The High Price Of Tea.

[byronius]

A friend of mine, Bob, who owns a small business, just told me this story.

He has two employees, Nathan and Vera. Nathan imprints items that Vera assembles; both are long-term, hard-working, nearly irreplaceable employees. Nathan has always been a Republican, but recently has veered rightward into Tea Party territory, as a daily listener of Beck and Limbaugh. Bob and Nathan used to be comfortable talking politics until the 2004 election. After that, they just worked together, and both now keep their politics private.

A note about Nathan, that will tell you why Bob doesn't bother tussling with him -- Nathan is a single-issue Republican, one who pays child support to a woman he slept with only once. Nathan seems to be certain that Republicans are opposed to child support, and thinks that they will eventually give men the right to force abortions on women they've had sex with, instead of allowing the women to make the choice.

Got that? He's weak-minded, confused, and a little weird. In other words, perfect Teabagger material.

So Bob feels more sorry for Nathan than disliking him, and as long as he keeps his politics out of the workplace, leaves him be. Nathan can be apparently quite friendly and personable under most circumstances, as long as ideology is kept off the table.

Bob arrived at work the other day to greet a sobbing Vera, tears streaming down her face. Vera is a grandmother in her fifties, an immigrant from Laos putting five children through college without help from her husband, who was laid off last year. Vera told Bob that Nathan had yelled at her, that he hated her, thought she was a bad person. She said she felt that she did not deserve to be treated in this way.

Vera's 'crime' was showing up to work fifteen minutes early.

Bob told Vera he would make things right. His company is small, only eight employees left after the recession, and there's just no room for that kind of discord. Bob feels like he runs an enlightened company, pays a living wage, and pays for eighty percent of his employee's skyrocketing health insurance -- even as the company barely skirts bankruptcy.

Bob asked Nathan to talk to him outside. From Nathan's characteristic shit-eating grin, he could tell Nathan was expecting something. When he asked Nathan what had happened, he admitted to yelling at Vera, but then suggested that he was justified.

Bob, stunned, asked why it was ever justifiable to make a hard-working grandmother cry, and asked Nathan if he hated Vera.

Nathan replied that he did hate Vera. Why? Nathan replied that it was because Vera's an immigrant. And because she hasn't learned to speak English more fluently during her employment with the company.

Bob counted to ten. Then he tried to clarify -- surely Nathan didn't mean --

But he did, repeating his Teabagger-implanted opinion quite clearly, in terms that Bob recognized as parroted Fox News-speak.

Bob lost his temper. He said he was just too shocked by what he heard to maintain.

Later, all was shakily patched up. Nathan semi-apologized, and was notified that Vera had generously suggested that Nathan be allowed to keep his job under the condition that the behavior never occur again. Nonetheless, everyone in the company was shocked, and the event really altered the tone of the workplace, permanently.

Bob feels like it's just another nail in the coffin for the business.


Beck and Limbaugh make a lot of money, and will never experience the harmful consequences of their awful mouthings, and the terrible poisoning of weaker-minded folk who carry their hate-mongering lies into the real world, where it hurts people's lives, and damages the nation.

Tea is expensive. For everyone.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

1. They didn't get Bob!

[izquierdista]

2. They need to can Nathan now

and hope that he won't become what the news reports call "a disgruntled former employee".

[the redcoat]

3. I wonder how many other teabaggers are

making working conditions miserable for fellow employees, then getting fired and saying "I can't get a job!"

[zbdent]

11. far more than the media will let on ...

and this is why you often only hear the RWers making all kinds of noise ... because the lefties are a bit more tactful.

Right now, I have a semi-relative Limbaugh listener in the hospital ... he's been on medicare disability, for his diabetes. Maybe if he didn't weigh over 300+ pounds, it might have gotten under control. But his Glenn Beck-listening wife cooked with plenty of fat (and not just in the pan).

[the redcoat]

12. This is why I'm

in favor of raising taxes on things like tanning, cigarettes, and soda.

This stuff is scientifically proven to have adverse side effects, and to refuse higher taxes on them so that healthcare costs are passed on to responsible people through taxes and insurance payments is a stubborn, ignorant, asshole-ish mentality. Unfortunately, it seems to often be the American mentality.

That guy is, as far as I'm concerned, spending MY money because he's an irresponsible asshole.

It's essentially a platform of: cut taxes, but let us make shitty decisions that raise costs.

[drm604]

4. Your friend is a better man than me.

I don't think there's any way that Nathan would still have a job if he'd been working for me.

I don't think I could stand to look at him every day. Not only that, I'd fear that somebody that unstable, with anger management problems, who is under the sway of hate-mongers, might even be dangerous.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. Nathan has created a hostile work environment and legally be fired if this continues.

He should have been written up immediately to start the paper trail.

[JustAnotherGen]

5. Gaah

First – sending big hug vibes out to Vera.

Second my boyfriend is a green card holder from Italy. Was here in the 70’s for a while (dad was working on the build of the WTC) then came back again in early 2001. He’s an artists by training (bronze, copper, iron sculpture) but started a business 9 years ago that does industrial work as well.

Think custom designed bars made of copper, custom designed home gates, restaurant building fixtures, etc. etc. He now has 32 employees. He also recently bought into an HVAC business that has 26 employees aside from he and the other owner - but that’s another story for another day.

The 2008 election was a nightmare for him. His employees split down the middle in the iron works business. He has a no ‘politic’ (that’s his Italian accent – no ‘s’ at the end :rofl: ) policy at work. No mugs, no TShirts, no discussions, no nothing! You want to put a bumper sticker on your car? That’s fine. If he finds out one employee ripped off another’s (this happened during 08) they are fired. This is in his employee handbook. :rofl: And right before we went on vacay last week – the worst offender started popping off about immigrants.

Stop – wait – read again. He started popping off on immigrants when his boss who provides 100% health insurance including dental and vision, six weeks paid vacay at start (it’s the European thing ya know! :rofl: ), who tells his employees – if you are sick! Stay home! I trust that you are sick or your child is sick. He popped off to THAT guy - his boss is n Italian immigrant who is wait listed to gain citizenship (will maintain his Italian citizenship as well).


Giovanni’s take on this was: Bambala - The thing is – the TEA and Fox types? They don’t think. They don’t have critical thinking skills.

Does it make it any better for Vera? Nope. But we have to remember – these are people who have CHOSEN to be ignorant bottom feeders and to just parrot other people’s thoughts.

[Winterblues]

7. No one is irreplaceable

I am fairly certain good help could be found quite easily and probably for less money than Nathan is earning.. Get rid of the rot, as it spreads..

[sakabatou]

8. The tea is poison.

[Iris]

9. I would have fired Nathan long ago for being stupid. What part of "no abortions

under any circumstances" does he not understand?

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

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