Cubs’ Owner’s Hatred Of Obamacare Leads To Suspended Game
The staffing issues that hamstrung the grounds crew Tuesday during a mad dash with the tarp under a sudden rainstorm were created in part by a wide-ranging reorganization last winter of game-day personnel, job descriptions and work limits designed to keep the seasonal workers – including much of the grounds crew – under 130 hours per month, according to numerous sources with direct knowledge.
That’s the full-time worker definition under “Obamacare,” which requires employer-provided healthcare benefits for “big businesses” such as a major league team.
It should be noted that the Cubs are the most profitable team in baseball and their owner is a partisan Republican.
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Copyright 2014 Liberaland
By: Stuart Shapiro
Stuart is a professor and the Director of the Public Policy
program at the Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy at Rutgers
University. He teaches economics and cost-benefit analysis and studies
regulation in the United States at both the federal and state levels.
Prior to coming to Rutgers, Stuart worked for five years at the Office
of Management and Budget in Washington under Presidents Clinton and
George W. Bush.
crc3 August 24th, 2014 at 09:47
Obama gets the blame for practically everything that goes wrong and no credit for anything that goes right. Not right politically but just right!!!
mdram August 24th, 2014 at 12:46
I stubbed my toe last night…thanks Obamacare!
Snick1946 August 26th, 2014 at 10:45
I have a friend (Republican) who had an horrific accident last year and ran up terns of thousands of uncovered expenses- he only has Medicare, and stubbornly refused to consider buying any supplementation. Well guess who is blaming now for his predicament? Yep, Obama! ‘He messed up healthcare.’ There seems no end to the delusions.
crc3 August 24th, 2014 at 09:47
Obama gets the blame for practically everything that goes wrong and no credit for anything that goes right. Not right politically but just right!!!
mdram August 24th, 2014 at 12:46
I stubbed my toe last night…thanks Obamacare!
Snick1946 August 26th, 2014 at 10:45
I have a friend (Republican) who had an horrific accident last year and ran up terns of thousands of uncovered expenses- he only has Medicare, and stubbornly refused to consider buying any supplementation. Well guess who is blaming now for his predicament? Yep, Obama! ‘He messed up healthcare.’ There seems no end to the delusions.
AlbtMka August 24th, 2014 at 09:48
Tell the Cubs owner to grow a pair.
AlbtMka August 24th, 2014 at 09:48
Tell the Cubs owner to grow a pair.
maritzka August 24th, 2014 at 10:10
They are spanking the citizens of this country for electing President Obama….TWICE. It’s in the Republican Rule Book.
maritzka August 24th, 2014 at 10:10
They are spanking the citizens of this country for electing President Obama….TWICE. It’s in the Republican Rule Book.
mea_mark August 24th, 2014 at 10:40
Shouldn’t it be Cubs owner’s selfish greed leads to suspended game?
Stuart Shapiro August 24th, 2014 at 12:06
Sadly, selfish greed by a sports team owner hurting his team is not really news.
mea_mark August 24th, 2014 at 10:40
Shouldn’t it be Cubs owner’s selfish greed leads to suspended game?
Stuart Shapiro August 24th, 2014 at 12:06
Sadly, selfish greed by a sports team owner hurting his team is not really news.
jsutton August 24th, 2014 at 10:52
Yup. Selfish greed. Healthcare for inferiors? Nonsense. Let them fend for themselves and they’ll learn independence.
jsutton August 24th, 2014 at 10:52
Yup. Selfish greed. Healthcare for inferiors? Nonsense. Let them fend for themselves and they’ll learn independence.
ChrisVosburg August 24th, 2014 at 11:28
There was a lot of snickering at the Cubs groundskeeping crew Tuesday night, as they struggled with the tarp, because it is one of the oddities of Major League Baseball that a rained-out game is ruled to be a complete game if 4 1/2 innings have been played, and the Cubs were leading 2-0 when the rain came as the Giants were about to come to bat in the bottom of the fifth.
So, it looked at the time like foot-dragging; an effort to insure that the game would be a victory for Cubs, and sure enough, the game was called at midnight and the Cubs declared the winner when it appeared that no amount of Diamond Dry, which is like kitty litter for baseball fields, would soak up the wet which resulted from the apparent inability of the crew to tarp-haul.
As a result of the Giants protest, the Cubs victory was ruled invalid by MLB, and the game was suspended, which meant that the game was resumed on Thursday (immediately preceding the game originally scheduled for that date).
The Giants lost anyway, 2-1.
In its ruling declaring the suspension, MLB cited the fact that the tarp was improperly coiled and stored in its previous use as the reason for the crew’s inability to get it on with the tarp. Obamacare was not cited in the determination, for some reason.
ChrisVosburg August 24th, 2014 at 11:28
There was a lot of snickering at the Cubs groundskeeping crew Tuesday night, as they struggled with the tarp, because it is one of the oddities of Major League Baseball that a rained-out game is ruled to be a complete game if 4 1/2 innings have been played, and the Cubs were leading 2-0 when the rain came as the Giants were about to come to bat in the bottom of the fifth.
So, it looked at the time like foot-dragging; an effort to insure that the game would be a victory for Cubs, and sure enough, the game was called at midnight and the Cubs declared the winner when it appeared that no amount of Diamond Dry, which is like kitty litter for baseball fields, would soak up the wet which resulted from the apparent inability of the crew to tarp-haul.
As a result of the Giants protest, the Cubs victory was ruled invalid by MLB, and the game was suspended, which meant that the game was resumed on Thursday (immediately preceding the game originally scheduled for that date).
The Giants lost anyway, 2-1.
In its ruling declaring the suspension, MLB cited the fact that the tarp was improperly coiled and stored in its previous use as the reason for the crew’s inability to get it on with the tarp. Obamacare was not cited in the determination, for some reason.
fancypants August 24th, 2014 at 12:10
according to bruce Levine of WSCR670am ( a radio station I trust ) the grounds crew was mistakenly sent home because of a weather outlook mistake earlier in the day. There were no layoffs or “obamacare” issues reported.
Full story…http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/08/21/levine-grounds-crew-numbers-add-up-for-cubs/
Budda August 24th, 2014 at 14:01
But is it not true that the grounds crews are kept under 130 hours a month? If so, the reason why would appear quite obvious.
The Cubs owners, who are multi-BILLIONAIRES can easily afford a couple of thousand for health care I would think.
fancypants August 24th, 2014 at 14:11
im just replying to this particular day. It appears the grounds crew was there or ready to work but it also appears to be a rule they can be sent home if they are not needed.
if you need more info ? email bruce Levine (above link ) im sure he will get back to you, ive been listening to this station for over 20 years.
Budda August 24th, 2014 at 17:52
The point i’m trying to make is that the employees are kept under 130 hours/month for a reason…and that reason is probably because some Billionaires are either cheap ba$tards , RW fools or both.
Jack Steen August 25th, 2014 at 17:09
The Ragpicking Ricketts Family supports Bruce “Ragpicker” Rauner for Governor of Illinois – – you know – – you guy that says “…not all jobs belong in the US !”
fancypants August 25th, 2014 at 22:06
its either rauner or Quinn ( again ) Either way Don’t expect better paying jobs anytime soon
fancypants August 24th, 2014 at 12:10
according to bruce Levine of WSCR670am / CBS ( a radio station I trust ) the grounds crew was mistakenly sent home because of a weather outlook mistake earlier in the day. There were no layoffs or “obamacare” issues reported.
Full story…http://chicago.cbslocal.com/2014/08/21/levine-grounds-crew-numbers-add-up-for-cubs/
Budda August 24th, 2014 at 14:01
But is it not true that the grounds crews are kept under 130 hours a month? If so, the reason why would appear quite obvious.
The Cubs owners, who are multi-BILLIONAIRES can easily afford a couple of thousand for health care I would think.
fancypants August 24th, 2014 at 14:11
im just replying to this particular day. It appears the grounds crew was there or ready to work but it also appears to be a rule they can be sent home if they are not needed.
if you need more info ? email bruce Levine (above link ) im sure he will get back to you, ive been listening to this station for over 20 years.
Budda August 24th, 2014 at 17:52
The point i’m trying to make is that the employees are kept under 130 hours/month for a reason…and that reason is probably because some Billionaires are either cheap ba$tards , RW fools or both.
Jack Steen August 25th, 2014 at 17:09
The Ragpicking Ricketts Family supports Bruce “Ragpicker” Rauner for Governor of Illinois – – you know – – you guy that says “…not all jobs belong in the US !”
fancypants August 25th, 2014 at 22:06
its either rauner or Quinn ( again ) Either way Don’t expect better paying jobs anytime soon
M D Reese August 24th, 2014 at 14:16
The phrase “Penny wise and Pound foolish” comes to mind.
Nicholas Russell Harris August 25th, 2014 at 15:55
Or Penny Wise and Dollar Dumb. . .either way extremely stupid
M D Reese August 24th, 2014 at 14:16
The phrase “Penny wise and Pound foolish” comes to mind.
Nicholas Russell Harris August 25th, 2014 at 15:55
Or Penny Wise and Dollar Dumb. . .either way extremely stupid
RioBravoHombre August 24th, 2014 at 17:37
Stupid, worthless workers…who needs ’em? Oh…wait…they’re needed to work?
RioBravoHombre August 24th, 2014 at 17:37
Stupid, worthless workers…who needs ’em? Oh…wait…they’re needed to work?
vietnamvet67 August 25th, 2014 at 14:04
This is the consequence of Obama Socialist Heath Care . you wanted to be raise by The Mulato Negro , Socialist , Radical Muslim . and an illegal at that .
Rixar13 McGinnis August 25th, 2014 at 14:44
This explains why my Chicago buddy is crazy, he is a Cubs Fan… rolling eyes