Clarence Otis is the chief executive officer of Darden Restaurants, owner of such prominent chains as Olive Garden, Red Lobster, and LongHorn Steakhouse. The company operates more than 1,800 restaurant locations that collectively employ more than 180,000 people across North America.

So you might say he knows a thing or two about job creation.

He’s also a former donor to Barack Obama’s presidential campaign. So he’s not a longtime Republican with a vendetta against the incumbent. He would have no political reason to hate on the administration.

So when he says Obama’s policies are killing job creation in America, maybe people should listen.

“Businesses adding jobs” is a headline every elected official loves to read. Sadly, it’s one that’s getting harder and harder to find because of a policy and regulatory landscape that makes it increasingly difficult for businesses to see why and where creating new jobs makes sense.

That’s especially true for me and my colleagues in the restaurant industry, who find ourselves facing a plate piled high with more and more federal, state and local regulations.

Regulatory mandates flowing from federal health care reform may be the most visible, but the list also includes measures such as new mandatory paid leave provisions that require us to change the way we accommodate employees who need to take time off when they are ill and ever more unrealistic requirements regarding employee meal and rest breaks that, in California for example, force our employees to take breaks in the middle of serving lunch or dinner.

Obama insists his endless regulations and mandates don’t cost Americans jobs. He’s never run so much as a lemonade stand. Otis says the policies cost Americans quite a few jobs. He runs a multinational, publicly-traded corporation with more than 180,000 employees.

Gee, who should we listen to?