Thanks, Obama: Florida Eateries Charge Customers More To Pay For Obamacare

[Purveyor]

A Florida restaurant chain has started tacking on an additional fee to customer checks to offset the costs of the health care reform law.

Managers have posted signs at 10 Gator’s Dockside restaurants in Lake County, Lakeland and the Jacksonville area notifying customers of the 1 percent fee, reported WPEC-TV.

“We wanted to definitely be transparent that affordable healthcare is part of the cost of doing business,” said Sandra Clark, director of operations with Gator’s Dockside Group.

Four other Gator’s locations owned by another restaurant group have not added the surcharge.

Clark said the additional charge helps the company pay for the health care costs of its 500 full-time employees.

more...

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/02/27/thanks-obama-florida-eateries-charge-customers-more-to-pay-for-obamacare/

[lostincalifornia]

1. "Four other Gator’s locations owned by another restaurant group have not added the surcharge."

[Laelth]

26. Thanks for this edifying post.

It's just corporate greed, plus a desire to pin the blame on the government that gave life to these signs. The actual law had nothing to do with it.

-Laelth

[lostincalifornia]

27. That was right out of the link. As you implied, just looking for an excuse to raise prices

[Motown_Johnny]

2. 'cause sick people making and serving food is so much better

The guy is obviously a Teabbing nutjob.

The employer mandate hasn't even kicked in yet, this is all bull shit.

[ProSense]

9. Not only

"The employer mandate hasn't even kicked in yet, this is all bull shit."

...that, but also, let's say they're going to do it anyway, it implies that these employees didn't have coverage before. Who thinks that's a good thing?

This is also curious:

Clark said the additional charge helps the company pay for the health care costs of its 500 full-time employees.

<...>

Clark said the restaurant group expected employee health care benefits to cost the company up to $500,000 a year, and she said the surcharge would not likely cover those costs.

It's only costing $1,000 per year to cover each employee? Sounds like a bargain.

Hypothetical scenario: With "500 full-time employees" working at the current minimum wage, the company's payroll (just payroll) would be in the $6 million to $7 million range.

Can't the owners see that $1,000 per year per worker, an $83 per-month benefit to ensure the health of their employees, is worth it?

[UncleYoder]

3. Damn!

It only took 1% to cover health care?
You mean it'll cost me two bits more for my peace of mind that the people handling my food can go see a doctor if they're sick?
I call that a bargain, the best I've ever had.

Now about that minimum wage.......

[Dirty Socialist]

8. My Thoughts Exactly

Excellent post!

[eppur_se_muova]

11. All they've succeeded in doing is putting things in perspective ...

1% ?? Big F***ing Deal, to paraphrase Joe Biden.

[stopbush]

4. I assume they'll be posting signs the next time their rent goes up, too.

Maybe when the wholesale price of meat and beer goes up they'll feel obligated to tell customers the specific reason they're raising menu prices. Maybe they'll let customers know the reason behind higher menu prices when the owner needs to buy a new car.

Ever heard of "the cost of doing business?"

Republicans are assholes.

[Uben]

5. I don't have a problem with that.....

...because I'll never eat there anyway. I might have, but since the douche bag owner felt it necessary to invoke his politics into it, I won't. Just another piece of shit I'll never patronize like Applebees, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Hobby Lobby and any other republican piece of shit who thinks his politics demand him to make a statement.

All the dumbass had to do was raise his prices accordingly, but his ignorance will cost him money now. I love how stupid these people are. MAybe he should get Ted "pussy man" Nugent to represent his restaurant if he likes losing money.

[tridim]

6. I'll bet 100% of my paycheck that some of that surcharge is going directly into the owner's pocket.

Teabaggers are liars.

[Wounded Bear]

15. "Some?"

I'd go with "all."

[GeorgeGist]

7. How about posting a sign listing their profit margin?

Afterall profits are additional fees the customer pays for NOTHING.

[shenmue]

10. What a load of shit

Well, I can thank them for giving me a reason not to eat at their place.

[bullwinkle428]

12. If these morons actually raised prices 10% without squawking about some

political motivation, they would lose less business than they're going to now.

[jmowreader]

13. Okay, let me put this in perspective here

I go to a Gator's Restaurant. Not bloody likely since there aren't any in the Northwest and I already spent a month in Florida, thank you very much. But say I go there.

I order a meal and a beer. The bill comes to $10.

For the privilege of eating this fine fare, I have to pay a ten-cent Obamacare Surcharge.

Could someone tell me the ICD-9 code for "sick of Republican Bullshit"?

[LAGC]

17. All they are succeeding in doing is showing how miniscule the overhead is.

Same if the minimum wage was ever raised.

[SomethingFishy]

18. +1.. I am willing to pay a one percent surcharge on my bill

if it means that the person serving me who makes a whopping $2.13 an hour... has decent health care.

[onethatcares]

19. Gators

here in sunny treasure island florida does not serve anything that will amount to $10.00 in the way of food and a beer, jeez, you'll be lucky to get out with a ten dollar bill for two beers, with no tip.

it's part of the little hell hole they call west central republican florida. gerrymandered to the hilt, developed all to hell.

the area they are in is faux florida, just another tourist tee shirt trap.

[jmowreader]

31. I thought about using the real numbers...

but "I paid $20 for a beer and a burger" is out of the question.

[okaawhatever]

20. OU812? NT

[frylock]

29. ID10T

[sakabatou]

14. Bullshitting

[steve2470]

16. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face....

One percent ? Who the hell would even notice a ONE percent increase to their prices ? I wouldn't.

This is about the CEO and/or major investors being pissed off about the new law. They will end up losing far more business than they will gain over this.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

21. What business has 500 employees --

but is too cheap too provide healthcare?? I work for a company with under 15 -- we all get Kaiser.

[okaawhatever]

22. Why isn't there a legal case against false advertising or fraud?

1. They're collecting money under false pretenses (they don't have to provide it yet)

2. Wait until they file their taxes and when they try to claim the corporate tax exemption for health care prove they didn't actually pay for it

3. Do they have a license to sell health insurance? Isn't that what they're doing? If they're charging customers money for health insurance aren't they, by definition, selling health insurance and not food?

4. Assuming number 3 doesn't work- If they make more off of the "surcharge" than they pay in premiums aren't they selling health insurance for profit? State insurance laws are very protective of the agents and insurance companies, I'll bet there's a law saying people can't make a profit from insurance without being licensed.

Add you own reason this is illegal if you can think of something i've missed.

[SoCalDem]

23. I'd like to see proof for all those "full-time" employees

Anyone who has ever worked in retail/food-service/hospitality can tell you that that 99.999% of the employees are scrounging for every hour they can get because they are usually limited to 20-24 hours a week @ $2.13 an hour (or very little more).

Any restauranteur who employs 500 people can surely afford healthcare..and since most restaurants individually fall well below the 50 person threshold anyway and their low wages would qualify them for medicaid in many cases...

[mcar]

24. There's a restaurant I'll never enter

Idiot. There's one not far from me but not on this list. No matter since there are plenty of good places to eat that aren't run by douchebags.

[steve2470]

25. their contact form at their website

http://www.gatorsdockside.com/contact.asp

eta: I sent them a scathing comment, hope it does some good.

[lpbk2713]

28. I'd like to thank them for identifying themselves as a rethuglican establishment.

Now I'll know what restaurant to avoid.

[Rowdyboy]

30. I'll happily pay more if necessary to provide healthcare for low-paid workers. Next outrage?