Johnny Howard, owner of Smokin’ Joe’s Ribhouse in Rogers, Arkansas has a strong message for the public about that darker skinned fella who sits at Ronald Reagan’s desk: Obamacare is his way of punishing you for slavery! That’s right! Providing the poor and uninsured with a means of changing that–yeah, that’s just his way of getting back at white people!
The sign was up for 45 minutes before Howard changed it after an onslaught of complaints from seemingly every reasonable person who saw it. Howard apologizes for the sign, and claims that he “didn’t intend for it to be racist-oriented at all.” Captain Bigotry was asked if he had any idea AT ALL that an incredibly racist statement on a gigantic sign might offend someone. Howard claims the sign was taken out of context…somehow.
The owner of Klanny’s Smokin’ Joe’s Ribhouse claims, as all racist right wingers do, that his issue is not with “the man,” but instead with “his policies.”
Showing exactly how uninformed he is, he says that he feels the Affordable Care Act can hurt small businesses like his–despite that almost half of the uninsured are small business owners, employees, and dependents.
The ACA allows small businesses with less than 50 full-time equivalent employees to shop for group health plans, making it easier to provide insurance to employees (this expands to 100 or less in 2016.) Tax credits are available for businesses with fewer than 25 FTW workers with average wages below $50,000 can get tax credits to help with employee premiums.
In fact, most of the few negative effects are employer-created: Hours being cut back, reductions in hiring, and the practice of passing the cost onto the consumer (which, in most cases, does not amount to much.)
Howard claims that the ACA is a “job killer,” and in true John Schnatter style, purports that he will have to eliminate “at least one location.”
He says that he has learned his lesson about the sign, and has left a facetious apology on his Facebook page, in which he lists his tax writeoffs as an example of not being a racist:
As the owner of Smokin’ Joes Ribhouse I would like to apologize to anyone who took offense to the opinion I briefly expressed on a marquee at my Rogers location Friday evening. It was not meant to be racist whatsoever. I am not a racist person. It was aimed at a policy not an individual. The Affordable Care Act is an unaffordable health care policy for most small businesses across the country such as mine. I along with many small businesses will be forced to eliminate jobs and reduce size of operations including eliminating some locations in an effort to comply with the new policy regulations.
Some people took my message out of the context that I intended. Slavery along with other horrific events that were allowed to happen in our world’s history were allowed to happen because people looked the other way and did not express their opinion in an effort to stop something that ended up getting out of control.
I along with many small business owners are frustrated with all sides of government right now. We have the greatest country in the world and it is unfortunate that our politicians have to behave like children. Politicians ran for office promising job growth. The Affordable Health Care Act is a job killer any way you slice it. Sure, people need affordable healthcare but it should not be at the expense of American jobs. For the people who expressed that they would not frequent my establishment because I expressed my opinion, it is also your right to express yours. Smokin’ Joe’s however is a community and charity minded business so your lack of participation hurts more people and organizations than Smokin’ Joe’s employees and myself.
As for the people that have stood by us and shown their complete support, we want to thank you for not only understanding the underlining message that was intended but also for your patronage.
As for the remarks that I am a racist, I would like to say that Smokin Joes has been responsible for funding Freshwater drinking wells in impoverished areas of Africa, it has also helped fund the transportation of displaced Jewish individuals back to Israel and has provided food, clothing, bedding, toys, and assisted families in need locally. Smokin’ Joe’s is also responsible for sending bibles to China on a monthly basis to persecuted Christians.
It has been my personal policy not to be open about my charitable giving but in this instance I feel I need some respondance to understand that I am not a racist or a bad person.
Again, I would like to apologize to those who were offended by a statement that I did not intend to be taken out of context and I would like to thank the supporters of our business and because of them business has not been affected one bit by this incident.
Just so you understand his supporters, I will share one–just one–comment from his Facebook page:
(Teabilly Stump): Funny thing, I was thinking something very similar myself just a couple of days before you did your sign…anyone offended – well – I’d put money that I could guess who they voted for. My thought was, “Guess the black man is showing all the crackers how it feels.” Yours was far less offensive than mine. And yes, I’m a cracker – who loves my FREEDOM, Obama!
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If you would like to have a word with Smokin Joe’s:
The phone number is (479) 621-0181
You can also visit his Facebook page by clicking here and let the owner and his vile, racist buddies know what you think!
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