What do chicken sandwiches and pizza have in common? Politics, apparently.
Hoping to replicate the success of Chick-fil-A after it was boycotted over gay rights, conservatives are staging a pro-pizza day to counter protests against Papa John's Obamacare stance.
Papa John owner John Schnatter's recently announced that he would raise prices to cover costs he says are associated with the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
In Palos Heights, one manager of the Papa John's hasn't heard any feedback from customers about the proposed price jimp and doesn't think any price changes will have a big affect on sales.
“It sholdn’t be anything super bad from what I’ve heard but we’re hoping that nothing changes as far as our costumers are concerned," said R.J. Eecott.
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As liberals began organizing boycotts of the pizza chain, Papa John's supporters created a Facebook page to promote National Papa John's Appreciation Day on Friday.
"Papa Johns has been targeted by the left for a boycott, for simply articulating that ObamaCare would hurt profits and force cutbacks in employee hours," the Facebook page says. "Stand up to this nonsensical and illogical action and support Papa John's this Friday."
The pro-Papa event is reminiscent of Chick-fil-A Appreciation Day, which saw droves of people nationwide patronize the fast-food chain after its CEO came under fire for criticizing gay marriage.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the pepperoni fence, anti-Papa forces have urged people to switch to local pizza joints this week. "Papa John's owner has decided to combat the Affordable Healthcare Act by increasing his prices, threatening terminations and lowering employee hours - simply to avoid and protest employee health benefits," said one pro-boycott invitation.
A story at Forbes.com says Papa John's will see a 0.4 to 0.7 percent increase in healthcare costs for employees working 30 or more hours a week under the new law. The company CEO also said he expects to cut employee hours to offset the cost.
Will you buy or boycott Papa John's? Tell us in the comments.
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These business owners increasing prices to cover healthcare are making a political statement. It is not based in the reality of the situation, nor do they care about the reality. They are mad and have a platform to express their anger. No one would care if this was an individual pizza parlor. Since he's speaks for a national chain everyone is covering the story.
All PapaJohns needs to do is raise his prices by something like .4% to .7% to cover the increased costs of mandated healthcare without changing a thing (according to Forbes.com, take that source for what you will) - am I going to sweat having a Pizza raise in price from $20.00 to $20.08 - $20.14 per pie? No. Suppose I got the decimals wrong (4% - 7%). And he had to raise the prices from $20 to $22-$23.50 to cover the gap. Am I going to run screaming? No. I'd still eat his pizza if I thought it was good. Corporations have to live with the new reality. And congratulations on Papa John's for doing a Chick-Fila and turning politics into a promotional opportunity. Even if I disagree with the political statement, I recognize the savvy in the decision. But in the end, the cost of doing business is dealing with the factors out there. Mandatory healthcare just became one of them. If you can't adapt, then according to most conservative fiscal pundits you deserve to go out of business. Don't assume we're a nation of lazy dumbasses when we're among the smartest people on the planet. If we can split the atom, I'm sure someone will find a way to keep pizza moving even under Obamacare.
As the mother of an autistic adult daughter, I appreciate the portion of your tax dollars that help support the programs that provide me with a very small sense that just maybe she won't starve to death when I am gone. But as more and more programs are cut that help the disabled (she just recently lost her job in the sheltered workshop program due to funding cuts) it becomes very clear that the world may not be inclined to give one red cent to help those that are less fortunate sometime in the future. So like you, I hope that after I pay for our BCBS premiums, that I will be able to en mass the hundreds of thousands of dollars (and climbing if the tea party folks ever take over) that is the projected need to support someone like my daughter when I am gone. You should be happy you never walked in my shoes or you may be singing a different, more compassionate song.
Where did this class of person come from that doesn't take pride in working for a living? Because they have taught their offspring to do the same thing and we keep supporting them with programs and more programs. Unfortunately for Mary Beth the programs that are needed for her daughter are being cut because we need the money to support people that are too lazy to work!
Lets applaud him when he cuts min wage earners hours and fires people... What a hero for taking a stance!!!! I can't wait to pay 30 cents more for a pizza so those bastard illegal aliens won't have the health care I pay for. No way in hell are my taxes going to go to all of those millions and millions of women having babies just so they won't get off their asses and work! Here's my .25 cents john... Now sleep easy my friend.
I can't wait til Saint Peter opens his books and sees those bastards that took advantage of in-state-tuition... I mean the nerve of them to get an an education, find a good job and not go on gov't welfare... Now that would be an awkward conversation.