Utah business owner fires two who backed Obama

[meegbear]

Source: Sltrib.com

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 Obongocare (sic) costs 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. "They were Obama supporters. We just knew they were," Lee said. "I implied that sort of tongue and cheek (in the comments section) but there were other issues, too. They were not top performers."

"Is your political affiliation protected?" he added, explaining that he thought what he did was not illegal. "I don’t believe it is, but I don’t know."

Read more: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55650985-79/lee-utah-employees-costs.html.csp

[Garion_55]

1. is 'obongo' a misprint?

rare to see someone expose their racism.

[kestrel91316]

5. No, it's not a misprint. It's a racist insult.

[arely staircase]

53. twice? i doubt it.

he does it twice.

[malibea]

61. Not rare at all.

This is par for the course for these assholes! There is nothing else these dirt bag bastards can do about the President being re-elected so they take it out on someone else-who can't do anything about it! What cowards and low-life these cretans are; I won't call them human beings!

[patrice]

2. "cause" can be anything. American workers are not protected from legalized discrimination.

[TxDemChem]

34. Is Utah a right to work state?

Anyone know?

[southernyankeebelle]

57. If its a privately owned business they have a right to fire anyone for the politics. Somehow I

think if your a democrat you lost that freedom of speech at work. Pretty sad. How sad they are afraid of free thought.

[Scuba]

3. Paging Gloria Allred.

[secondvariety]

4. "Obongocare".

What a classy dirtbag. I think this asshole just made it up.

[R Merm]

14. No he didn't google it.

[Skittles]

6. this man is a racist asshole

Last edited Fri Jan 18, 2013, 06:30 PM - Edit history (1)

who is probably too stupid to realize he just outed his racism

[Scootaloo]

33. But it's Utah

Even the dirt is white in Utah.

[malibea]

62. Stupid isn't the word!

This idiot is beyond stupid; the word for him hasn't been invented yet! Let's just say shun him because he is definitely a fool! I think he feels bad, sad and desperately lost: GOOD!

[Liberalagogo]

7. This just infuriates me

What if a left-leaning employer had done this during the Bush years or unimaginably, a Romney Presidency, to his right-wing employees? What would have been the reaction of the public and media?

This person's business should sued into the ground and the earth salted.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

54. Perfectly legal

political affiliation and ideology are not protected classes

[Liberalagogo]

63. Sweetheart

Did I say they were? Why not try responding to what I actually said, instead of something completely useless.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

66. Then why say this?????

"This person's business should sued into the ground and the earth salted."

[Liberalagogo]

67. Because it's true

If that gets your precious little nose out of joint, please whine elsewhere.

Welcome to ignore.

[U4ikLefty]

8. Utah is a "right to work" state.

[defacto7]

16. You mean "right to fire" state.

[Tutonic]

25. he can replace the two with a couple of his sister wives.

[KansDem]

36. But aren't there laws prohibiting child labor?

Probably not...

[TxDemChem]

35. Just realized I scrolled too fast and missed this

On the way down

[melm00se]

43. you mean an "at will" state

http://laborcommission.utah.gov/divisions/AntidiscriminationAndLabor/x_other_labor_issues.html

[1983law]

45. "Right to Work"

Is a union-related matter and has little if nothing to do with the basis for terminating an employee.

[Selatius]

70. Right-to-work is a different issue. All states operate on an "at will" basis except contract workers

"At will" applies to any situation where a worker who is working for an employer isn't in a union contract or isn't some contract worker.

All states in the Union operate on an "at will" basis to some degree. Differences in detail depend upon state codes.

"Right to work" laws are geared specifically to deal with labor unions. They're designed to create a freeloader problem on labor unions and thus to break them once freeloaders in a union shop outnumber union members.

[ck4829]

9. They're probably not missing out

He gets caught committing some white collar crime or some gross error with the forensic work if that is what they actually do, I'll bet he'll try to pass the buck on down.

[lobodons]

10. Somewhere in the resulting lawsuit

Somewhere in the resulting lawsuit filed by fired workers, I'd like to see listed the specifics of said losses which necessitated the firings.

[former9thward]

12. There is no legal basis for a lawsuit.

If you are not protected by a contracted you are an 'at will' employee and can be fired for any reason not legally protected. Your politics are not legally protected for employment.

[Why Syzygy]

20. Texas

is a right to work state. You can be fired without cause, but his unemployment insurance will go up.
Their claims cannot be denied either.

[Thinkingabout]

23. Good he must like paying for unemployment, guess this is better.

[Orangepeel]

41. might depend on how he "just knew" they supported Obama

I wonder how he "just knew" they supported Obama. Did they say so? Or do they look like someone who would support Obama?

[Great Caesars Ghost]

56. and services as well

[savalez]

15. THis is from the article

But he readily acknowledged that the part-timers' political views weighed heavily in the decision. "Is your political affiliation protected?" he asked the Tribune rhetorically. "I don't believe it is, but I don't know."

Sadly, it isn't: According to AOL Jobs, only five states currently protect employees from being fired on the basis of their political beliefs — California, New York, Connecticut, Colorado and Mississippi.

However, the employees could potentially file a civil lawsuit against Lee for wrongful termination.

[dixiegrrrrl]

19. Mississippi?????

Amazing...
as I sit here in "right to work" Alabama.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

58. Thats why I left Cali for Oregon

[savalez]

64. To each his own.

CA's my home. Amazing state.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

65. Don't get me wrong, CA is an awesome state.

I just wanna run my business the way I want.

[savalez]

71. You just wanna fire people because of how they vote?

I'm not sure what biz you are in but plenty of businesses are doing just fine here.

[LanternWaste]

73. Precisely how does an employee's voting record interfere with how you run your business?

Precisely how does an employee's voting record interfere with how you run your business?

Precisely how does a state law protecting employees from being fired for a political affiliation interfere with you running a business?

[DLine]

30. I know exactly what you mean..

The more absurd their claims, the more ignorant they are of politics. There are people I would actually call "friends" who thought as recently as the election that Obama was a muslim and born in kenya. It blows their mind. They usually stop arguing, but who knows if they actually believe me. Im just brainwashed by the "liberal media".

[Botany]

13. What a dumb ass because by his talking he is now open to a ...

... real nice lawsuit. This little stunt will cost him $50,000 at
a minimum in bad p.r., legal fees, and God knows what else.

The ACLU will take this case and even if it (the firings) are upheld
in a local court they will appeal on up the food chain.

[DeschutesRiver]

42. They can sue, but they will not win. What do you think the cause of action would be? nt

[Botany]

47. a violation of their employees' civil rights or privacy .....

.... or maybe a just show cause suit. Depends on what court it winds up
in ...... a smart lawyer for the company might tell his client to just
settle up pdq because of court and legal fees along w/ the company will
get $$$$$$$ worth of bad p.r. too.

But then again i might be wrong on everything.

[DeschutesRiver]

48. I didn't see any support in the facts so far for violations of civil rights or privacy - can you

point me to that information? I am on dialup, so I may have missed those facts.

Unless you've seen something I missed, the facts at present don't support anything other than a dismissal of such a lawsuit. In which case, if I were that company's attorney, I wouldn't have any basis for suggesting a settlement. And from what I'm seeing recently in that state, I don't think this will get them much local bad p.r. - there seem to be elements there that are okay with this kind of thinking.

I'm hoping not a majority, as I plan to visit the national parks in Utah this year, and am hoping that my mouth won't get me into any trouble if I run into this kind of thinking.

I don't like it either, but just because something ticks me off doesn't mean there is a legal remedy. Of course, it is still early in the game, and more facts may still come to light that would give rise to an actual reason why the fired employees could prevail in a lawsuit. I would hope so, because I'd like to see this employer in deep trouble. But just because I wish it so, doesn't make it so.

[Botany]

49. moot point

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=374581

but even it wasn't you might be 100% right because Utah is a "right to work state."

[JoeyT]

69. Well.....

"They were Obama supporters. We just knew they were," Lee said.

He pretty much just admitted he fired someone because they either weren't white, they were a woman, or they were LGBT.

[Indyfan53]

17. Can they sue?

If not, they should just leave the fascist state. Colorado is right next door!

[yardwork]

18. If this story is true at all, I suspect that the workers he fired are African American.

"They were Obama supporters. We just knew they were," Lee said.

How did he "just know they were" Obama supporters? I suspect it's because they are black. The business owner already revealed his racism with the word he used instead of Obamacare.

[Jacoby365]

26. I can't imagine him hiring

an African American in the first place.

[lunasun]

27. +1 same thought here

[intheflow]

28. It would be interesting to know the ex-employees' race(s).

I hadn't thought of that, it being Utah and all, but it certainly wouldn't surprise me if they weren't people of color and/or possibly women.

[LeftyMom]

37. It's Utah. They almost certainly weren't black. They were probably *gasp* NOT GOOD MORMONS.

Utah.

[Why Syzygy]

21. These people

eat Frosted Hater Flakes, Nut'n Honest and Stupid Krispies for breakfast.

[MrScorpio]

22. Their bullshit is out of control nt

[Socal31]

24. Does anybody else read these loonies quotes in the voice of some WV moonshiner?

What year do they think this is?

Although there is more than one town in rural Utah that you want to make sure you never drive through, and if you have to, make sure you have enough gas that you don't have to stop. A quick google on "The Lost Boys" will show you just how back wards they can be, to the point where local law enforcement is involved.

[Historic NY]

29. Two contract employees..

which means he wasn't paying anything extra.

[UtahLib]

31. I read many of the comments on the article.

Thankfully, Terry Lee is being delivered a pretty good smack down. His business works with local law enforcement and attorneys to retrieve digital data from encrypted computer hard drives. One comment I found interesting is that if the agencies he works with are, directly or indirecty, receiving federal dollars, they may be prohibited from contracting with his business. Can't think of a better outcome for such a blatant and disgusting racist. Guess he won't be so proud of himself then.

[ReRe]

32. Karma, in....

....3-2-1,,,,,, Karma Kaboom!

[olddad56]

38. if this can happen in Utah, next it will happen in the United States.

[stultusporcos]

39. Will people learn from this event that

Last edited Sat Jan 19, 2013, 07:13 AM - Edit history (1)

If Workers are not in Unions they are employed at the mercy of their employer

All Republicans and their supporters are vile and disgusting

This is soon going to spread all across the United States mainly in Red States and the GOP base will cheer

Will people finally figure out that the real enemy of America and freedom is the Republican party, their supporters and backers and start acting and treating them accordingly? No this is not a call for physical violence but for people to stop dealing with ALL Pubs on all levels mainly economically, they need to be punished for lack of a better for word by taking away what they worship most, money. Stop doing ALL business with red states, stop doing business with Pubs or those sympathetic to them, cut off ALL relationships with them at all levels of your life including those in your family, treat them like the scum they ALL truly are without exception.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

60. +1000000000000000032

[Nine]

40. I'm not so sure that what he did is legal.

Maybe there's no direct protection for political leanings (which, alone, shocks me), but aren't things protected which coincide or correlate with protected classes? I mean height may not be directly protected but you couldn't use it as a hiring/firing/promoting factor when it favors men of women and probably the non-disabled over some disabled people. Right? Political leanings are very correlated to race and, to a lesser extent, gender. I'm not a lawyer but I'd like to hear some DU lawyers weigh in on this.

[socialist_n_TN]

44. I am more surprised by folks who think that this is illegal or..........

somehow actionable in court. THIS IS A PROTECTED BEHAVIOR IN THE CAPITALIST SYSTEM! Anybody can sue anybody for anything, but they won't win.

[cali]

46. this looks to be a faux story, for what reason I can't imagine

there is no company by that name listed with the Utah Tax dept. evidently and the Facebook page says the business was established in January 2013.

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

looks like the writer was punked.

[jberryhill]

55. Meaningless

Why do you assume it was an incorporated entity, instead of a sole proprietorship?

The absence of a listing of such a "company" is insufficient evidence on which to draw a conclusion.

But, here's a really weird thing... it seems a car dealer's site in Indiana had, at one point, pages designed to give the impression that such a business exists:

http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:UGQNMFhbxmQJ:terrylee.com/recovery.php+&cd=46&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a

Yep... fake story:

http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?s=abfd8b8f9814c26525a0a054c6ef510d&p=1705082#post1705082

[Politicub]

50. There's a full own mormon revolt

First the sheriff talking about nullification and now this.

[liberalmuse]

52. This piece of shit.

I hope he loses everything.

[Great Caesars Ghost]

59. Here is the honest truth

In a "what goes around, comes around" dept., there are plenty of liberal progressives that do the very same thing. This is a form of seggregation. I admit, I do it too. As I stated in another post, when a person fills out forms for repair consideration, listing political affiliation is manditory. Keep em Seperated!

[and-justice-for-all]

68. I think someone is getting sued in the very bear futur..nt

[Katorama]

72. It may not be illegal for him to fire them, but it's also not illegal to drive his business into the

ground.

Same asshole who charged liberals more for their f***ng smoothies.

http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/money/55642295-79/burnett-liberals-smoothie-vernal.html.csp


He has a facebook page too.

http://www.ilovedrilling.com/