A Letter from Hobby Lobby Stores CEO –
By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. on November 26, 2012
When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn’t much bigger than most people’s living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God’s word. From there,Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation’s largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.
We’re Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I’ve always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our business in harmony with God’s laws, and (2) to focus on people more than money. And that’s what we’ve tried to do. We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week’s biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God’s grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We’ve not only added jobs in a weak economy, we’ve raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.
But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government health care mandate says that our family business MUST provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance. Being Christians, we don’t pay for drugs that might cause abortions, which means that we don’t cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in government fines.
Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that’s raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It’s not right. I know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it’s the same for everybody. But that’s not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won’t exempt them for reasons of religious belief.
So, Hobby Lobby and my family are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don’t like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.
My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that’s a choice no American and no American business should have to make.
The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies but will not except Christian organizations including the Catholic church.
Since you will not see this covered in any of the liberal media, pass this on to all your contacts.
Sincerely,
David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
Well I certainly hope more employers don’t go along with Obamacare either. When Obama and his coherts sign up for this wonderful obamination then the rest of us should. Thanks but no thanks Obama, Pelosi and Reid!!!
Holier than thou BS… Pay your workers minimum wage and NO benefits…Amen.
I wonder why when the Government, the President and all the rest are opting out of Obamacare. They want no part of it. But we the little people, we want what he had to give us and voted him back in. Well folks, you are about to find out what you voted for. Many of us could see it coming but there were more of you that believed what you were told.
Not for the movie stars. Why else would Letterman want Obama to get elected again? I think he makes about $40 million a year. Obama is going to give them a free pass for helping again.
This is a very well written letter from David Green, CEO and he is spot on with all of his points.
Every business in this country and it’s employees’s will very soon start feeling the effects from Obamacare, as major parts of it are rolled out in 2013. (And yes, there is a reason these changes are set to be rolled out in 2013, it is after the election folks, you will soon find out, and it is not good.)
Full time employees will be moved to part time, positions will be eliminated to get under the cap. Some employers will drop health coverage and pay the fines for not offering it because the fines in the first few years will be less than providing coverage. (Later the fines go up, stay tuned for that.)
If you want a job, 16,000 new IRS agents will be hired to enforce the law. Yes, we will pay their wages, this isn’t free folks. This is just the tip of the iceberg that the mainstream media has not told you and I thank NIT for running with this letter.
This bill is nothing but a job destroying bill that is not constitutional. I don’t care if our activist judges are saying it is, it is not. (They only reason they said it was constitutional is because they ruled it was a tax, after Obama and his lawyers argued it was not a tax.)
well put sir. What is the difference if gov said they had to be open on Sunday?
I just hope you are wrong about this. I hope.
Obammerland for everyone !
Wait for it people it’s gonna get ugly. Tax the rich??? Middle class is gonna get hit HARD.