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Playlist Theater |
Roy Davis, Tonight!
Last
Call for tickets! Call now! A few tickets left for the
first show since early June. Vacation time is over, it's time to relax
with some great music in an intimate, close to home venue. Tickets are only $15 in advance/$18 at the door.
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Ray's Soap Box
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Health Care Reform by Ray
I would really much rather
write about food, service, drink and hospitality. However, it seems that my focus these days in elsewhere. Being a Cub fan, there is obviously nothing there to hold my attention which means that the only sport that consumes me these
days is the political one.
This is mainly because there is an assault on
business that I have not seen since my political awakenings in the late
70s. If this makes some people uncomfortable please don't hate me for my
views as I don't hate you for yours. Please just scroll down and move on
to the next article. I happen to feel that it is important that our
customers and the general public know what all these changes are doing to
businesses like mine and how it will ultimately effect you. You won't
find
this stuff anywhere else. I do try to leave my opinions out and just
give you the facts.
Just to add some credibility to my
reports, a few months back I wrote an article on why businesses are
sitting on so much cash and at the same time not hiring. Here is a link
to that article. Link to what I wrote last February. -
This
week in the Wall Street Journal a business owner like myself
wrote a very good opinion reinforcing my assessment. Why
I'm Not Hiring - When you add it all up, it costs $74,000 to put
$44,000 in
Sally's pocket and to give her $12,000 in benefits. Wall Street Journal Article
A
few weeks ago I wrote an article on what has happened to the price of
our health insurance. After almost 10 years of pretty stable prices and
last year a 9% decrease. We received a whopping 59% increase. Link to my health insurance newsletter.
There is a
firestorm brewing as one out of every 12 health insurance policies will be repricing
every month. I will let you know what the end result of our increase
will be, it's effects to my business and my employees in a future
newsletter. Already close to a third of the 20 people I insured in July
are no longer insured. I noticed that this week a couple of our elected
federal representatives were in town to find out a little more
about our jumping fish. I wish they would have stopped by and inquired
about jumping health
insurance rates. That invitation is always open to any
representative of the government, those already elected and those trying to get
elected.
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Health Care Reform, Continued
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A Small Business Persons Solution by Ray
One of the things that I despise in
politics is how politicians
criticize others ideas without coming up with ideas of their own. This is especially true in the way in which
it effects those of us in business. The
Democrat's idea of health care just will not work and the Republicans
are doing a terrible job of presenting their ideas, if they have any at
all. For the record, I consider myself neither of the above.
I have
thought long and hard about what my plan would be if I were given that
responsibility. At the risk of upsetting lawyers, health care professionals,
and the insurance industry here is what one
small business owner
would do with the health
care bill. It's not too late. Something needs to be done and
quick. My bill would be 12 and half pages long, not the 2600 pages long.
Of
the industrialized world we spend the highest percentage of GDP by a
mile. Currently, the U.S. spends 16 cents out of each dollar we produce on
health care. The next closest is Switzerland at 10 cents. In reading up on
this topic I found an article that predicts we are going to be spending
20 percent by the end of the decade.
Take the employer and the government out of
the equation! - As this mess has unfolded at my business I
started to wonder how did businesses get involved in this anyway. I'm
sure that long ago when insurance was done on paper and you could get better rates as a group, it was offered as a convenience and a perk of
employment. Somehow, now our government expects it of employers.
Many small
businesses like myself do not have the ability to taylor health plans to
the individual. It is one size fits all. Your health and your health care
are your personal responsibility. Going through 4 different layers from
the employee to employer, then the government and then the insurance
company just does not work. Every citizen needs the pick the plan and
the price that fits them best. I have many employees that work part-time
or work 2 or 3 different jobs. They don't qualify for insurance at any
of their jobs even though they might work 70 hours a week. If you were
to take a poll and ask business owners; "If you could take what you pay
for your employees health insurance and add that onto their paycheck and be
done with it forever, would you?" I bet the response would be an overwhelming "yes!"
Everyone has
to be insured - Like it or not, when you pay for heath care or
insurance you are paying for the people that don't
pay. Some estimates say that is as much as 30% of your bill. The current
health bill mandates that everyone must have coverage just for living
and breathing. Constitutionally, many pundits are saying this will never
be upheld in court. The government can not make you buy something just
for "being".
Almost all
states require auto liability insurance in order to obtain the
"privilege" to drive. It is not a right. On the same hand I feel it
should be a condition of the "privilege" of employment in the United
States. I am not a legal scholar but I think this has a better chance
of being deemed constitutional. All that would be required is a
certificate of insurance to be employed. It could even be checked and
notifications received electronically. This would be easy to phase in
over time and could start in very a very short period of time.
Competition - The myriad of health
care laws that vary from state to
state inhibit competition and in most cases it is set up with that intention. Most states only have a handful of companies that are
licensed to offer health insurance within that state. Companies should be licensed to offer
insurance nationwide. You see all the car insurance companies duking it out now. It
would be interesting to see what has happened to the cost of auto
insurance over the last 10 years since this competition started.
Using the
internet levels the playing field. Our nation excels at competition and
the beauty of this is that it costs taxpayers absolutely nothing. One good thing that I
have seen out of the current law is the standardized application for
health insurance. Granted it is 6 or 8 pages where most old ones were 2
or 3. However. once it is filled out you can quote your insurance with many
companies at the same time. Do you mean to tell me that we would not have a
company like an Orbitz or Hotels.com scooping
up quotes from all over the country?
Torte
Reform - I knew we were in trouble late last spring when the
president, kicking off his health care campaign, was speaking to the American Medical Association
and said that torte reform was not in the equation. You could hear a cumulative sigh from all
the doctors in the room. It is not so much the cost of malpractice insurance
and the cost of being sued that is eroding our health care dollar, it is the "cover your butt"
medicine. If doctors could go back to prescribing the tests that they think
you really need, instead of a resulting law suit being their primary concern, they
could practice their trade. California and Texas have had limits on pain and suffering
for years with great results. You are responsible in some part for the
doctor you pick and following his advice
properly.
I remember Christmas day 1984. My only daughter was 4 months
old. It was very early in the morning and we were cooking a holiday meal
for our family. I set her down in her car seat on the kitchen table. I
heard a thud and looked over to find her on the floor. Horrified and
scared to death, I rushed her to the emergency room where our family doctor
of many years looked into her eyes and felt around a bit. He then sent
us home with instructions of what to watch for, but no tests or x-rays.
It
was our doctor's decision. Can you imagine that happening today?
Complexity - As an employer, you would
not believe how difficult it is to navigate the current health care
laws, let alone what is coming down the pike. My recent experiences in
dealing with the laws as they pertain to different employees and
situations has been a night mare. I think my agent and myself have spent
at least one hour every day for the
last month in relation to the changes we have had to make to our plan.
There have been several situations where or insurance company flat out
refused to answer a question as it pertained to the law and our
situation. We have had attorneys look at the questions. They have to
read it 5 or 6 times and still can not give us a definitive answer. AFLAC!
Regulation - The government could
initiate 10, 20, or 50 plans and keep them as simple as possible. All
insurers and insured would have to follow the rules of the plan that they
pick. There has to be a minimum amount of coverage. The only
responsibility of the government would be setting up the plans.
Flexibility - Being responsible for
yourself, you pick the plan that fits you and your family the best. The
federal government could define many plans ranging from the bare minimum that
one must carry, to a plan including full eye care and dental.
Insurance companies would not be allowed to alter plans.
The Healthy vs The Sick - The one thing that
really bothers me about health insurance is that if you get sick while you are
insured they can continue to raise your rates until you can no longer
afford it. Isn't this what you buy insurance for?
It is simple
economics that allowing some consideration of pre-existing conditions
raises the price for everyone. There has to be a limit to how much more
an unhealthy individual could be charged than a healthy individual.
Sometimes it is just the luck of the draw. It is unfair not to reward someone that exercises regularly, watches what they eat and maintains a
healthy life style. The limit would be a hard percentage across the
board negotiated over time.
The
Poor vs The Rich - There would have to be subsides for the poor
and the unemployed. They would still be
responsible for obtaining their own coverage. Payments would go
directly to the companies from the government. The incomes of these recipients would be subject to reporting, so that the government can adjust the subsidy as
their income levels change. There would be a cap on what your out of
pocket medical cost should be as a percentage of income.
Cost Control- In order to cut down on needless and frivolous medical care
and drugs, it needs to cost you something every time you seek care. If
you go to the emergency room, you should expect to pay more
out of pocket. You expect to pay more at a 24 hour convenience store, why would you not expect the same at the emergency room?
All applications
should be able to be submitted electronically. We have to finally get
something done about a secure national system for keeping electronic medical records
but not let the government do it. This is not
that hard. Very hard limits need to be placed on things that are not
essential to your health. I do not want to pay for someone's Viagra.
I
am not running for office. Just trying to make a living!
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Around the Industry
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Food Lover Links by Ray
We get a ton of food and
restaurant
newsletters and magazines each week . We are going to post links to the
best and most interesting articles that we find each week. For you
foodies
that really like to dig in here are some articles with an edge.
Terrorist
joke costs eatery manager $75 Is this really what things are
coming to. Speach tickets issued. Terrorists Eat at Subway
Guiness rolls
out "Pub Finder App" It's already on my iphone and the Uptown is
on there. Free! Guiness Website
Coffee shops pull
the plug on free Wi-Fi Some California coffee shops are
cutting
Wi-Fi services to please more of their patrons and discourage
computer-toting customers from setting up shop for the day after
purchasing one cup of
coffee. Wireless is always off the menu at Four Barrel Coffee,
while Coupa Cafe in the heart of Silicon Valley
has banned the legions of laptop users only on weekends. Los Angeles - you knew
this had to start happening sometime Pulling the Plug on Free WiFi
Gourmet ice cream brings
summer sticker shock Ice cream shops boasting
organic whipped cream,
local fruits and handmade gelato are popping up in towns across the
country, bringing higher prices with them, The New York Times reports.
Customer reaction to the
higher prices is mixed, and shops including two Grom gelaterias in New York City say they must charge more to
cover the costs of the pricey ingredients that make their treats taste
better Pricey Gourmet Ice Cream
Alderman calls
for rolling restaurants-COUNCIL | Mobile food trucks would create 'whole new
industry' If I owned a restaurant and someone was able to set
up shop right outside my front door with very little investment this
would really tick me off Mobil Food Trucks
The National Restaurant
Association is concerned that new regulation to expand Form 1099
information reporting will impose huge paperwork burdens on businesses. New Form 1099 Regulations
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On the Menu
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It's Fresh Garden Tomato Time By Jimmy
It's that time of year. Gardens are overflowing with ripe red
tomatoes. There is nothing better than a nice, juicy, home grown garden
tomato. It's too bad, we have to wait until the end of summer to get these great tasting versions of the white tasteless items that we find the rest of the year. The problem is that they all come at once and we are stuck with an
abundance of them. I guess "get them while you can" is the mantra for this time of year. But did you know, for many years tomatoes were considered
poisonous and were grown solely for their ornamental value? After
further research, they have found they are rich in vitamins A and C, low
in calories, and have been linked to the prevention of many forms of
cancer. The tomato is America's most popular home garden crop. Every garden needs to have
a tomato plant or
2, 5, or 10 of them. I remember helping my grandpa with his garden
every year and I think he had over 20 plants each year. The thing is, he
never ate a single one. They are just so easy to grow he said and many
people love them. "I plant them for everyone else". In the coming weeks, you will find the garden tomato as a featured
item on our menu. Many thanks to Jim Barto Sr. and Dale Olson for
sharing their crop with us. They are both avid gardeners and bring in
many different items for us to use. We can't wait for the
big tomato shipment.
Currently, we are featuring Fussilli Pasta with
Fresh Mozzarella and Garden Fresh Tomatoes mixed with fresh basil,
garlic, olive oil, and cracked pepper. Along with the Fussillli Pasta we also have a Caprese Salad with our
fresh pulled mozzarella, (yes we pull the mozzarella from the curd here
in house). You may even see our version of the BLT sandwich on the menu. |
Around the Valley
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Hegeler Carus Foundation's Music at the
Mansion
By Ray
Bluegrass and Gospel Music will
be presented by The Grand Ridge 5 + 1 at the Hegeler Carus Mansion,
1307 Seventh Street, La Salle. Band members include Mary Lou
Boyd on the concert bass, Jeff Gleim on the guitar,
Marese Gleim on the mandolin, Terry Feldott on the banjo,
Jan Sly on the guitar, and Bill Boyd on the fiddle. This
event is free to the public. Please join us for an evening of great
music and fun. Weather permitting, this concert will be
held outdoors so bring your lawnchairs! Friday, 20
August, 5:45 pm Hegeler Carus Foundation
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Not Your "Everyday" Specials |
Friday Nights, Seafood Mixed Grill It
includes
a 4 oz lobster tail with
drawn butter, 4 oz salmon filet with basil
cream and 4 oz whitefish parmesan with lemon caper
butter. All for only $19.75
Monday Nights, Steak Diane Every Monday after 4 pm, we will be serving Steak Diane for $13.75. This will be just like the Red Door Inn. With Victor's stamp of approval.
Wienerschnitzel Every Wednesday after 4pm, we will be serving authentic German
Wienerschnitzel. Served with roasted asparagus, speatzle and veal demi glaze it is
only $11.75.
Sunday, All Day, Sizzling Sunday Fajita and Margaritas You
get a chicken
fajita for two with a 64 ounce pitcher of margaritas for only $20! Imagine this on a Sunday afternoon on the patio or at a sidewalk table
with the sunshine and a nice breeze! No, your not in Cabo, but it sure
feels like it!
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On Our Special |
Peach, mango and brie Quesadillas with Honey Lime Dipping Sauce Rocky Bay Oysters on the Half Shell Caprese Salad Steak and Asian Pear Salad Panini Sandwich with Raisin River Ham, White Cheddar Cheese and Caramelized Onions Open Face Steak Sandwich Grilled Mako Shark with Pineapple Shutney, Grilled Balsamic Glazed Pork Porterhouse Stuffed Chicken Breast Breaded Boneless Chicken Breast Stuffed with Broccoli and Manchengo Cheese Fussili Pasta with fresh Mozzarella Pearls and Garden Fresh Tomatoes Roasted Baby Patty Pan Squash Sweet Corn Sautee Chocolate Flourless Mousse Torte
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Win a Free Lunch
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Foodie Fight Free Lunch Contest by Kris
Each week in the newsletter we will ask 3 questions from the Foodie Fight cards. The first person to email us (see link below) the correct answers to all three questions will receive a complimentary free lunch. The winner has to have the correct answer for all three questions, no exceptions. The following week we will publish the correct answers and the winner from the previous week. So come on in and have a drink, study the cards, test each other and have fun. Good Luck!
1. What is the boiling point of water at sea level?
2. What upside down apple tart was named for the French sisters who created the confection.
3. What would Champagne, Dubonnet, Lillet or vermouth be called when served as an opening to a meal?
[email protected]
Fine Print... You must be the first person to respond with all three correct answers. The response must go to the email address in the above link. You must reply within 24 hours from the time the newsletter is published. Participants are eligible to win a limit of 3 times a year.
Last Week questions and answers....
1. What is the name of
the Swedish buffet tradition that translates to "buttered-bread table"? Smorgasbord
2.
What food editor traveled the United States studying home cooks for her
1960 cookbook, "How American Eats"?Clementine Paddleford
3. What should a butter
knife not be used for? Cutting
Last weeks winner of the free lunch ... No Winner!
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Uptown Grill 601 First St. La Salle, Il 61301 815-224-4545 Mon - Thur 11 am to 10pm - Fri & Sat 11 am to 11 pm Sun Noon to 10 pm Uptowngrill.com
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You can read all of our past UPtown UPdates by clicking the link below. UPtown UPdate Archives |
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