Was Employee Laid Off for Voting for Obama?

TexAgs.com

Updated 4:05 p.m. ET

Last Friday, someone going by the name "dermdoc" posted a thread on a message board for Texas A&M students and alumni with this topic: "Laid off my first Obama voting employee today."

"Our reimbursement rates are spiraling downward, taxes are projected to go up with Obamacare, so I did it," the person wrote. He later added: "I made this decision because I can."

"It is kind of interesting watching their face as you explain to them the economic consequences of the policies of the guy they voted for," wrote dermdoc.

Hotsheet reached out to the person who we believe to have been responsible for the posting, but our requests for comment went unanswered. Late Wednesday afternoon, after Hotsheet's inquiry, the thread appeared to be removed from the TexAgs.com Web site. (The original link was here.) We took screen shots before the removal; you can view the full first page of comments here. 

The posting prompted 20 pages of comments, some celebrating dermdoc's initial post and others questioning whether it was appropriate for him to have laid off an employee seemingly on the basis of his or her politics.

Dermdoc interacted repeatedly with commenters, and it is possible that his claim about laying off an Obama voter was grounded at least to some extent in bravado. He goes on to lament that his practice will suffer economically under the Obama health care plan.

"Elections have consequences," wrote dermdoc. "If you vote for someone who raises my taxes and lowers my income, you pay the cost."

"My office manager and med business guru have calculated that this is just the beginning. Tax rates are going to go through the roof with additional Obamacare taxes AND the expiration of the Bush tax cuts," he added. "And most analysts think reimbursement rates for docs will go down about 20-25% the next 2 years, and that is BEFORE Obamacare really kicks in."

dermdoc wrote that he feels "kind of feel like the Hollywood lib directors who wouldn't give parts to conservative actors."

"The most interesting thing was seeing the reactions of other employees who came to the startling realization that their support of a guy who hurts my business could cost them their job," he wrote.

"And what a lot of you guys and gals don't seem to understand is that as long as I make the money, pay the bills, pay the taxes, pay the salaries, assume all the legal liability, etc., that I can do just about what I want to(as can every other business owner in the US)," he added. "And that is what really, really pisses of Obama and his minions. Unintended consequences are a beeyatch."

dermdoc eventually took a more conciliatory tone after another poster said he knew him and that he was a good person.

"Okay, I am outed," he wrote. "I hate having to lay off anybody, but I had to for obvious reasons. Fortunately as stated earlier, I think the employee will get another job. Business owners and the 'rich' are not going to pay for Obamacare, the middle class is. We will cut costs via layoffs and raise prices or find someway to pass on the costs ot YOU."

"That is the way business works," he added. "...If that makes me an ahole, so be it."

CBS News Producer Will Goodman contributed reporting.

Doctor to Obama Supporters: Find a New M.D.

[surehecan]

Texas is an at will state, any employee can be released for any or no reason. I am sure some one has told you this before now.

[skulldigger7]

Once more: the best thing about a democracy is that we deserve what we get. Hopefully, by the time of the next election, the voting public will stop riding the wave of emotion, start looking at FACTS, and start reversing some of the damage that this socialist monster is doing. Gotta love a democracy!!

[marks6806]

A good job for him would be dictator in a cozy little socialist banana republic. Then he could 'transform the nation' as he believes it should be - with no reflection, input or feedback from the people. "....just do what he wants because its the right thing to do."

Spoken like Chavez, Castro, etc. Go for it Osama.

[obamainyourface]

to all you businessmen ... the pyramids need bricks .. the dead make no bricks ..

[marks6806]

And if you think Hsama has a snowballs chance of being re-elected - think about who voted for him. Osama managed to lie his way into the Oval Offfice because everyone was sick of Bush. Osama was elected because of BUSH. So you Kool-Aid slurpers should send him a than-you card.

As for the election demographics - Osama has NO CHANCE of re-election. The moderate dems, pubs and independents got him elected. Nearly all of these people have seen the real Osama and will not be fooled again. The young Kool-Aid crowd and the welfare buses won't even come close.

So enjoy while you can.... 2012 isn't too far off :-).

Then we can roll-back all this socialist crap and get back to being the only true democracy with a capitolist-based economy on earth. The same things that have made us great. The reason why people still want to move here.

And you Osama-worshiopers can still follow your man - back at one of those the community-organizer events in chicago. Just make sure you have a gun, knife, etc. and dress VEEEERRY casual - or you may not make it back home alive.

[marks6806]

This is for all you Hope-a-Dopes:

For the record: Churches give money from the congregation because they want to help others. The goverbment does it because they want to be-re-elected so they can continue to steal from the taxpayers. Take a look at how much 'charitable' contributions the 'progressive politician' gives away. Zilch. They give YOUR money away if you work and pay taxes. Sounds like a lot of people posting here do neither - so they are for.... OBAMA ! Anyone who works AND pays income tax should be running for the election booth this fall to clean the progressive (e.g. socialists) from our congress. I will be there. Most of the young 'Hope and Change' Kool-Aid crowd and the welfare-bus crowds from ACORN will be too busy drinking, protesting tuition hikes, and smocking crack to make it. That's why Osama will be a lame-duck socialist the 2nd 1/2 of his hate-monger term.... unable to do anything but rant and flap his jaws while he points his fingers at the camera and repeats "let's be clear".... before each new lie spews from his mouth. A presidency that will go down in the books as the most destructive and devisiveone in the history of our nation.

By-bye Osama....

[nothingschangedinLA]

I have been a nurse for 30 YEARS..I think I am close to being an expert on health care in the U.S....for one thing..I don't care WHAT doctor's are saying...they are NOT going to quit their practices..what will they do for a living??? They are not going to quit and give up their incomes and lifestyles..no way! AND...what does it say about them if they DO quit??? It says they are strictly in it for the money and their hypocratic oath means nothing to them. If that is the way they feel...I know a TON of nurse practitioners that would gladly take their places seeing patients..they do a better job most of the time anyway..they take more time with the patients and are up to date on their medical knowledge and are doing what they do because they want to help people, NOT to get wealthy. This country has the worst health care of any civilized country in the world and there is more fraud and waste than any of you can imagine! As far as having to wait for an appointment..if you try to see a specialist now, you have to wait sometimes 3 months or more and sometimes a month or more to get into see your own primary care physician. Medicare was almost out of money from being ROBBED, so now it will last for nine more years..without the overhaul, it would be broke in less than seven. It all needs to be fine tuned and done quickly. This bill only affects people without insurance..most of the country is already on government insurance..politicians, medicare recipients, disabled and our armed forces..if it is good enough for them, it is good enough for us. Another important bit of information is that this country doesn't take care of it's health..we are TOO FAT and don't get enough exercise...we rely on medications that we really don't need to "FIX" us..it is ridiculous the ignorance that exists when it comes to people and their health and how to stay healthy. People want the EASY solution to everything and there is no easy fix this time..it is 2010 and our health care is WAY BEHIND TIMES!! I am all for fixing it, in whatever way our President has to do it..I'm just happy that FINALLY we have a president that is intelligent and has balls enough to do something about it!!

[zinaer]

I love you.

[aggie2003]

With all due respect my I inquire: have you been on the floor the entire 30 years or are you in Management? I have very close ties with over 50 upper-level hospital management employees and long term doctors. I have spoken with legal experts that have read and analyzed this inside and out. I have knowledge that when insurance companies tired to educate their policy holders the government threatened them... EVERYONE I know agrees this is a terrible move. The only good health care move made in the last 14 months was electornic medical records; which as you probably know as an "expert" in the medical field was a BUSH bill that went in to effect after the current person living in the white house moved in, but proceed to take full credit for. Some of the concepts are good but the bottom line is it pushes our DEMOCRATIC nation into a nation of SOCIALISM. While many doctors will continue practicing; many will retire and many brillant minds will be detered from attending med school. Not because they have no desire to help man kind, but because the cost of Med school is so high that when the income goes down they will not be able to pay their bills. This does not mean they would not gladly take the hypocratic oath; it simply means they are practical and want to be able to provide for themselves post graduation. I think most doctors who are in it for the patients do not set themselves that far above middle class, but they would like to live comfortably which after the years of hard work they put in where they know more than a floor nurse as 2nd yr students yet make way less then said nurse throughout residence they rightly deserve.

This is said from the view point of growing up with a mother as an OR nurse and now having a bother as a Radiologist. My mom has been a nurse for 35 yrs, my brother has been out of fellowship 3 1/2 yrs. I take advice from my brother any day over ANY nurse. Nurses are not experts or they would be doctors. No amount of observation of doctors knowledge adds up to an MD. Also I am a proud member of Texas A & M class of 2003 who does not agree with firing an employee for how they voted; after all there was only one person with him in that booth to watch him cast; and the Lord is no longer here on earth to tell what he did in that booth. Often people lie about their vote.

[tgwoe]

Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...
Please Post the Name and address of this "Doctor" He is a dull tool and needs to loose some business...

[atlconsultant]

The only person "dermdoc" has to blame is himself for being a poor business man. The Dow is at its highest level in 18 months, and my employer is hiring at pre-recession rates. And taxes have not gone up for a single person since Obama was elected... in fact most people have seen tax cuts thanks to the "Making Work Pay" stimulus.

Sooo dermdoc, more likely you've just driven away so many customers with your hateful attitude and delusions of grandeur that you can't afford to pay your employees anymore. Good riddance.

[yourmomscalling]

WHO GIVES A RATS ASS BECAUSE HE SURE AS HELL DOESN'T GIVE A CRAP ABOUT US !!!!!