Fw: Merry Christmas from the Trimble Family - your biggest fans!

We received this unsolicited email in Isaac's central office from one of our customers. It's hoot! Read and enjoy!

----- Original Message -----

From: Heltrim1@aol.com

To: ajacobs@isaacsdeli.com

Sent: Saturday, December 16, 2006 8:50 PM

Subject: Merry Christmas from the Trimble Family - your biggest fans!

Dear Phillip, Alan, DJ, David, Greg, Jennifer, Jessica, Deborah, and Johnny :

Last Christmas, I asked my wife what she wanted for Christmas. She said she wanted a Hummingbird. So I made this for her:

She said, "That's nice. But the Hummingbird I want is at Issacs."

Her birthday came February 12th. I asked what she wanted. She said she wanted a Blue Heron, so I made her this...

She said, "That's nice, but the Blue Heron I want is at Issacs."

Valentines Day came, and I thought I would surprise her with a Mallard. When I gave her this carving

she said, "That's nice,. but the Mallard I want is at Issacs.

Then came our April 25th Anniversary. For that I carved her this Eagle:

She replied, "That's nice, but the Eagle I want is a Salty Eagle at Issacs."

For the Fourth of July, I made her this Emu:

She said, "That's nice, but the Emu I want is an Aussie Emu at Issacs."

Now, don't get me wrong. I love your restaurant, and willingly come there once a week with all my family. But please, don't put a cardinal family on your menu until after Christmas as that is what she will be getting this year.

Merry Christmas from us all.

Your biggest fans,

Harold Trimble and Family

16 East Drive

Rising Sun MD 21911

May Miller

I was pleased to participate in a celebration for May Miller, hostess in Oakhurst, last Thursday. It was a combined celebration for her 80th Birthday and 10th anniversary at Isaac's! Ruth set up a big table in the lobby with punch and cookies for everyone.

Here is Ruth standing with May.

May at her station!

Here is May with Greg Drake.


May received all manner of bawdy congratulatory cards from her customers! I think some of them know her almost TOO well!

Thanks, May, for working here for 10 years, and thanks, Ruth, for setting this up! We look forward to May's 90th Birthday and 20th Anniversary in 2016!

The funniest part of this whole day was after lunch, Ruth and I were sitting in the office, shooting the breeze, when suddenly Lindsay burst in and announced "We need to make more punch!" and grabbed the soup wine and darted out. Ruth nearly fell off her chair! She leaped to her feet, but quickly realized the kitchen was full of employees laughing hysterically! They pulled a good one on Ruth and me!

Ode to the Season!

This message came from Mary Ellen Reitmeyer to the Football Parents and Coaches. It's certainly worth posting as a summary of the LCHS Football season.

PUT ME IN COACH – I’M READY TO PLAY

ISAIAH 6:8

In my family, it goes something like this… 1st God, 2nd Family & Friends & 3rd Football. Some may not understand, but those are usually the people that didn’t grow up rooting for the home team or watching their son hit the field while we sit on the 50 yard line. I got to do both. For the past nine years we have spent every weekend of every fall, watching Doozer and his teammates play football. Before each game, I’d bless my son and remind him to, "Be safe, have fun and kick their butts – in that order!" Then I’d give him a hug – the kind you give when you won’t see someone you love for awhile. Every play, every game, every opponent, mattered – the goal was victory. The happiest day was the first day of pre-season and the saddest was the last day of the football season. And most of all, you pray that the lessons learned on the field and in all the hours of preparation for Friday night will someday transfer to life.

The team that I will always hold closest to my heart is the LCHS Varsity 2006 Football Team. They are a family, a brotherhood built on shared purpose, goals and commitment. They are a wonderful group of young men who know that the good of the whole is more important than the glory of the one. They seemed destined to live out their dream of state play-offs and even a championship. Their synergy was palatable as you watched them conquer week after week. They had few injuries this season and most were rehabbed quickly.

Then came November 15, 2006 and this is when the family drew together to shore each other up and draw from each others strengths. Not only was their quarterback, Nick Downey, an amazing athlete and formidable quarterback, he was the one of the team leaders. Now, because of an injury, he was unable to play, probably for the rest of the season. The team was devastated. Chris Peyton, their very talented, skilled and patient back-up quarterback stepped up to the challenge, with the support of his team family.

This is where those lessons learned on the field and in the locker room transfer to life. My son said to me, with tears in his eyes, "Mom, no one deserves this, but most especially Nick. He’s worked hard and has overcome a lot and he has given us so much. If only it could’ve been me instead of Nick." I had to leave the room to choke down the tears as I prayed, "No greater love has a man than to lay one’s life down for a friend." This was the body of Christ. When one member of the body is in pain, the entire body suffers with him.

They buoyed each other and crushed their opponent that Friday night. They won together. They celebrated together. This body of Christ had each other’s back, compensated for each other’s weaknesses and accentuated each other’s strengths. There was resurrection.

The following Friday, the LCHS 2006 Football Team lost the District 3 Championship in a last minute Hail Mary Pass for the opponents winning touchdown. The team was devastated, but together they will mourn and together they will lift each other up as they raise their heads high and remember what they accomplished this past season. I am so proud of each and every one of them – we all are. They have given their parents an amazing gift this season – the gift of seeing our sons become men before our eyes. We love them so.

Boys,

You showed us a living example of the Body of Christ. "For as with the human body which is a unity although it has many parts – all the parts of the body, though many, still making up one single body-so it is with Christ. … If one part is hurt, all the parts share its pain. And if one part is honored, all the parts share its joy." 1Corinthians 12:12,26

Now, this is where it applies to Life – the Life that will never end. This is the stuff that really matters. These are the lessons that can forge you into Godly men with integrity. These skills that you learned are life lessons that, if you choose, can help you to grow in your faith as well as your faithfulness. Such is the Body of Christ. Together you experienced pain. May you all be honored and share in that joy. You have reached your goal – you truly are victorious. In life, as in football, it’s important to be prepared, to ready yourself by training and discipline. "Put me in coach, I’m ready to play," or "I said, here I am, send me." Isaiah 6:8 Christ has amazing things planned for you. Ask Him to be your coach and He’ll put you in the game. He wants you on His team. He has all the plays and, in case you didn’t read the end of the book, He’s always victorious.

May the Lord bless you & keep you. May the Lord shine His face upon you. May the Lord be gracious unto you & fill you with His everlasting peace.

Mary Ellen Reitmeyer

Doozer’s Mom

Lancaster Catholic's 2006 football season came to an end when they were defeated last night by Wyomissing in the District Championship game in Hershey. The heartbreaking game came down to the final ten seconds.

It was a great season, including a statement game when they beat Mount Carmel, and later beat Boiling Springs with brilliance after Nick Downey went down. These guys had a great career, including their sophomore season when they were unknown underdogs.

It was a fun team. A fun bunch of years! Thanks, guys!

See photos at this photo blog.

34-4 during the past 3 years. I'm not sure these guys are aware of what they accomplished. They were amazing.

Rotary Brunch

Here I am serving Chicken Corn Soup at the Lancaster Hempfield Rotary Brunch this morning. Whoopie!

Gluten Intolerance

Here is an interesting note. You would think that a sandwich shop, like Isaac's, and a support group for folks allergic to gluten (like in bread), wouldn't mix. But not so, with proper planning!

Last night we had a successful fundraiser at the Isaac's on Paxton Street for the Gluten Intolerance Group® of Harrisburg, a nonprofit support group for people with gluten intolerance diseases.

We cleared out one side of our cooking area and banished all gluten laden foods to the other side. The group brought in their own special gluten free bread for us to use for the evening. We reserved one of the sandwich broilers to exclusive use cooking gluten free sandwiches. The manager and employees changed gloves in between handling gluten and non gluten food, and kept their eyes peeled for any possibility of cross contamination.

I understand this went off without a hitch for all concerned!

Food allergies in general seem to be an increasing problem. We were glad to do our part on this particular night, although we can not take all these precautions on a daily basis.

Our manager Randy Ferree, wrote this nice little poster for customers who came in last night:

Welcome to Isaac’s!

The following items have been checked and we believe are Gluten Free:

• Any Green Salad on the menu
• (Sonoma Salad will not be served with cro-istinis)
• Toppings include chicken breast, portabella mushrooms, tuna salad, or chicken salad.
• We don’t think our Ranch or 1000 Island should be used, but all other dressings should be fine.
• Broccoli Salad, Fruit Salad and Cole Slaw are safe side options as is our Tomato Florentine soup (No Base).
• Utz regular and medley chips are Gluten Free as are our Baked Lays Original Flavor (Not the K.C. Masterpiece).
• We would be pleased to make any sandwich on your bread as well as on a bed of greens or just on a plate.
• We have a separate grill that will be used exclusively for Gluten Free orders.

We are pleased you chose Isaac’s for this special night!

Shameless Self Promotion!

We have a special offer going on right now at Isaac's with substantial savings on gift card purchases. I don't know if you do anything special for your staff for the holidays. If you do, we will appreciate the business. Feel free to pass this on to the appropriate decision-makers to see if there is any interest.

Make Gift-Giving Easy!
Give Isaac's gift cards to your employees, vendors and family!
20% OFF orders of $500 or more.
* Any denomination (minimum $10), any quantity
* All cards will be delivered to your address
* Each card comes with holiday gift card packaging Order

Now:
This discount only available November 1st through the 30th
This offer NOT available for purchase in our restaurants.

Please email me directly and I'll personally handle your order, or simply log in to our on-line shop to place your order.

Rotary Induction

This morning I enjoyed the experience of joining the Lancaster Hempfield Rotary. I am the guy on the left. The guy in the middle is Ed Bednar, also an inductee. He recently moved here with his wife, so I think he is just transferring his membership to this club. The guy out of the photo on the right is Bill Haynes, the friend who sponsored me.

This is a small club with about 45 members. My dad was a member 20 years ago when it was a dinner club meeting in Four Seasons.

Now it's a breakfast club, and everyone starts getting restless about 8:15am, and then they start sneaking out a few minutes later if the speaker runs long.

I look forward to being a Rotarian. We foster the ideal of service, high ethical standards, and the advancement of goodwill and peace throughout the world. We use the Four way test for the things we think, say or do:

1. Is it the Truth?
2. Is it fair to all concerned?
3. Will it build goodwill and better friendships?
4. Will it be beneficial to all concerned?

Service above self. It's what the world needs.

Isaac's Booths

I see the Isaac's Employee "My Space" has some interesting stories about Isaac's booths. I thought some interesting booth facts might be in order. This is my addition to the Isaac's employee discussion, but I decided to do it on mty blog, rather than intrude on the employee space. (The "My Space" page is totally not affiliated with Isaac's Deli, inc., btw)

The first booths were built in Downtown Lancaster out of Philadelphia Fencing which was salvaged from the upper floors of the vacant building. I helped build these booths, which was one of my first jobs at Isaac's. When we relocated that restaurant out of 44 N Queen Street into the new Fulton Bank building, we brought one of the old booths with us. Here is what it looks like today:


We have a plaque on the booth that explains the history. Here is a close up of the plaque:


One of the unpleasant qualities of the Philadelphia Fencing boards was the propensity to make splinters. We had lots of customers rip nylons and slacks on the booths. It the worst situations, a big long dagger like-splinter would lift up, and a customer sliding into the booth would have a huge splinter impaled into their butt cheek. We spent many hours sanding and polyurethaning these seats to fix this problem.

The original booths were very tight. Over the years, we have increased the distance from the table top to the seat back. Theoretically, you could estimate the age of qan Isaac's restaurant by measuring this space. We called this enlargement "American-sizing" the booths.

We have several booths that are modified for wheel chairs by having the seat on the one side removed.

Isaac's in Ephrata had a few deuce sized booths, but they turned out to feel weird, and are no longer there. We also tried some six-top booths, but they also felt weird - somehow claustrophobic, and tough to serve.

Most of our restaurants have about 13 booths.

The latest innovation was to add padded seats. What do you think, should we add padded backs, as well? Our original theory was that uncomfortable booths were a good thing, because they encouraged customers not to hang around - we could turn tables faster. Now we seem to be all about customer comfort.

During construction of one of our newest locations, Paxton Street, we installed the booths on the back wall, and discovered to our horror, that the wall lights were located wrong - they were off center! We played around with them, and discovered that if we spun the lights a quarter turn and had them hanging off-kilter, they looked kind of neat, and your eye didn't notice they are off center. That's why Paxton Street's booth lights hang the way they do.

Booths often get re-used after we close a location. Strasburg has booths from our old Greenfield location, as well as Sheraton. Ephrata has booths from Sheraton.

So that's the official position on booths! The question remains: should we add padded booth backs?

Auntie Annes

Several people, over the past few days, have asked me if I know what's up with Auntie Annes closing their Cafes. I really have no inside scoop, but all I can say is the restaurant business is a competitive business with razor thin margins. You need to have leadership and employees who are totally dedicated to making the enterprise successful. If not, you can lose a lot of money very fast. I imagine Auntie Annes just didn't have the stomach for this. Although I always enjoyed Auntie Annes Cafes, I think they were wise to return to their core business.

A Story of Goodness

I need to tell you this heart warming story that came out of the tragedy of the Amish school murders.

A customer, who requests to remain anonymous, contacted Isaac's, today, to see if he/she could help the families of the victims, the first responders, and the other folks working through this terrible event. She/he wanted to supply food to these people, in the same way someone would respond to a death by delivering casseroles and trays of sandwiches to the grieving family.

She settled on purchasing $1,000 worth of Gift Cards from Isaac's in small denominations, to be distributed to the families and other folks who are involved, by Bart Township officials. Isaac's kicked in an additional $200 worth of cards to bring the grand total to $1,200.

This person's generosity and desire to help is inspirational to me. He/she is a beacon of hope in this world that seems so topsy-turvey. In recent years, it has often appeared that the human species is dead set on a helter-skelter charge towards self destruction. This person's actions restore our faith in the goodness of humanity. Peaceful, loving and caring people will triumph, through good deeds such as this. We need each other, and we need to show it.

And I say to this generous caring person: "Thank You."

Alan

Isaac's Fresh Corn Chowder

Isaac's fresh corn chowder, made with fresh Lancaster County sweet corn during the summer of 2006, was one of our most popular soups ever!

2 tbl. butter
2-3 ribs of celery, sliced thinly
1/2 of a green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
2 qts. vegetable stock or chicken stock
2-3 large potatoes, peeled and diced
3 cups of corn, fresh kernels or frozen niblets
2 tbl. chopped parsley
1 tbl. Worcestershire sauce
1 pint of half and half or milk
salt and pepper to taste

Procedure: Melt butter in bottom of soup pot and add the celery, green pepper and onion. Saute slowly until the vegetables are soft, but not brown. Add vegetable stock and the diced potatoes. Simmer these together until the vegetables are tender. Add the corn, parsley and Worcestershire. Simmer this for 15 minutes. Add the half and half and simmer until hot. Do not boil. Makes about 8 servings.

Isaac's Red Potato Salad

Isaac's Red Potato Salad makes a fantastic summer time treat! Here is the recipe in all its' glory!

Makes approximately 2 1/2 Quarts
4 lb. Red Potatoes, scrubbed
1 small Red Onion, chopped small
2 C. Ranch Dressing
1 Tbl. Dill Weed
1 Tsp. Garlic Powder
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper
Place whole potatoes in pot and cover with water. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook approximately 10-15 minutes until fork tender. Drain and shock in ice water to cool quickly. Drain and slice 1/4 inch thick. Add ranch dressing, dill, garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. Toss gently. Refrigerate immediately.

Isaac's Ambrosia Salad

Here is a fun recipe from one of the seasonal menus we retired at Isaac's Deli.

Yields approximately 16 5-oz. servings.

1 can (20 oz.) Crushed Pineapples, drained
1 cup Green Grapes, cut in half
1 cup Blueberries, frozen
4 cups Mini-marshmallows
2 cups Sour Cream
6 T. Sugar
1 cup Coconut, shredded
2 cups Mandarin Oranges, drained

Combine all ingredients and mix gently but thoroughly. Cover and chill at least two hours.

TV Ad

We made a TV ad for Isaac's Meal Deal. Click here to take a look!

Healthcare Rant

The healthcare system in the USA continues to be outrageously stupid! Medicare, a single payer universal coverage, uses less than 2% to pay administrative costs, while private insurance uses 20% for administrative costs, and much of that cost is used to figure out ways to deny coverage.

Our system is bloated and wasteful. It 's purpose is not what it purportedly claims. The costs to individuals and businesses is huge, but spread out and mixed in with everything else: to the glee of big insurance companies, the true cost is not easily segregated.

And when an insurance company is trying to deny your specific coverage, the tax is HUGE, and personal.

We need to end this system today.

LCHS 2006 Football Schedule

All games 7pm unless otherwise noted.

Sept 1 Trinity away (OT last year)
Sept 8 Mount Carmel at home
Sept 15 Boiling Springs at home (Bub bub bubblin Boilers!)
Sept 22 ELCO away
Sept 29, 7:30pm, Lampeter Strasburg away (fun stadium close to the action)

Oct 6 Donegal at home
Oct 13, 7:30pm, Pequea Valley away
Oct 20 Annville Cleona at home
Oct 27, 7:30pm, Columbia away (local rivalry, on their turf!)

Nov 3, NORLEBCO at home

Power Supplies

We are documenting our POS system at work. Here is my favorite photo so far. It's called "Typical Power Supplies". The one on the right is called a "Wall Wart." Cool, huh?

This is a Test

I am testing formats to instal MP3s on my blog. Please ignore this post.

Try this link to an MP3

Isaac's Restaurant Week

Here is a neat article about a guy I work with at Isaac's, Dave Leas. He discusses the restaurant business, his life, and his involvement in the Lancaster County Restaurant Week promotion. Enjoy!

Game 3 Win against Boiling Springs

Boiling Springs scored on a runback from the kick-off, but that was it for them. I think this ends our non league games with a record of 3-0. Very impressive. The parents were happy, in each game at the beginning, that the boys were able to hang in against Mt Carmel and Boiling Springs - but to dominate the games, that was something special for us to watch. I felt privileged to be a spectator.

LCHS 49
Boiling Springs 7

If you click on the score, you'll be taken to more photos of the game.

Jowling

Last night I was Jowling with my kids. It was fun, but I got a head ache.

Game 2 - win vs Mt. Carmel

Gave a lick'n to the coal country boys. Markley ran for a TD.

LCHS 21
Mt. Carmel 3

Game 1 - win against Trinity!

Football season started for us yesterday!
LCHS 27
Trinity 6

August Color

Here are some black-eyed susans I came across in Harrisburg. Summer is ending. Autumn is almost upon us.

Dairy Photos

My brother-in-law is a dairy vet. He loves those dairy cows like they are his own daughters, or what he calls "our evolutionary godmothers." He uploaded some new photos for us to look at. Thanks, Mark!

Heatwave July 31 - Aug 3, 2006

This is just a memory of the 101 degree weather in August, 2006. I was in vacation with my family in Sandbridge, Virginia Beach. I ran ten miles on one of the hot days - the first five miles were easy but the final five miles took forever. My brother supplied me with gatorade and water along the way. This photo is my neice in the pool at Sandbridge, Neptune-1.

One of Zel's Drawings

Here is a drawing of a Black Locust that my nephew Zel drew. It's on his website. Very nice.

Life and Death in the Ferns

Here is a photo my dad took, today, of some kind of insect eating a Japanese Beetle. What type of critter might this be?

Lake Grubb

Had a nice walk around Lake Grubb on 7/23. It's scenic! This photo captured the sky.

Survey Monkey

Here is a neat product for doing on-line polls and surveys. They have links to 33 competitors on their pricing page. That's reason enough to link to their site! I wonder if that would work for restaurants...?

Space Science

A private company launched an inflatable satellite. Weird. But even weirder is that you can sign up to have NASA call your cell phone right before it orbits overtop your hometown!

More photos

I keep adding photos to my Flickr account.

The Earl of Thornbury

On July 13, 2006, I was down in Thornbury, celebrating Earl Whitney's 101st consecutive day eating at Isaac's. Earl and his wife Peggy are genuinely nice people. They filled the restaurant with friends, family and neighbors. We all had a good time, and lots of new customers were introduced to Isaac's. Here is a photo of Earl and Peggy, with radiant Amanda squished between them!

Isaac's Links

I'm pretty sure no one reads this blog, but just in case, I would like to collect a bunch of links by or about Isaac's related folks. Do you have a web site, my space page, or whatever? Leave a comment for me in this post, or send me an email. I'll make a page of links!

More Corn Chowder

Don't forget about Isaac's Fresh Corn Chowder!

Emily's New Car

Emily, jack-of-all trades in Isaac's office, happened into a vehicle that fits her lifestyle! When I was a kid, we called this type of car a Kombi (Kombee), but nobody seems to remember that.









She has a sink in her car! I wonder if that will increase Emily's carbon footprint?



And her car creates some sort of MC Escher space. A car sink on Prince Street.

Fresh Cut Corn Chowder made with local corn!

At Isaac's, we've secured a bountiful supply of fresh, local corn for the summer to fill your tummy and cut down on those nasty food miles! Imagine creamy corn chowder made with local corn cut fresh from the cob, mingled with cubed potatoes and chopped red and green bell peppers. That's what we're serving this summer until the local season ends toward the end of August. Come on in and enjoy the great taste of summer! You'll save the planet at the same time!
Buy local, eat local. Isaac's Deli!

I had some today at lunch. This soup really rocks!

Universal Single Payer Is Officially Before The PA House

House Bill 2722 is the Balanced and Comprehensive Health Care Reform Act - the House version of the already pending Senate Bill 1085, introduced by Senator Ferlo in February 2006. Co-Sponsoring the House Bill are 18 Democrats, meaning the Bill already has sponsorship from 20% of the number needed to pass the legislation. Read about it here.

Disappointment!

This is a terrible disappointment. These folks have no faith in their brothers and sisters. I think science helps deepen the worth of life for us. One-third of Americans think evolution is “definitely false.”

Fresh Cut Local Corn Chowder!

Next week at Isaac's Deli we will be selling fresh-cut local corn chowder! This company is filled with a bunch of the most talented and hard working individuals in the restaurant industry, who can bring you food like this. I'm proud of what we accomplish.

Isaac's in NYT

Isaac's appeared in the NYT's travel section last week. Read it here!

Fun World

It's a fun world these days! I'm running around sharing my vision of success with everyone in the company, and in the meantime, storms are getting ready to collide on Jupiter, the tour de France goes in to the 6th day, and Italy and France prepare to battle for the World Cup final!

More on PA Healthcare

Here is an additional link to the Pennsylvania Medical Society concerning the sorry state of affairs with our health care situation. State of Medecine in PA. I don't understand why they bring insurance companies to the table.

Some Links

Does it make you feel weird to see your house on Zillow?
Some times I just enjoy the sound of crickets.
I spend time at the North Museum to be rejuvinated!

Photos on Flickr

I have some photos uploaded at my Flickr account: My Photos. Years ago my wife told me I should stop taking pictures of landscapes and objects, and start taking photos of people, so I did. Now I LOVE taking people pictures! But in today's age, I don't want to post family shots on the internet! So I've come around full circle, and I'm only showing pictures of landscapes and objects. Go figure!

Society

"The success of a society is measured at the base, not the apex."

MORE Health Care Rambles

I'm a small minority in the business community in favor of SB 1085. Too many big insurance companies, brokers and attorneys are bellied up to the feeding trough with the current system. And for businesses, the current system is a known evil – we are afraid of replacing it with something unknown.

Consumer driven health care seems to be the latest attempt to wrestle this situation under control, but it’s a red herring. The whole idea of HSA's and HRA's, for example, just seem to me to be symptoms of a system collapsing under it's own weight. Who else can they find to help prop up the huge inefficient bureaucracy, but sick people!

I even hire a person who spends 75% of her time dealing with our employees and the health plan. She is very efficient and productive, but in reality, she is not producing any goods or services for the economy. She is part of the huge overhead of the system that businesses are expected to pay fund.

We are taught to believe that healthcare is so expensive, the only way to control it is to layer it with a huge mess of insurance plans and lawyers, all trying to save money on their particular piece of the pie and shift costs over to other insurance companies or sick people.

I just wish we could have had a break in the dike that would start the change. I want my healthcare dollar to pay for health care, nothing else.

Universal Health Care

I'm a big proponent of a single payer system for health care. See the link to SB 1085 http://www.pahcsc.org/ to read about some of the benefits.

A single payer system would be good for business in Pennsylvania. The current health care system is full of waste. The Massachusetts system is a sell-out to the insurance industry, which is part of the problem. A single payer system would get rid of all this waste and inefficiency.

I am just tired of paying $700,000 per year to provide health coverage to 200 employees, and an additional $150,000 to cover 700 employees for Workers comp, with a percentage of each being taken by a broker. In return for my $850,000 investment, I get two companies that make their money by denying coverage, and I pay for them to enter into expensive legal battles over who pays. It's the worst possible set-up imaginable. My employees, who are supposed to benefit, are usually the ones who suffer.

If Pennsylvania started a true single payer system, we would have a good 10 or 15 year window of competitive advantage against other states to attract businesses.

First Post

This is my very first post to see how a blog works. My purpose for this blog is just to have place to try out my ideas, to see what they look like in a public place. My guess is this blog will have one reader, and one reader only!