Well, enough is enough! Now President Obama, with his partisan health care bill, has really done it! Not content with merely taxing Americans to pay for this boondoggle of an entitlement, Obamacare is now forcing businesses — including Five Guys Burgers and Fries — to threaten to raise their prices to cover the additional costs of the so-called “Affordable Care Act.”
At least one Five Guys’ franchisee in the Raleigh-Durham, NC area, Mike Ruffer, has indicated that he would have to pass on any added costs (i.e., costs associated with Obamacare) to his customers. Suddenly the price of a hamburger, fries, and soda just became less affordable to the average family or to the traveling pastor. As a fan of Five Guys, I can tell you this — I am not going to be happy if the El Paso or Albuquerque franchises (which are closest to me) raise their prices. Now, I didn’t say I wouldn’t eat there. It will just add one more reason — to the plethora of reasons — why Obamacare should be repealed forthwith!
Perhaps Paul Ryan anticipated this move by Five Guys — which did start in the Washington, D.C. area — when he proposed a budget which assumes the repeal of President Obama’s signature piece of legislation. I like Paul Ryan. I voted for Paul Ryan and his running mate, despite my serious concerns regarding Mormonism. However, Paul Ryan’s budget has absolutely zero chance of becoming law.
So, what’s a guy who likes Five Guys Burgers and Fries to do when Obamacare doesn’t get repealed and when the price of a juicy, bacon hamburger (which is two patties, not to be confused with the Little Bacon Burger, which is only one patty) goes up? Just smile, fork over the extra cash, and thank God for the meal and for the fact that Michael Bloomberg is not the President of the United States. At least President Obama likes Five Guys. And, I can like him for that even if I don’t like Obamacare. At least that’s something positive. You gotta start somewhere.
Don’t get in too big a hurry to support repeal of Obamacare. You made need extra insurance if you keep eating like that! 😉
Max,
Touché! Thankfully for me, the closest Five Guys is 1 1/2 hours away in El Paso. Otherwise, my wallet would be lighter, but my weight would be heavier 🙂 Sorry I didn’t respond to your earlier comment on the Bill Clinton post. Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad to be back in the blogosphere, even if it things haven’t gotten better. Hopefully I can contribute to the conversation in a positive way. Thanks again for stopping by and God bless,
Howell
“… my wallet would be lighter, but my weight would be heavier.”
Now that’s a big “but” Howell … but I hear big buts are spreading through SBC ranks these days. I’ll be glad when we put our behind in our past on certain issues! We just had a Five Guys open near our place and hear it’s great food – so I may be expanding my profile, too.
Speaking of big buts, a “yeah-but” sermon illustration you can use sometime: Two cowboys staring down at a herd of buffaloes grazing in the open range. One says to the other “Wow, they sure have big heads” … the other says “Yeah, and small buts”. As they ride off into the sunset, one buffalo says to another “Now you’ve heard a discouraging word.” (insert lyrics to Home on the Range … Where seldom is heard a discouraging word and the skies are not cloudy all day, etc.)
Now, to link the above to your post. I agree that Obamacare was introduced to our nation in a very discouraging way, but some aspects of it offer hope for uninsured Americans, like those with preexisting conditions who cannot obtain insurance. It’s too bad that the Republican party I affiliate with didn’t fix the healthcare crisis years ago.
P.S. I see no harm in you driving 1.5 hours to El Paso to stuff on burgers, as long as you walk home. We need you healthy and blogging in the days ahead. Your friend, Max.
Max,
I’ll do you one better on the “buts” in sermons. When I was pastoring in Virginia, I was reading from Scripture and came across one of those “but God” passages (may have been Ephesians 2:4) where I said, “Now, this is a big but and I really love big buts.” I immediately knew what I had said, but I quickly moved forward as if I had not said what my wife would later told me I said. This past Sunday, I read from Ephesians 2 and was very careful how I introduced, “But God, who is rich in mercy . . .” Don’t want to make that mistake again 🙂 As to Obamacare, there is much that is good and there is some that is bad. My oldest son, who is now 13, has Perthes Disease, which is a hip condition. When we moved to NM, BCBS of NM would not accept him on our insurance because of his preexisting condition. Thankfully we were able to get insurance through the state for him on his own policy. Portability is one area that could have been addressed, but was inexplicably not. I think that health reform — including tort reform — could have been accomplished with a large bi-partisan majority if both sides would have gotten 80% of what they wanted. As to the long walk home from El Paso, if the weather is like it is today in the Land of Enchantment, that wouldn’t be so bad. Thanks for the illustration. I shall have to borrow it. God bless,
Howell
Obamacare is not their problem. They are an overpriced hamburger joint. Burg, fries, drink push you over $10 where I am.
Cheap shot to blame prices on obamacare.
William,
I will admit that it is a bit pricey to eat at Five Guys, even without Obamacare raising prices. I do hope you recognized that the OP was meant to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek. The shot at Obamacare was like Five Guys’ condiments — free, not cheap 😉 Thanks and God bless,
Howell
Hey .. Peg and I went in there one time, took one look at the prices, and turned around & walked out. We can get a terrific Chinese dinner across the street for a but over half the price.
After Obamacare, one can only imagine, mainly because I ain’t never gonna go there to eat..
Bob,
If I lived in a town with a Five Guys, I doubt that I would be eating there often as it is a bit pricey. I think it’s worth a splurge every now and then, particularly if I am in El Paso or Albuquerque, which is not often. If you like good burgers and fries, I think Five Guys is a good buy for what you get. But, then again, I’m a fan, so I readily admit my bias 🙂 Thanks and God bless,
Howell
Don’t blame the government.
Look at how great they are handling the post office…and our departments of motor vehicles.
Healthcare will be no different. Only it might not just be your mail that they lose.
It would be interesting if they did increase the prices EXACTLY what the extra added cost of the health care turns out to be. I have been curious as to what that actually would be.
Did you read the Time Magazine article on health care costs? An estimate I have heard on the amount added to my health insurance to cover those who don’t have health care insurance is between $1500 and $2000/year. It will be interesting to see if my bills go down if the number of people who are uninsured decrease.
Bennett,
I think we would all like to think that our health insurance costs would go down if the number of uninsured decreases, but I tend to doubt it. It would not surprise me if everything — costs consumers pay at other businesses (i.e., Five Guys) PLUS our own heath insurance premiums — continues to rise, even as Obamacare kicks in fully and the number of uninsured goes down. Like any other government-sponsored program, the average middle-class American will be the ones paying the lion’s share of the costs when all is said and done. The very wealthy will not suffer and the poorest will have health insurance (which is not a bad thing), but the middle class will pick up the tab. I’m not sure we will know the true extra added costs of Obamacare until a few years down the road, at which point it will be too late to either fix or repeal. As always, thanks for stopping by and commenting today. God bless,
Howell