Philadelphia pizzeria owner says he would gladly pay 20 cents more per pie if it meant Affordable Health Care for Americans
PHILADELPHIA, PA - Last week, John Schnatter, the founder and CEO of Papa John's Pizza - a Mitt Romney supporter and fundraiser - announced that the Affordable Care Act will raise the cost of his pizza 11 to 14 cents each, or 15 to 20 cents per order.
But small business owners disagree
Philadelphia pizzeria owner Brian Dwyer, creator and spokesperson for Pizza Brain, says "As a pizza consumer, I will gladly pay 20 cents more per pie if that meant that people and their families got health insurance."
"The whole idea of a pizza shop is that it is a community hub, where strangers can meet each other and share a slice of pizza. Pizza is so inherently communal that to complain about 11 cents a slice is a good indicator that the owner of Papa Johns has lost touch with the heart of what pizza is really about; community."
Brian, says as a small business owner he is excited about the prospect of providing his employees health insurance. "We want to provide health insurance for our employees, we want to provide our employees with the best possible options. To be able to give back to the people that work for and with us is what Pizza Brain is all about."
And Brian isn't the only small business owner who feels this way.
Bret Keisling, owner of a law practice in Harrisburg says "the tax credits available under the Affordable Care Act will allow him to grow and expand his business while also attracting the best and the brightest employees."
Luckily for small business owners, under the Affordable Care Act small businesses who provide health insurance to their employees qualify for a small business tax credit of up to 35% to offset the cost of insurance.
And beginning in 2014, small businesses with generally fewer than 100 employees can shop in an Affordable Insurance Exchange, which gives them the leveraging power similar to what a large business enjoys when purchasing health insurance.
