Jimmy John Liautaud, founder of the restaurant chain Jimmy John’s, is speaking out about the state of the country — asserting that using welfare will “destroy a man’s soul,” and condemning the government for bribing its citizens.
Liautaud made the comments during an exclusive interview with Breitbart News at Turning Point USA’s annual AmericaFest conference in Phoenix, Arizona, in which he also discussed his success story and why he believes that America’s best days are still ahead of it.
“There’s 14 states that are giving out between $80,000 and $100,000 a year in welfare for a family of four. Well, that’s just not sustainable,” he said.
“And nor is it good for the recipients of the welfare,” Liautaud added. “Maybe for a short time, but if they’re capable, you destroy a man’s soul. You destroy a family. You don’t want to give them a fish. You want to teach them to fish.”
The Jimmy John’s founder went on to note that, by paying out so much money in welfare, the government is essentially competing with businesses for labor — keeping workers out of the job market, especially for small businesses.
It’s pretty simple: If welfare pays better than work, why choose to work?
But in the long run that tempting choice is a bad one – because it will end up keeping those in the welfare system trapped in poverty.
— PragerU (@prageru) May 13, 2021
“When the government is your biggest competitor, it makes it really, really hard to start a small business,” he said. “When there’s five or six million people that are unemployed, that are totally capable, that are earning this free money from the government.”
Liautaud pointed out that “the government works for us, and they serve us. We don’t serve them.”
“And they’re using this money as bribe money to have people vote for them, and keep them at home,” he added. “So it’s completely mixed up right now. It’s a tough time.”
Liautaud then argued that the success of many businesses is being drowned out by rising prices caused by skyrocketing inflation.
“We have businesses right now that are very successful, but prices are going up, things are getting more expensive, and it’s getting much harder. So it’s adapt or die,” he said.
He also noted that “we don’t have days in America where we celebrate the producers, and celebrate those people that produce the tax base for those in America that are not paying into the tax base.”
“But Hollywood has a party for itself every week, with tuxedos and red carpet and limousines and excess,” Liautaud added.
