Health Care Law Increases Taxes on Restaurants and Other Small Businesses

From a FoxNews.com article by Claudia Cowan: (h/t Dave Powers at MichlleMalkin.com)

"One of the provisions in the new health care law requires small businesses to provide coverage for workers. Such an 'employer mandate' has been in place in San Francisco, Calif., for over a year. The mandate has earned mixed reviews at best.

"Under the law, businesses with 20 or more employees are required to provide medical coverage, either on their own or by paying into a city-run program. That's what most restaurants are doing -- albeit grudgingly.

"To cover the cost, owners are either having to raise their menu prices or tack on a so-called 'Healthy Surcharge' onto the tab. At some places, it's around 4 percent of the check. Others charge a flat fee of a dollar or two.

"Either way, customers are footing the bill for the health care of their waitstaff, busboys, and cooks, regardless of whether the workers work part time, live in San Francisco, or are in the U.S. legally."

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom gives a different point of view: "Newsom argues it's saving restaurants and taxpayers money, by offering workers preventative care. Newsom argues that this in turn keeps them out out emergency rooms, and on the clock."

According to the mayor, "'We have a more robust work force, greater productivity and output because employees have health care.'"

Huh. I didn't know that most restaurants skate the economic edge due to a sickly employees. Go figure.

Mayor Newsom did give me the biggest laugh of the day though when he uttered this line: "Businesses get the benefit in the back end."

Yeah, we all got "benefits" and business in the back end from Congress last Sunday....