California Governor Gavin Newsom exempted a billionaire buddy from California’s new $20 minimum wage law. Billionaire Greg Flynn owns more than two dozen Panera Bread locations in California, as well as Applebee’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s.
How did the billionaire boys club governor do this? He had it written right into AB 1228 by Assemblyman Chris Holden (D-Los Angeles):
“Fast food restaurant” shall not include an establishment that on September 15, 2023, operates a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread, as defined under Part 136 of Subchapter B of Chapter I of Title 21 of the Code of Federal Regulations, so long as it continues to operate such a bakery. This exemption applies only where the establishment produces for sale bread as a stand-alone menu item, and does not apply if the bread is available for sale solely as part of another menu item. (emphasis the Globe)
Here is the actual section AB 1228:
Bloomberg Law reported Wednesday:
Billionaire Greg Flynn, who made his fortune running one of the world’s largest restaurant franchise operations, is getting a new boost from sourdough loaves and brioche buns.
That’s because a California law that’s about to raise the state minimum wage at fast-food spots to $20 an hour from $16 offers an unusual exemption for chains that bake bread and sell it as a standalone item.
Governor Gavin Newsom pushed for that break, according to people familiar with the matter. Among the main beneficiaries is Flynn, a longtime Newsom donor whose California holdings include two dozen Panera Bread locations.
Give a donation, get an exemption? This is what corruption in plain sight looks like.
Bloomberg News reported that Flynn attended the same high school as Newsom, and has been involved in various business dealings with Gov. Newsom.
Flynn has also contributed at least $164,800 to Newsom’s political campaigns, the New York Post reported.
“In 2014, Flynn, who is the largest franchisee in the US with thousands of brands including Applebee’s, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s, acquired a Napa Valley resort that was managed by Newsom’s hospitality firm, according to disclosure forms.”
“Flynn has a net worth valued at $1.1 billion, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. He has donated at least $164,800 to Newsom’s campaigns.”
It pays to have friends in high places.
And it pays to have billionaire friends donate to your political campaigns.
But what about Flynn’s Panera employees – how long will they be content making $16.00 per hour while their friends at McDonald’s and Taco Bell are making $20.00 per hour?
View Comments (23)
Hair-gel Hitler and the criminal Democrat mafia don't even try to hide their corruption? Sadly, most Californians are too busy trying to make a living and they'll probably never know about this because the legacy propaganda media won't report on it? Luckily we have independent media outlets and reporters like Katy Grimes and California Globe to keep us informed?
stop going to PANDERA their prices are to high and the food is awful
or maybe those other burger joints just start selling really bad bread and call it done.
That won't work. They thought that loophole through. Only restaurants which were already selling bread get the exemption:
"Fast food restaurant” shall not include an establishment that on September 15, 2023, operates a bakery that produces for sale on the establishment’s premises bread."
How convenient to be billionaire Greg Flynn with a close buddy (and political donee) in Gov Gav Newsom; a governor buddy who is willing to order up an exemption for you from a pesky CA law that threatens to put a tiny dent in your multi-billions.
Gee, wouldn't it be nice to have a governor not quite as morally and ethically challenged and corrupt as Gavin Newsom? One who could actually SEE that if the $20 minimum wage cuts into his close buddy Greg Flynn's vast wealth ----- to the point that the buddy asks him for a favor in the form of an exemption from the LAW ---- that maybe, just maybe, it might actually CRUSH a franchise owner whose margins are a bit slimmer and whose bank account is a bit more shaky? And how about, in the first place, that the Newsom-supported, commie-union-backed, vote-buying, minimum-wage law is plainly and simply WRONG and un-American and clearly ruinous to small business even BEYOND fast-food restaurants proper?
But no, keep dreaming folks, we're stuck with Newsom, and now that we've seen the video on "malignant narcissism" we know we'll see more and more and more of this kind of "corruption in plain sight," as Katy Grimes says, to add to the endless "List of Newsom Disasters" for which this governor is responsible.
"California McDonald's Franchise Owners Target Lawmakers Over Minimum Wage Hike"
https://ktla.com/news/california/california-mcdonalds-franchise-owners-target-lawmakers-over-minimum-wage-hike/
I guess in terms of their modus operandi, the absence of light between Newsom and Biden is so absent that only God in the moments prior to Genesis could know.
This is an interesting one. Employees working at other jobs not in the fast food business, will want to switch jobs and move to a fast food restaurant that pays $20 per hour. The fast food franchise owner will then lay off (or not hire) high school, elderly, and partially handicapped employees. Oops. The "ma and pa" will then have to pay the $20/hour or lose employees. Many will go out of business or just be family owned and operated. High school students won't stand a chance. Doesn't sound like this law was thought out very well.
Didn’t Newsom also exempt his winery/restaurant from Covid shutdown, and carve out a housing exemption for Marin County where many of his donors live? There is no logic to support this latest exemption for a loaf of bread.
I’m so tired of this. If only we had a press corps who would confront Newsom at a press conference.
More racism from the party that brought us slavery, segregation, Jim Crow and the Klan
What about Mexican joints that roll their own tortillas? Or Asian ramen restaurants that pull their own noodles?
Because they're not white like Newsom and all his pals.
so, all these places have to do is "bake" bread and sell it to be exempt.
Here is a bread making machine from Amazon for $86,06. Every fast food restaurant can now be exempt.
https://a.co/d/e13Wg2o
Love it. Let's do that!
Seriously, Gregory Brittain, I'd like to see this idea go viral and actually adopted by fast food restaurants.
I don't do social media but heads up, social media users ----- maybe that would be the best place to start spreading it.
Well, isn't that convenient for Panera.
Did the other franchises know this interesting detail??