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OpEdNews Op Eds    H2'ed 11/15/12

Pizza the Political Pie

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Message Kathy Malloy
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Cross-posted from Mike Malloy

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Republicans love pizza, or at least the fat piles of dough they rake in from fast food pizza conglomerates. Republican Presidential wannabe Herman Cain's aptly named "Godfather Pizza" helped fund his fated campaign, until news of another GOP extra-marital affair sent him back to Georgia faster than you could say "999," which always sounded more like a pizza special than an economic recovery plan.

Domino's founder and uber-Catholic Thomas Monaghan's plans to reshape society into a Catholic Nirvana are legendary, as were his incredibly generous contributions to those Republicans who could help him realize his dream. According to The Daily Beast, the list continues: "Dan and Frank Carney, the founders of Pizza Hut, have given a combined $81,000 to Republicans over the last three decades. The trend is cross-generational, too. 

John Schnatter, founder of Papa John's and young enough to be the Carneys' son, has given $33,000 to Republican candidates, mostly in his home state of Kentucky. Even in the laid-back, arch-liberal Golden State, California Pizza Kitchen founders Richard Rosenfield and Larry Flax have each given $6,500 to Republicans -- with only $500 apiece to a single Democrat, former governor Gray Davis. Little Caesar's founder Michael Ilitch is more bipartisan: he has given nearly $118,000 to Republicans, with $67,000 going to Democrats."

So what's the connection between the popular pie and the party of no? Is it simply a microcosm of how Big Business loves Republicans who promise to stomp on worker's rights and wage fairness so the fat cats can keep more pepperoni for themselves?

That seems true, at least, for Papa John's founder John Schnatter, who plans to retaliate against his employees for the recent Obama victory. Nice guy. The Huffington Post  has the story:

"The pizza chain head has made his views on the Affordable Care Act clear in recent months, claiming the new health care law will cost his business about $5 to $8 million per year. To compensate Schnatter's said he will likely raise pizza prices and cut back some workers' hours so he doesn't have to insure them. Caleb Melby of Forbes has graciously done the math on Obamacare's cost to Papa John's and according to his analysis, to cover the cost of Obamacare, the pizza chain would have to raise prices by 3.4 to 4.6 cents per pie -- way less than the 11 to 14 cents Schnatter claims he needs.

"We're guessing Obamacare won't impact life at Schnatter's lavish home, a 40,000 square-foot mansion in a tony suburb of Louisville, Kentucky, that features several swimming pools, a private golf course and a 22-car garage among other amenities, according to CelebrityNetworth.com.

"'Who would've imagined pizza could build this,' said former presidential candidate Mitt Romney  earlier this year. 'This is really something. Don't you love this country? What a home this is, what grounds these are, the pool, the golf course.... This is a real tribute to America, to entrepreneurship.'

"Schnatter is just one of many company heads using Obamacare as an excuse to make changes at his company. Murray Energy's CEO laid off 160 workers the Wednesday following President Obama's reelection, claiming his company was in 'survival mode' due to regulations and taxes Obama put in place. The reality: the coal industry, of which Murray Energy is a part, is in decline thanks in large part to a recent influx of natural gas into the U.S., according to the Washington Post.

"The owner of 40 New York-area Applebee's franchises told Fox Business last week that he wouldn't hire any new workers and would be cutting back the hours of some of his current employees as a result of Obamacare. Applebee's parent company distanced itself from his statements as the company faced backlash over his comments.

"One super-rich CEO backed down from his threat to downsize if Obama was reelected. David Siegel, the CEO of Westgate Resorts and the man who tried to build the biggest house in America, said that he actually gave his workers raises in the wake of Obama's win. In the lead up to the election, Siegel sent his employees an email warning them to vote for Romney or else."

Y'know, wouldn't our nation be a heck of a lot healthier -- in mind, spirit, and body, if we boycotted these aretery-clogging and worker's rights-trampling greedy, greasy gluttonous monsters and ate more meals at home?  Maybe from a local grocery who sells sustainable products? 

We can dream . . .

 

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Kathy Malloy Social Media Pages: Facebook page url on login Profile not filled in       Twitter page url on login Profile not filled in       Linkedin page url on login Profile not filled in       Instagram page url on login Profile not filled in

Kathy never expected a career in radio as a talk show producer. Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Kathy was completing her nursing degree when in 2001 - in an emergency - she was asked to fill in as the producer of Mike's program. Within a few (more...)
 
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