Businessman Fires Obama Supporters: "Love it-We had to let 2 employees go to cover Obongocarecosts"

[kpete]

Utah business owner fires two who backed Obama
Labor » Reacting to Obamacare costs, he cuts pair to save.
By Vince Horiuchi | The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Jan 17 2013 08:15 pm • Last Updated Jan 17 2013 09:48 pm

First, the owner of a smoothie bar in Vernal is charging liberals more for a cup of juice. Now, a Cedar City business owner who let two workers go because of Obamacare costs said he picked the pair in large part because of their support for President Obama.

Terry Lee, owner of Terry Lee Forensics, showed his support for the Vernal smoothie bar’s practice of trying to recoup the costs it says are incurred because of liberal policies by posting in the comments section of a story about it in Thursday’s Salt Lake Tribune.

"Love it. We had to let two employees go to cover new Obongocarecosts and increased taxes," Lee wrote. "Found two Obongo supporters and gave them the news yesterday. They wanted the idiot in the Whitehouse [sic], they reap the benefits."

Contacted by The Tribune Thursday, Lee said he picked the two employees in large part on the basis of their politics.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55650985-79/lee-utah-employees-costs.html.csp
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/18/1180091/-Two-employees-that-supported-Obama-fired-in-Utah

[emulatorloo]

1. These fucking wingnut liars deserve to fail.

[earthside]

2. These people want an insurrection.

They most certainly would never have the guts to act on their 'revolutionary' fantasies ... but they have become just plain subversives, rebels and seditious.

[dkf]

3. Is that legal?

[Blue_Tires]

10. I'll be safe and assume it's bullshit until I hear from the "fired employees"...

[NoGOPZone]

14. I don't think you have anything to be worried about

[Cali_Democrat]

24. LOL

[2ndAmForComputers]

40. ...I love you.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

28. Yep...

Only CA, NY and D.C. have laws prohibiting this type of employer abuse.

[Xithras]

42. Colorado and North Dakota too.

The laws in those two states don't specifically mention political activity like CA, NY, and DC, but Colorado and North Dakota have a more generalized law that prohibits employers from firing employees for any legal activities that take place outside their workplace. Voting is a legal activity, and is covered.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

44. We are such sham nation. The founders would be embarrased if they came back to life. n/t

[uponit7771]

33. Might not be, depends on HOW he determind them to be Obama supporters. A lot of KKKons assume all

....black and most Hispanic and a lot of single women supported Obama.

If he fired them based of these aesthetics then he's toast cause he'd have to prove that he didn't fire them based off known support if they never indicated that they were Obama supporters to him or never made it public to him and intended on keeping it private.

It's legal in most states to fire people based of who they support politically but if a person isn't outwardly saying they're going to vote for so and so and support so and so the employer best keep far away...

easy open and shut bias case if they kept those aspects to themselves

[2pooped2pop]

39. I don't think so.

Here in Indiana you can be fired just coz ur boss doesn't like your hair color. But I'm thinking there are still rules on race, religion and I thought, political affiliation. Not sure, but I am sure we will soon see.

If not, he just gave them all the "ammo" they need to sue.

[2ndAmForComputers]

41. Well, you have been informed that it is. Now tell us, SHOULD it be?

[dkf]

48. I think it should be illegal and am shocked it isn't.

[Blecht]

4. Utah is a Right-To-Work state

Which means this asshole can do whatever he wants.

[joeybee12]

6. Even still, I bet this scumbucket could be sued...

Deliberately targeting someone like that has to be illegal at some level, state or federal.

[1StrongBlackMan]

13. Nope ...

I just check ... Political Affiliation is not a protected class at the federal, state, county or municipal level (in Utah).

However, a long-shot might be found, if this agency has governmental contracts, which under an extremely sympathetic bench, might accept the argument that such terminations violate the 1st amendment right to Free Speech and/or public policy.

But as I said, that's a real long-shot that would require an extremely sympathetic bench.

[Sekhmets Daughter]

29. Nope...

Only in CA, NY and D.C. is this prohibited.

[Scuba]

5. Stupid to want to meet Gloria Allred.

[Solly Mack]

7. K&R

[JHB]

8. I believe he's fishing for Copycat PR

His business in in digital forensics. The cached version of his website says:

Computer forensics related crimes are among the fastest growing crimes in America. From the beginning of any litigation, we can deploy a team of computer forensics experts to collect the electronically stored evidence using leading edge computer forensics software. Our expert computer forensic technicians are trained in the techniques and procedures needed to preserve the integrity of captured data. Using solid methods for chain of custody and storage, we provide a documented path for the evidence handled.

We provide a wide range of computer forensic services:

Search for proprietary information
Show search history
Reveal browsing history
Discover meta-data (data created, accessed, modified, etc.)
Restore backup tapes
Crack password protected files
Perform a detailed data analysis when requested

I won't link to it because it is now defunct, and points to a "Terry Lee Honda" dealership (doubt its the same guy).

If a data recovery business lost its website then business must not be so hot, and no wonder he's laying off people. Picking the Obama supporters is just a way to get free advertising, especially to RW dicks who think its cute.

[Buzz Clik]

9. Lawyer up. I smell a lawsuit.

$$

"Obongocare" will be cheap in comparison.

[onenote]

16. Sadly, I doubt that the employees would have a claim under federal or Utah law.

Some states have specific laws barring retaliation against employees based on their political affiliation, but as far as I know, Utah isn't one of them.

[TheBlackAdder]

20. You've said it! eom

[nobodyspecial]

11. What costs?

Mandatory coverage and fines don't kick in until 2014.

[NYC_SKP]

12. Racism, plain and simple.

I have never ever seen such reactions before, never with Clinton or with Carter.

This is not about left or right or Democrats or Republicans.

The reactions I've seen are far far too vile.

It's the color of the man's skin.

Sick bastards.

[NYC_SKP]

15. "Terry Lee Forensics"? Cedar City, Utah? [phone]? [email protected]???

..

I wonder if that mean THAT Terry Lee Forensics...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Terry-Lee-Forensics/138194809586369

Phone [phone]
Email [email protected]
Website http://www.terrylee.com

[HereSince1628]

17. Ah, the happy beehive of Deseret

Can I have some Fry Sauce? Yes, the kind with pickles.

[Egalitarian Thug]

18. But we don't need any laws protecting workers here...

[TheBlackAdder]

19. I don't thin that RTW covers that, especially since the cause was expressed.

The employees weren't fired for work impacts, but for person non-work beliefs.

Obongo... what a mental midget. It just shows you that anyone can run a business.
Perhaps he's firing them because he can't properly make a go of it, when other businesses are rebounding?

[Taverner]

21. Is that legal?

[TheBlackAdder]

22. Watch what you write... This might be a SETUP!

If this guy does forensic searches...

He might be trying to set up a situation where people will besmirch his name or his company's name.

Then he can sue the party for defamation.

[Kalidurga]

23. He doesn't stand a chance in court on that charge...

The man is a racist and his comments can and will be used against him in a court of law.

[blm]

25. Then how about whoever voted Bush pay for 2 wars, Medicare D gift to pharma, and Bush's taxcuts?

And how about only those soldiers who voted for Bush be deployed to fight the military actions caused by Bush's decisions?

How about blue states that didn't vote for Bush opt out of paying for ANY costs incurred by red states and Bush's policies?

[dsc]

27. given where you live you might want to rethink that

our state voted for Bush twice.

[blm]

32. My reply is addressing the absurdity of the RWers pushing this tactic.

.

[HughBeaumont]

26. Ha ha, racist.

Translation: "Love it. We had to let two (insert racial slur here) lovers go to cover new (insert racial slur here)carecosts and increased taxes," Lee wrote. "Found two President (insert racial slur here) supporters and gave them the news yesterday. They wanted the (insert racial slur here) in the Whitehouse , they reap the benefits. I hate fucking (insert multiple racial adjectives and slurs here)s."

Ku Klux Klown Forensics.

[DisgustipatedinCA]

30. Better get a scientific calculator for this lawsuit

You'll need all 10 digits, asswipe.

[Arkana]

31. I do hope he's happy that he's just opened himself up to wrongful termination lawsuits.

And the amount he's going to have to pay out will be much more than what he'd have paid them if they were on salary.

[onenote]

34. Under what law? Certainly not Utah law.

There are only a handful of states where its unlawful for an employer to discriminate against employees based on political affiliation and I guarantee that Utah isn't one of them.

[Rex]

35. I smell a lawsuit!

[uponit7771]

36. This MIGHT be illegal, depends on HOW he choose them to be "Obama supporters". His words are ...

"we knew" and came out with NOTHING concrete.

Most KKKons think all black and most Hispanic and a lot of single women supported Obama.

If he fired them based of these aesthetics (or any other protected class attributes) then he's toast cause he'd have to prove that he didn't fire them based off known support if they never indicated that they were Obama supporters to him or never made it public to him and intended on keeping it private.

It's legal in most states to fire people based of who they support politically but if a person isn't outwardly saying they're going to vote for so and so and support so and so the employer best keep far away...easy open and shut bias case if they kept those political affiliations to themselves

What he HAS done is shown that the political affiliation played a PART of his decision, if part of his choosing their political affiliation is the protected crap then bend his ass good...really good

The "not top performers" part isn't going to help him now...

He's stupid

[Rex]

38. I think it only applies to a public job

dunno really, but the private sector can fire and hire someone on any basis it chooses. IMO, it is moral and ethically wrong to fire someone for their political views.

[Hekate]

37. At-will employees have legal protections too. The NLRB might be interested.

I hope they can get a good lawyer to work for them.

[frylock]

43. if i were a defense attorney, i would have to question any evidence..

that may have been handled by this company that clearly has a political agenda.

[GeorgeGist]

45. Terry Lee dreams ...

of having enough employees to qualify.

[Fawke Em]

46. Bullshit.

I work in this industry and finding qualified employees is next to impossible.

I'd like to know who's going to be replacing those employees and where Terry Lee plans to come up with six figure salaries to do it.

[Ruby the Liberal]

47. That just guaranteed Unemployment benefits

and a potentially winning lawsuit.

Not to mention the national exposure that this guy is a dick.