Marathon Pundit: ObamaCare's head-on collision against jobs

Saturday, March 27, 2010

ObamaCare's head-on collision against jobs

In January President Obama promised a laser-focus on jobs. But it appears that many jobs are headed for a head-on collision with ObamaCare.

From the Senate Republican Communications Center:

ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES OF HEALTH BILL MOUNT

Local News Across The Country Reports Of Job Loss And Potential Business Closures As A Result Of The Health Care Bill

FLORIDA, INDIANA, PENNSYLVANIA, NEBRASKA FACING JOB CUTS

FLORIDA: "Seven Hundred Bay County Residents Could Soon Be On The Unemployment Line Thanks To A Reconciliation Bill passed in Washington last night. Some were hopeful that the reconciliation law would help the private student loan industry but it didn't…" ("Sallie Mae Disappointed by Reconciliation Law," WMBB-ABC Panama City, 3/26/10)

INDIANA: "Indiana's Unemployment Rate Held Steady In March, But With Impending Layoffs At Sallie Mae, The State May Not Be So Lucky In April… So now Sallie Mae, which currently owns 12 buildings nationwide, including five large structures like the office in Fishers, still has to determine what buildings should stay open. "For Sallie Mae, unfortunately, it is very bad news for our employees. I will give you two answers," Kroehler said. "For Sallie Mae as a corporation long-term, we will be fine. For our employees, we are going to have a lot of employees, unfortunately, who are going to lose their jobs." ("Sallie Mae facing thousands of layoffs," WTHR-NBC Indianapolis, 3/26/10)

PENNSYLVANIA: "Sallie Mae Decided Against Hiring 300 Temporary Workers At Its Loan Servicing Center After The Passage Of Student Lending Reform. Still to be determined are the long-term effects on the nearly 1,000 workers at the company's facility in the Hanover Industrial Estates. "The temporary jobs that were posted in preparation for this year’s peak loan processing season have been eliminated,” Martha Holler, spokeswoman for Sallie Mae, said in an e-mail Friday. The move was in reaction to the passage Thursday of The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act that was included in the health care reform bill." ("Sallie Mae plan for 300 temps halted," The Times Leader, 3/27/10)

NEBRASKA: "Congressional Votes On Thursday To End Federally Subsidized Student Lending By Private Companies Will Mean Job Cuts At Lincoln Student Loan Company Nelnet, a company spokesman said Friday. "We are very disappointed by this political news," spokesman Ben Kiser said. "We believe it is poor public policy that will eliminate a part of our business and result in job losses in our community." Kiser declined to give any details about the scope of the cuts, although he said they will occur over the next several months. Nelnet employs about 2,100 people, including more than 800 in Lincoln. The provision to end the Federal Family Education Loan Program and to channel all federal student lending directly through the government was tacked on to the controversial health insurance overhaul reconciliation legislation." ("End Of Student Loan Program Will Mean Job Cuts At Nelnet," Lincoln Journal Star, 3/26/10)

NEW TANNING TAX "WILL SINK A LOT OF" LOCAL SALONS

OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINER: "Brian Moser, owner of Oasis Tanning salons in Layton and Roy, said the tax is ill-conceived and won't net the dollars that the government expects… In a weak economy, he said, the tax will hurt thousands of small, largely female-owned businesses nationwide, forcing many to close or lay off employees… "They are focusing on small businesses during a really tough economic time," he said. "That doesn't make a lot of sense…" Kenny Siler, who owns Sun Stop Salon in Ogden, also said the tax will have a significant impact on local tanning salons. "It will sink a lot of people," he said." ("Tanning salon owners upset over health care bill's new tax," Standard-Examiner, 3/26/10)