that suppress peoples rights or their access to rights also go on the list.
If and when I can I avoid them and I do my best to make sure friends and family and business associates don’t go there or work with them.
Example: Bloomin’ Brands, INC.
Chains include:
Bonefish Grill
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Outback Steakhouse
Roy’s
This group also operates under OSI Restaurant Partners, LLC
The company is a major contributor to the Republican Party federal candidates via the OSI Restaurant Partners PAC (formerly the Outback Steakhouse PAC). They also donate to anti-worker and other anti-citizen Republican efforts around the country.
Xenos
The business is named after the suffering and humiliation his employees go through. Poverty tourism on plate — enjoy your lunch.
Bostondreams
@MikeJ:
Oh, good one. Yeah, big fan of those narwhals..
The prophet Nostradumbass
These people will never get it. *Customers* create the jobs, through demand. Doing your best to drive customers away doesn’t help you.
PeakVT
Also, since his typical customer is an employee of the defense industry (also known as welfare for white people), he should also think a little harder about who is taking care of who.
JohnK
I’ll be damned if I am going to spend my money at a business that funnels part of the profit to the racist Republican Party or a conniving mendacious Romniac pension stealing sleaze bag. No friggen way!
Laura
Hard Times Cafe is pretty shitty anyway. I’ve lived in DC for two years now and have had more than a few terrible meals there.
Steeplejack
@smith:
Wrong “Hard” Café. This guy is Hard Times Café, a local (NoVa) mini-chain. But I’m sure his employment practices are no better than Hard Rock’s.
forked tongue
Part of me wishes these guys would just zip it and say for public consumption, “Hey, give or take a few tax dollars here and there, it doesn’t really make that much difference which party is in power, I’m doing quite well in this great free-enterprise country we call America.”
The other part says fine, dudes, let me know which side you’re on so I can take my business elsewhere.
Bill E Pilgrim
Flipping by Charlie Rose and the entire panel (Cokie, Matt Dowd, Halperin, White Haired Guy From Bloomberg, etc) thinks that Obama is going to win and they’re all basically very sad about this.
It’s all couched in isn’t it so sad that gridlock won’t be broken, and also that Obama won’t have a mandate and mainly that Bowles-Simpson wasn’t enacted and that, above all, is the most tragic thing. Halperin just said that Obama’s Presidency will be “crippled” if he doesn’t pass Bowles-Simpson.
So there we have it, what the next four years will be like on TV.
Edit: Oh I take it back, Halperin just said that he thinks that Obama’s clear lead is great news for Romney so he thinks Romney will win. I could have guessed.
smith
@Steeplejack:
Damn, I read that wrong.
But, yes, I agree, He probably still pays shit wages anyway.
And if his chain goes under, the first person he would turn to for help would be the government.
pseudonymous in nc
@Bostondreams:
The only thing Lesser Carolina has been on the forefront of in its entire history is starting civil wars on behalf of slavery.
var
Another place I will have to avoid…..and they have a place in the middle of dark blue Arlington. Wow, this is moronic.
nancydarling
@smith: It’s in Berryville, Arkansas.
trollhattan
@Bostondreams:
Or, the always useful, “Gabby says the sheriff is near!”
A good friend took a job (an excellent one) in Charlotte and lasted all of eighteen months. He simply couldn’t believe the cultural norms among the bidnez elite, much less reg’lar folk.
Capt. Seaweed
@pseudonymous in nc:
And great miniature golf courses. Let’s be fair.
pseudonymous in nc
@smith:
I know that it’s a mainstay of American poltiical rhetoric to talk about small businesses as the engine of the economy, but small businesses are also the place where you see lots of little fucking tin-pot dictators with local Chamber of Commerce membership cards who think they’re titans of industry but just like firing people for calling in when their kid gets sick.
handy
I’m trying to figure out which is worse, the years under GWB having to deal with idiots like this screaming about “Support the Troops” and beating the wardrum without having the guts to enlist, or same said idiots whining because Obama and his Chicago thugs want to increase their marginal tax rate by a couple points.
Yes, jobs creators, please take your ball and go home. Really, we’ll manage without you. We promise.
Spaghetti Lee
“There’s one thing I do very well, and that’s create jobs,”
“Everywhere else, I’m a complete fuckup! Damn, good thing I was born into a country where the ability to serve processed food to hungry people without poisoning them is enough to make me into some kind of goddamn model citizen. Don’t know what I’d do with myself otherwise!”
karl
@Bill in Section 147: Damn! I’ve always enjoyed Roy’s. Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives — but what can we do when it’s to to visit the “home improvement” store?
smith
So I read up on Hard Times Cafe (not Hard Rock Cafe, sorry about that), and it sounds like they market themselves as a “fun, hippy, progressive, empowering” place to work.
But then the owners open their pieholes and reveal their true feelings. Kind of like the Whole Foods jackoff.
The Other Chuck
@Steeplejack: Well, there are outliers like Whole Foods CEO John Mackey, who does appear to believe in well-treated employees, but is still basically a wingnut. The Costco CEO is also anti-union, but also gives employees very competitive benefits. In my opinion, if CEOs want to stave off unionizing by treating their employees better, that’s Mission Accomplished for unions as far as I’m concerned.
Now a wingnut restauranteur on the other hand is almost certainly one who makes his waiters work for the few bucks minimum and then just tips. Probably skims the tips too.
Steve
As someone who actually runs a small business, I can’t get over the conceit that “job creation” is some kind of work of charity that employers do as an altruistic contribution to society. Businesses hire people because there’s work that has to be done, not because “my guy won the presidential election, so I’m in a good mood.”
When I’m in a generous mood, I might leave something for the baristas at Starbucks, or send 50 bucks to the USO. No one ever said, “Hey, I’m feeling generous today, let’s go hire 8 new employees.” It feels good to hire people and provide them with a livelihood, no question about that, but that’s not the actual reason why we do it.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
HAs the with the reader email that he will close his business if President Obama is re-elected been done to death here? It’s fascinating and has an update.
It’s totally on topic (a rarity for me)so I wanted to link. It’s probably already been discussed.
Mister Harvest
@pseudonymous in nc:
Speaking as a small business owner myself (who just cut my own pay so that I could buy health insurance for my employees): Word.
Spaghetti Lee
@The Other Chuck:
I respectfully disagree. The CEO giveth and the CEO taketh away in that situation. What unions are good for, among other things, is providing a permanent and institutional voice for workers not dependent on how good the company’s doing or how happy the boss is.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
And yet another recent update. In which the original shrugger writes back, claiming he is not DougJ trolling Fallows. Opinions differ.
Mowgli
I live in metro Atlanta and there is a redneck BBQ joint in my town of Roswell that has a huge ‘WE BUILT THIS’ banner out front along with their Romney/Ryan signs. I want to stop by there tomorrow night and collect their tears for a delicious cocktail!
gravie
I really, really, really resent being preached at about politics or religion from places that want my business and once they cross the line, they’re dead to me forever.
Scott S.
I don’t get these guys. You don’t keep a business going by alienating your customers. You don’t come out in favor of any candidate, if you can help it — you don’t want to give half your customers a chance to decide you’re someone they don’t want to give money to.
These idiots should make up their minds — do they want to run a business for their customers, or do they want to stroke Mitt Romney off?
The Other Chuck
@Spaghetti Lee: Oh I agree with you 100%. I’m certainly not unaware of the vicissitudes of corporate management: Sam Walton used to have some principles. He was an Orwellian control freak in the mold of Henry Ford, but he had principles. Once he died, his empire chased pure profit above all else. Now more than ever it needs to become easier to unionize if the employees decide nevertheless that they’d rather have their own representation, especially if there’s an unfavorable shift in management.
Regardless though: if the impetus for treating employees better is to compete with unions, then the existence of the union is still having its desired effect, if not its ideal end.
GxB
My homepage (a tech site) was actually established and is still run by a truly flaming right-wing fuck. He’s fallen off the wagon a number of times over the years and tore off a frothing rant, but hasn’t said squat since maybe May. The only reason I continue to give him hits is because he’s got a couple giants (technically brilliant, awe inspiring wizards) that contribute a ton of content to his site, and, unless you’re a fucking blind, fundy, twit (which he is) you’d know they are flaming liberals.
I’m sure he has been talked down more than once and had it explained to him that political dick swinging on the front page is a no-no, but since geeks tend mostly towards the libertarian side, he gets a wild hair going and it’s off to the races. He just may have enough sense to know shitting in his nest isn’t going to win him any favors, still I watch with great anticipation of that next train wreck. Got a feeling it is already cued up.
It’s my trashy indulgence.
Felonius Monk
And if you read the whole TPM article you see that some of the other whiners interviewed are retired military who I think we can safely assume have tax-payer paid pensions and medical care, etc. complaining about the moochers not paying taxes and taking from the govt. What world do these dip-shits live in?
mdblanche
@Bostondreams: The most heartbreaking part of the last family gathering I attended was seeing my cousin making racist comments about the First Lady as his two year old son looked up admiringly at him. Even his Glen Beck watching sister called him out on that. And this was in New England. These days the only conservatives left anywhere are the racists.
SFAW
@Bill E Pilgrim:
I thought you were aware of all Internet traditions?!
JWR
Small time business owners repeating RNC talking points. Screw ’em.
The Other Chuck
@mdblanche: I’ve always been able to identify the racists as the ones who hate Michelle Obama. I mean sure, you can have policy differences with Barack, to the point of opposing them with your dying breath, and that’ll translate into some personal animus I guess. But Michelle has been about as inoffensive and charming as a FLOTUS as could possibly be, so there’s really only one reason left for the hostility (unless you’re Andrew Sullivan, in which case it’s because she’s not Maggie Thatcher)
shortstop
@Steve: Another small business owner here. Wow, in addition to understanding basic economics and supply and demand better than our winger counterparts do, we actually don’t need to have our asses kissed for being in business to make money. Is there anything Republicams do without shrieking like attention-starved teenage girls while they do it?
leinie (iPad)
@gravie: Word.
Try to convince me about how much more Jesus-y you are and I figure you’re trying to scam me. Tell me about what a great job creator you are when you don’t have to pay taxes, and I figure you are a wingnut who doesn’t want to pay for his share of the commons or treat his employees well, so customer service is probably down on the list too and I’ll do my part to lower your taxes by lowering your profits.
Dexter's new approach
This is what we are up against. Of the top 15 most listened-to radio programs, six are Crazy Talk, six are thoughtful non-partiason NPR shows. Very telling – some people like to be told what to think or confirm views, and some people like to listen to ideas.
Program Format Daypart Weekly Listeners
in Millions
The Rush Limbaugh Show Conservative talk Midday 14.75+
The Sean Hannity Show Conservative talk East Coast PM Drive 14+
Morning Edition Public news AM Drive 12[13]
All Things Considered Public news/talk PM Drive 11+
Marketplace Public news PM Drive 9+
Glenn Beck Program Conservative talk West Coast AM Drive 8.25+
The Mark Levin Show Conservative talk West Coast PM Drive 8.25+
The Dave Ramsey Show Financial talk Midday 8.25+
Delilah Adult contemporary Evening 8+
The Neal Boortz Show Conservative talk West Coast AM Drive 5.75+
The Laura Ingraham Show Conservative talk West Coast AM Drive 5.75+
Fresh Air Public news/talk Midday 4.5[14]
A Prairie Home Companion Public old-time radio Weekends 4+
Coast to Coast AM Paranormal talk Overnights 3.5+
Talk of the Nation Public talk Midday 3.2[14]
The Lia Show Country music Evenings 2+[15]
Gracie
Thanks Bernard for getting it.
pseudonymous in nc
@The Other Chuck:
The Victorian mill owners built nice houses with proper sanitation within walking distance of the factory for their workers, but fought like trapped weasels against the abolition of child labour. Corporate paternalism only goes so far.
I’ll actually be generous, and assume that Mr Hard Times Cafe thinks that it is simply impossible to run a mediocre sports bar if staff were paid more than $2.47/hr plus tips and had their healthcare covered, thus proving that Canada is a figment of the imagination.
SFAW
Slightly OT, but: I hear a lot of Rethug wailing about how they’re the ones who are working for a living, and the Evil Dems are just moochers.
And yet, the early/weekend voting data seem to indicate that a somewhat-higher percentage of Dems are taking advantage of weekend voting hours.
Which then raises the question(s): if the Rethugs are waiting until Tuesday (shit, now it’s today!) to vote:
A) Are they taking time off from work to go vote?
B) Do they not worry about long lines because they actually can go to the polls whenever they feel like it, because they’re not actually employed?
Now, of course, the rote Rethug response would be “We do it after we get off work, you moocher!” But, seeing as how they’re all working 60-120 hours per week, because they’re so fucking productive, can they really afford to stand in line for more than three minutes?
OK, yeah, I know it’s a stretch, but the high Dem pre-Tuesday turnout would seem to indicate that taking time off on Election Day would be a problem for them – unlike for the Rethugs, it would seem.
Aet
Taken from the Hard Times Cafe website:
http://www.hardtimes.com/about/
He’s voting for a vulture capitalist.
Bubblegum Tate
This whining is never gonna stop, is it? And it’s whining over NOTHING. The shit they’re whining about never actually happened.
Chris
@pseudonymous in nc:
This.
The “small business community” seems to ne chock full of pricks who wish they were Rockefellers, are very aware that they’re not, know on some level that they’re never going to be, and take out their frustrations on their employers. Not all of them are like this, but it does seem like the loudest and whiniest are.
(Would I be an asshole to mention that local KKK chapters usually had a few of these fine upstanding local businessmen in them, using the fraternity for union busting purposes?)
Steve
@SFAW: Dens tend to be working people. Unless they’re in a union and get the day off, they have no flexibility.
Trakker
I live in the DC area and have never heard of the Hard Times Cafe but will put them on my list of businesses to avoid. What an ASS.
Chris
@Chris:
(That should read “employees,” of course. And with apologies to the several small business owners in the thread for having generalized).
Nutella
@The Other Chuck:
Remember when Sam was running Walmart they always advertised that everything they sold was made in America? Yeah, things have changed.
Bill E Pilgrim
@SFAW: Halperin’s the one who uttered the original. So now he’s saying the same about Romney. Same difference.
Sargon
There’s a Hard Times Cafe in College Park, MD, where I used to live. It wasn’t half bad, although given the rest of the culinary delights of College Park that’s not necessarily saying much. That said, I can’t really say that I’d be inclined to boycott the restaurant just because the owner is a wingnut douchebag who goes to Romney rallies and spouts generic bullshit about “the government taking care of [people]” and being a jerrrrrb creator. For someone in his position—owns a minichain of 16 locations, so certainly is worth more than $1 million, also seems like kind of a egotistical dick—that political position is understandable. By which I mean, it’s the political position that goes out of its way to tell him that he’s extra special and awesome, as opposed to the one that wants him to pay a bit more in taxes.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
My father-in-law owned a furniture store in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. He never, ever, allowed any political advertising at the store, because he knew it would lose customers who would never come back.
I support local business, but I won’t go back to the bike store in town after seeing some of the shit they put on their windows. I’d rather drive to Baltimore.
The prophet Nostradumbass
@Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason: On a trip down to southern California last month, I saw a couple of huge Romney signs on the property of some wineries in Monterey county. No purchases of their product from me.
Brother Shotgun of Sweet Reason
@karl:
Well, you can always visit the local independent hardware store, if you can find one. Until they post something offensive on their scrolling sign, too.
DPS
My heart breaks to think about what these delicate, sensitive little flowers are going to write in their diaries tomorrow night.
I think I prefer these guys when they’re just aggressive pricks. It’s the emo shit that really kills me.
JGabriel
@Sargon:
The money you spend there finances his donations to the GOP. Seems to me like a pretty good reason to boycott the guy’s businesses.
.
Patricia Kayden
@Bruce S: Never heard of that. I shop Safeway every week (but no more). Perhaps we need a list of businesses to avoid.
Patricia Kayden
@Bill in Section 147: Dang! I love Bonefish Grill and Carrabba’s. Oh well.
JPL
@Mowgli: The BBQ is awful too. There is another place called Sophie’s that has decent but over-priced food that plastered romney/ryan signs all over.
There are plenty of restaurants nearby that I can spend my money at.
Paul
That’s fine Mr Kelly. Most of your tea bagger friends are seniors. Please tell them to stop taking Medicare. Tell them to fund it themselves.
SFAW
@Steve:
Exactly.
@Paul:
Hey! Keep your filthy Government hands off their Medicare, you taker!
danielx
@SFAW:
I’m guessing – only guessing, mind – that a higher proportion of Dems work in positions where they can’t afford to take time off work (i.e.; hourly) or are not allowed to take time off work to vote on election day.
Especially if their bosses think the ingrate bastards actually might have the audacity to vote for a Democrat.
Also, too – I learned a very long time ago not to discuss politics at work, even when actively solicited to do so. This revelation came when I was riding in my six-figure-salaried boss’s BMW and he started on a rant about how superior his car was and how American auto workers were overpaid and greedy and built shitty cars according to specifications. It was like he was personally insulted by how much money hourly workers made at the time for producing mediocre products, never mind that the specifications and manufacturing schedules for said products were set by designers and managers. It’s impolitic to say something like ‘you’re so full of shit it’s coming out of your ears’.
Tempting though it may be…
Flimflam
@MikeJ:
It’s not Ben’s Chili Bowl – it’s Hard Times Cafe. And yes, very bland very boring chili. Original,location in Alexandria was great 20 years ago. Massive expansion killed the quality.
Biscuits
@shortstop:
I’ve always believed the republicans had more drama than a bus full of preening debutantes.
Pug
@Steeplejack: Yeah, he probably pays about $9 an hour with no benefits and thinks “those people” don’t pay enough taxes.
Ohio Mom
Metaphorically, small business owners are Kansas, as in “What’s the matter with Kansas?”
The deck *is* stacked against them, in many different ways. Big business makes sure of that, they don’t want the competition. But like all the ninkinpoops in Kansas, small businesses can’t see that and are always voting against their own interests.
shortstop
@Ohio Mom: Maybe I’m sensitive because I am one, maybe living in Chicago I’m insulated from the norm…but honestly, you guys, there are a hell of a lot of small business owners who don’t think and behave and vote in this jerky, uninformed way. The loud and ignorant ones unfortunately get a lot of attention.
I don’t want to be like some of the older folks here who get all comically huffy when it’s pointed out that seniors tend to vote Republican, so if there’s data showing most small biz owners hold these hideous views, I’ll pipe down and accept that I’m the exception.
Ben Mays
Just to be clear, the founders of Hard Times Cafe, Jim and Fred Parker are, IMO, good guys. I worked with Jim in a very leftish NGO in the ’80s. The restaurants were kind of an homage to that shared sense of community during the darkest years here. But I do not know this Kelly dude, and his comments are stupid.
Fort Geek
@Patricia Kayden: The Bonefish Grill here is right next to an animal hospital. Always thought that was funny.
Blue Galangal
I keep thinking this; there’s a lawn & garden place near us with some political signs up, and, you know, okay. But then they put up a “DEFEAT OBAMA!” and some other rhetoric, and I’m, like, “You know, I can buy mulch elsewhere. And I will from now on.”
schrodinger's cat
I have been to Hard Times Cafe, once. It sucked. Never went back again. When I am eating out, I usually prefer to eat at Asian restaurants, run by immigrant families. Food is tasty, healthy and cheap.
schrodinger's cat
BTW aren’t the guys that run Miracle-Grow wingnuts? Does anyone know of a substitute for Miracle-Grow
Spike
@danielx: Yeah, those German autoworkers, what an oppressed and underpaid lot. SMH…
Jose Padilla
I wonder how many of Mr. Kelly’s patrons deduct the cost of their meals as a business expense? Isn’t this a form of government hand out? Somebody should ask Mr. Kelly if the deductibility of business meals should be eliminated.
Jose Padilla
I wonder how many of Mr. Kelly’s patrons deduct the cost of their meals as a business expense? Isn’t this a form of government hand out? Somebody should ask Mr. Kelly if the deductibility of business meals should be eliminated.
SFAW
@danielx:
Yield not unto temptation.
Well, unless you win PowerBall (or equivalent). Then you can let ‘er rip. And the rest of us can live vicariously through you.
dcBill
Damn. I like Hard Times Cafe. The original location is walking distance from my home. I wish I didn’t know that the owner’s a dick.
Bruce S
@Patricia Kayden:
The thing that I found most disturbing was that this indicated something wretched about their corporate culture – what a top executive felt it was appropriate to say at a public meeting. I could care less if he told a dumb joke on the golf course with his buddies, but at a shareholder’s meeting? Something very wrong with the company.
I was a bit inaccurate, in that the joke referenced Hilary and Nancy Pelosi, not the First Lady.
http://www.slate.com/blogs/xx_factor/2012/05/17/safeway_exec_cracks_misogynistic_joke_employee_who_helped_customer_suspended_.html
Chris
@shortstop:
I don’t know what the numbers are these days. I recall that one of the earlier bases of the modern conservative movement was the small business sector, especially in the West and South – Barry Goldwater was a department store owner’s son. Reason being that the small business sector was getting really squeezed by unions pushing for employer-provided benefits – big businesses had enough money floating around to absorb the cost, small ones, not so much. But instead of pushing for the government to provide these benefits and spread the burden around like every other country, a bunch of them rallied to Goldie’s “fuck the employees” platform.
Like I said, don’t know what the setup for small business owners is nowadays, though – and I’m sure Fox & co overemphasize the link between that group and movement conservatives.
Eli Rabett
yeah, the food sucks but on occasion they have some neat old time autos parked outside (at least in Alexandria). Last week they were selling off one.
lightning
I’ve been to Hard Times a couple of times. The chili is greasy enough to cause me, ahem, severe gastric distress.
The owner should know that rich people don’t create jobs (unless you’re talking about household servants). Businesses create jobs. If the business owner is getting rich and the business can’t hire enough people to meet demand, then the owner is stupid^Wdoing it wrong.
The real problem is lack of demand. People ain’t got no money.