If there was any doubt that Obama is hostile to business and out to damage capitalism, this story should settle it. On April 15th during an interview on Fox News, I reported that President Obama had put 6118 new regulations in place in just the first 90 days of 2013. Well guess what? It???s gotten worse.
Since then Obama has cracked the whip at his government-run lawyer sweatshops. The productivity of his job killing lawyers and bureaucrats is up from 68 to 72 new regulations per day. That's very bad news for the productivity of the rest of us. Because history proves that government + lawyers + more regulations = death of the economy.
Why are there no jobs? Why does the economy only move sideways? Why are American workers wages stuck in quicksand? Why did one of America's largest law firms just yesterday announce massive layoffs and salary reductions? The answer is Obama. His rules and regulations are killing the spirit of American business. But this was all child's play compared to Obama's newest directive.
Now Obama has truly gone off the deep end. He???s thrown off his cloak to show the ???S??? on his chest- standing for Social Justice. Obama has decided to kick the economy while it???s down.
Obama's latest brainstorm? Force businesses to hire criminals. And, not just any criminals???Obama wants criminals to step to the front of the employment line. If only I was joking.
Obama???s EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) is charging the automaker BMW, and the national retailer Dollar General, with discrimination, and violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act for using criminal background checks before hiring employees.
???How can this be???? you say. Don???t companies have a right to check backgrounds before hiring employees that represent them? Don't companies have a right not to hire convicted criminals? Not anymore. Not in Obama???s America.
The Obama government???s logic is frightening. The EEOC argues that doing a criminal check discriminates. So, when you won???t hire an applicant because of their criminal record you are???wait for it???Yes, a BIGOT!
Seriously folks. This is happening in the United States of America. If the courts hold for Obama, this will be the final body blow to job creation, economic freedom, and the U.S. economy.
But let???s set that aside for a moment and think what this does to your own civil rights.
When you hand your credit card to the clerk in a store, wouldn???t you like to know that they haven???t been convicted of identity theft? When you walk into a empty home for sale, wouldn't you like to know if the realtor is a murderer? When your wife goes for a massage, wouldn???t you like to know the masseuse isn???t a convicted rapist? Or, worse yet, when your child goes to school, child care, or an after school program, wouldn???t you like to know the person you're leaving your child with isn???t a convicted predator, sexual abuser, or pornographer? If Obama gets his way, there will be no way of knowing if the employee has been convicted of a crime.
Well according to the Obama administration if you ask those questions of a job applicant you are a bigot and committing a crime yourself.
How can anyone run a business not knowing if the people they hire to deal with customers might be convicted rapists, thieves, or murderers? An employee is the public face of your business. They represent your brand. They are your thin blue line, your eyes, ears, and face to your customers. And, oh yes, don???t think you won???t be sued if one of your employees commits a criminal act against one of your customers.
How bad can this get? Well the EEOC not only wants to ban background checks. They want the job applicants who BMW refused to hire because of criminal records???to now be hired, given back pay, and legal costs.
Are you with me? You couldn't get away with this in a Saturday Night Live skit.
So, what choices does a businessperson have if the Obama government wins its case? First, companies will cut back hiring as much as possible. But, if you are a business owner in this hostile Obama workplace environment, you???ve probably already done that.
Second, if you do start a new business, you'll be looking at a business model that require no employees, or very few employees.
Third, you might decide to close your current business. It just isn't worth it under Obama to take big financial risks, when government makes it this dangerous, difficult, and unappealing.
Fourth, if you do need to hire employees, since you have to follow the law, companies will find some unrelated reason not to hire certain applicants (who they are unable to background check). Talk about ???unintended consequences."
So, who here is destroying the U.S. economy? And who here is the bigot? The employer who hires on ability and character (after seeing the results of background checks)? Or Obama- whose policies force employers to either stop hiring, slow hiring, or hire as few applicants as possible?
Obama proves every day that you can't run an economy based on equality, social justice and retribution.
Wayne Allyn Root serves as Executive Vice Chairman of the Conservative Caucus in Washington DC. His latest book is the National Bestseller: The Ultimate Obama Survival Guide: How to Survive, Thrive and Prosper During Obamageddon.
