Back in October, a contributor for Tea Party Nation called for businesses not to hire anyone in a deliberate effort to hurt the Obama administration. Well, a Georgia crane operator seems to be taking up that offer. He claims that current conditions don't allow him to hire as long as Obama is in office.
"Can't afford it," explained the employer, Bill Looman, Tuesday evening. "I've got people that I want to hire now, but I just can't afford it. And I don't foresee that I'll be able to afford it unless some things change in D.C."
Looman's company is U.S. Cranes, LLC. He said he put up the signs, and first posted pictures of the signs on his personal Facebook page, six months ago, and he said he received mostly positive reaction from people, "about 20-to-one positive."
WXIA-TV/11 Alive in Atlanta interviewed this moran on Tuesday.
Looman says he's had those signs on his trucks for six months. However, one of the pictures went viral on Monday, and since then he's been forced to temporarily disconnect his phones and his Website due to the avalanche of calls and Web traffic that have resulted.
Seems to me that Looman is blowing smoke. You'd think that a construction company would be able to hire, even in this climate.
Looman fully intends to keep the signs up. That's his right--but it's our right to call BS on him.
Update: Since this made the rec list, I thought I'd share a statement one of Looman's friends, Mark Sankewitsch, posted on his Website in place of the normal content (h/t to BeerNotWar).
William (Bill) Looman is a veteran, a patriot, and most importantly, my friend and brother. He and I along with many other Marines, Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen/women and Coasties, served, still serve, and shall continue to serve, so that the Constitution of the United States of America cannot be so trampled as to rob any American of their right to freedom of expression. All of you who have been less than kind in your assessment of Bill for his practice of that freedom, should be ashamed of yourselves. Every American has the right of freedom of speech, through the printed word or spoken, and for you to look down upon that right is to declare that not only do you not believe in the American Constitution, but to also declare to all that listen that you do not care to be branded an American. How sad that is.
No, Mark. Looman has the right to put up those signs--and we have just as much right to call him on it.