Public Opinion Strategies now offers new data on the depth of distaste America’s small business owners have for Obamacare. Here in Review & Outlook, the Wall Street Journal offers the obvious answer. Congress should repeal Obamacare and pass a business and worker-friendly health-care reform. Why hasn’t a group of senators already introduced a new motion to repeal Obamacare? Senators should be forced to either defend the fast unraveling job killer that is Obamacare or send it to its rightful grave. Americans need to know exactly which senators to drum out of office in 2014. I cannot believe any senator wants to run in 2014 on a platform of I voted for, as Charles C.W. Cooke labels it, the Hindenburg of American domestic policy.
One of President Obama’s proudest boasts about the Affordable Care Act is that it helps small business. The White House website says the health law “makes it easier for businesses to find better coverage options” and “stops insurance companies from taking advantage of you, giving the consumer and business owner more control and making health-care coverage more affordable.” Small businesses aren’t buying it.
That’s the finding of a Public Opinion Strategies survey of more than 400 business owners with between 40 and 500 employees conducted in September and October for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and International Franchise Association. Some 64% of small business franchise owners (such as owners of fast food and retail stores) believe the law will have a “negative impact” on their business, while only 5% expect a “positive impact.” For non-franchise businesses the ratio was 53% negative and 12% positive. Only one in 12 agree with the President that the health-care law will “help” their business.
Even more problematic is how businesses are already responding to the new law. The White House continues to deny any relationship between hiring and ObamaCare. The poll finds 27% of franchise businesses and 12% of non-franchises have already replaced full-time with part-time employees in anticipation of the law’s employer mandate. ObamaCare defines a full-time employee as someone who works 30 hours or more a week.
If you’re willing to fight for Main Street America, click here to sign up for my free weekly email.
