Small-Business Owner Fires Two for Supporting Obama

The reaction to ObamaCare from U.S. small businesses has been mixed. Some entrepreneurs have expressed support for system changes, while others are indifferent, saying they won’t be affected. Meanwhile, some say they’ll be cutting headcount to avoid increased fees related to the new health-care policy.

And one entrepreneur in Utah is taking it one step further, and first laying off the workers who voted for President Obama.

Terry Lee, owner of Terry Lee Forensics, laid off two workers due to rising costs from the Affordable Care Act, and said he chose them due to their support for the president. The Salt Lake Tribune reports Lee let the two workers go because he “just knew” they were fans of the president, but acknowledged there were other issues with the former employees as well.

Utah is an “at-will” state, meaning both employers and workers can terminate their relationship with one another at any time without cause, unless otherwise stated. Political affiliation is not a protected class in the state, the Tribune reported.

In other news on the health-care policy front, Whole Foods Market co-CEO John Mackey regrets his recent comments that compared ObamaCare to fascism. Mackey released a statement to clear up his take on the matter.

“I made a poor word choice to describe our health-care system, which I definitely regret. The term fascism today stirs up too much negative emotion with its horrific associations in the 20th century. While I'm speaking as someone who works hard to offer health-care benefits to more than 73,000 team members, who actually vote on their overall benefits packages, I am very concerned about the uninsured and those with preexisting conditions,” Mackey wrote.

He said the U.S. should take a lesson on health-care policy from Switzerland.

“I believe that, if the goal is universal health care, our country would be far better served by combining free enterprise capitalism with a strong governmental safety net for our poorest citizens and those with preexisting conditions, helping everyone to be able to buy insurance. This is what Switzerland does and I think we would be much better off copying that system than where we are currently headed in the United States.

“This alternative allows individuals and businesses to innovate and develop customized solutions to health care where a ‘one size fits all approach’ fails.  Creativity and progress are stifled when government regulations dictate the parameters of what health-care plans can be offered. Creative businesses, and the people who work them, can make something that has value for all stakeholders,” he said in the statement.

Are you cutting workers’ hours or jobs due to ObamaCare? Or, is the health-care law benefiting your business and employees in some way? FOXBusiness.com wants to hear from you. Email us at smbs@foxbusiness.com