Heritage Hills
owner voices opinion on election
Updated:
11/03/2012
If President Barack Obama wins a second term,
Heritage Hospitality could consider laying off some of its 600 workers and
replacing some of its full-time staff with part-timers, its president and owner
said.
Shortly after 11 p.m. Wednesday, Matt DeRose,
sent out a staff-wide email supporting the policies offered by former Massachusetts
In the email to staff, DeRose states that
increasing expenses brought on by recent regulations, taxes and the
"stagnant" economy could, "without change," force his
company to consider layoffs.
Within the past few years, many residents and
companies have cut back on spending, reducing Heritage Hospitality's overall
revenue, DeRose said Friday in an emailed response to questions about the
message to his workers.
"We have held off significant staffing
reductions to this point; however, I expect that without a change in
leadership, the current policies will not produce a change in a positive
way," said DeRose in response to questions.
The management team has "discussed our
options and are prepared to reduce operating costs in order to survive several
more years of a sluggish economy."
Aside from possible job reductions, Heritage
Hills is preparing for the new health care law, a cornerstone of Obama's
presidency.
Obama's health care law requires that
businesses with 50 or more full-time employees offer health insurance, or they
must pay $2,000 for each employee who is not covered.
"A company like ours will be forced to
significantly reduce our full time staff and replace with part time staff in
order to avoid the fines associated with the new legislation," DeRose said
in response to questions regarding his email to staff.
Heritage Hospitality isn't the only company
looking fill its staff with part-time workers.
Recently, Darden Restaurants, the owner of Red
Lobster and the Olive Garden, shifted more workers to part-time status in four
of its markets to see if it could keep costs in check under the new health care
law, the company said.
Not all of DeRose's email to his workers
centers on how his business would fare under a second Obama presidency.
The second paragraph of his Wednesday email
focused on the importance of voting.
The email message then delved into how recent
regulations, namely those that have boosted payroll taxes to cover unemployment
benefits, have cost Heritage Hospitality money.
Higher electric rates and gas prices have also
cut into the company's revenue, according to the Wednesday email.
The message goes on to state that the election
is not about "likability."
"I believe most are proud we have not
only an African American president, but one from parents with mixed ethnic
backgrounds," according to DeRose's email to his workers. "The
president seems to be a great family man and an American success story.
However, he had little business or management experience which has proven him
unworthy of the task."
Later, the Wednesday email mentions that the
election is not about social issues or equal rights.
"Romney has a record of working across
the aisle and has made it clear he is not running to push a social
agenda," according to the email.
Since sending the email to his workers, DeRose
said he has fielded no complaints, but has received many sentiments of
gratitude for speaking the truth.
"I simply felt that this election is so
crucial that I needed to share my opinion as to what was best for our company
and our country," he said in the email to staff.
I talked with two other small business
owners before the election, and they both expressed concerns similar to those described by Matt
DeRose in this article.
I don’t know much about business, but even
to me it is obvious, and was even before I talked with these business owners,
that this administration’s policies are anti-business and crippling to the
economy. I don’t understand how people with ANY common sense can’t recognize this!
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