RITA'S Ice Cream, selling Gold!
Went to Rita's last night , bought two vanilla Sundays , $14.00 dollars,are you kidding me? Three college students standing next to me, heard the price,walked out! I can see why they are closed in the winter! Never going there again,small business big prices = closing !
LoBo Do you remember when they used to use real fruit? Now it's just overpriced ice water.
sallysimpson What did your Sundaes consist of? Could be the toppings brought the price up. Or that you were Mischarged.
btownguy 
3wbdwnj $14.00 for 2? That's a deal. Coldstone doesn't take cash anymore. Its a second mortgage.
hot under the collarVanilla ice cream,syrup,nuts,and I asked the clerk twice,are you sure? Good-Bye Rita's !
First of all its not ice cream its custard. Where have you been living lately? They have been there about 3 or 4 years. Have you tried Stone Cold yet? About same prices and its not worth it. We go to Ritas for the Italian Ice. They have loads of coupons floating around in the mailers too! Never go there without a coupon.
Christine 
Try the new place in town, they have hard ice cream, reasonable price, plus a lot more, not only ice cream, but great crepes with a big selection of fillings,
And you wonder why some small businesses leave h-town...did you talk to the owner before posting your rant?
marty mcfly 
Carol 
JeffersonRepub They sold Cliff's ice cream, but it was called Main Street Ice Cream. Their price for a sundae (double helping of ice cream) with nuts was about $8.
Nuts alone will raise the price right up there, but Rita's charges about the same as others. Rita's ice is still priced very reasonably. You can get coupons for not only there but DQ, and Cold Stone.
GC Everyone has been to grocery store lately and noticed the price of milk - which is in the ice cream/custard. Prices of ingredients go up and thus businesses have to adjust their prices to reflect market. DQ, Cold Stone, etc. are all in same price range - Rita's isn't unique. Go to Shop Rite or Weis and buy a gallon of ice cream - one of the ones on sale that week and make LOTS of sundaes for not too much money.
SS2cats The real Cliff's is in Ledgewood ! The place on Main St wasn't really Cliff's. I agree with Christine, where have you been ? They have been there at least 3 years and are still there. Their prices are no worse than all the other ice cream places and trust me, I visit them all. I happen to think their soft ice cream is the best around, even better than the real Cliff's !!
Mariann Dairy Queen last night- 2 mini blizzards- about $7.00
Can't beat dairy queen.
Greener Pastures If you will not allow a business to earn a fair profit they will be gone. It is not 1979 anymore...
iJay Marty, Do you really think that talking to the owner would have made any difference? What do you think he would have done? lowered his prices..lol
I agree with SS2cats... just buy ice cream and make your own,but if you do want to go out then Greener Pastures is right DQ may be the better deal.
JRT Thanks for the advice,but $14.00 dollars is way to much,to pay in this town! I thought I was in Chester! I have been here 30 years,seen a lot come and go,if milk was that high,ShopRite would be adjusting there prices! Where have you been?I guess buying a half a gallon at the big box stores is the way to go!
Hackettstown is not cheap. It is expensive to live here and thus expensive to run a business also. What we get in return is not in line. If we want to act like we should be Warren County bumpkins then fine. But tax us like Warren County bumpkins. If we are going to be taxed more similar to Morris County then I expect our schools to be compared to Morris County, the downtown area should be kept like Morris County and more needs to be done so that are property values are maintained at MC levels. if not, then all will be overpriced for little value.
swimswitafishes is 100% right. Just got back from visiting a friend in warwick ny. I couldn't help but think "this could be Hackettstown." My wife and I moved here 5 years ago. We are giving it another 5 years. If the town continues to decline, we're gone. I pay $9900 in taxes and get very little in return.
As a property manager for both residential and commercial properties, the reason I believe the ice cream at Rita's (as well as clothing, furniture, pizza, whatever) is so expensive, and going up all the time is because the rents and expenses are so high that prices had to go up to cover the overhead of increased rents.
The reason the rents are so high is because the taxes are astronomical (taxes on both commercial and residential properties has more than doubled in many places in NJ over the last 6 years. Also, water and sewer costs, electric, gas, propane...all up significantly.
To all the people who LOVE to raise taxes I say; if you raise the taxes on the properties so much that the landlords have to raise the rents to compensate (or else why have the property at all if you are going to lose money every month?), then the shop/restaurant owner has to pay more rent. Too make up for the increase in rent they have to charge more for their ice cream sundaes (or pizza, or furniture, or haircut, whatever).
It always amazes me that the average American can't seem to do the simple math...sigh...
Heidi the town is out of control. they cant have it both ways. i have heard more times that we are "just" hackettstown or we are "just" in warren county. that doesnt work for me. there is nothing "just" about the money I pay to live here. I am tired of not getting anything in return. I see new police cars, our Chief has a beautiful one that I also notice is used for personal use, superintendent of schools is employed through 2020 etc etc. If there was value then the bill is justified. When value is diminished, the taxpayer gets screwed. seems the employees are making out. what about the employers?
and for the record--its our fault. these people arent voted out and replaced by people who are interested in the "employers" of the town. its our town, not theirs. if we dont take it back then we get what we get.
Swimswithfishes - please can you run for office?
As for the price of the ice cream - I assume there is a menu listed with prices up?
Re: our former ice cream parlor on Main which served Cliff's - excuse my ignorance, I don't really go to ice cream places: that isn't where the Creperie is now? But someone said it was now Rita's? So confused.
Rebecka You are correct Rebecka, the Creperie is where the ice cream parlor was that offered Cliff's ice cream.
Greg Rebecka - If you mean "Sally Jo"'s comment, it was replying to the question one post above about the creperie. It was not related to the original subject.
Derek Ss2cats you mentioned the high cost of dairy as the reason for the high prices. There is *very* little real dairy in their products. Mostly stabilizers, etc. After I realized that, and from now on if I want ice cream when I'm out I'll go to Mackeys or some other place that makes it.
JRT- This forum was used as an outlet by a disgruntled customer to persecute a local business unfairly and without explanation from the owner. IMO it should have been brought to the attention of the owner/manager beforehand and then based upon their justification if determined unacceptable warrant a broadcast of this magnitude. It appears this store was not given a chance to explain the costs or if it was simply an innocent mistake made somewhere altogether.
marty --- I don't think stating the price of something is *persecuting* a business.
Monday March 16, Dairy Queen is giving a free cones for there 75th birthday so go and enjoy your free cone, then on Friday go to Rita and get your free Ice for the first day of spring and then every one is happy
saak swimwitdafishes, You should run for office,you speak for many people in this town,have you seen some of the salaries these people make ! To do what ?
Marty, I don't think saying that you are unhappy with the price someone is charging is unfair at all. This forum has been used time and time again to discuss quality, service, and prices at many of the local businesses.
I also do not believe that one unhappy customer speaking to the owner will make a bit of difference. There really isn't anything to explain IMO. The store has been there for a few years, therefore prices must not be an issue for the majority of people. At best LoBo may have gotten a few coupons for his next visit.
A business owner prices there product, based on the areas income,if they don't there doomed! Take a look around town,and see the amount of stores that open and close! The business owner may have a good product,but if people don't buy it unless there is coupons,where is your profit?You figure your profit based on square foot,cost vs margin,vs profit.Rita's is an example,of what these high rents are doing!
Yes, LoBo...the the high rents are causing a lot of this (like I said in my earlier post) but don't blame the landlord...as I said before; Rita's raised the price of their product to cover the rent increase, because the landlord had to raise the rent to cover the tax increase, because the taxes went up to cover....
FYI - The Yogurt place (Yo Blast) by Starbucks is NOT open. I was all excited when I saw Derek's post because I have been waiting forever for them to open. I took a ride there and there is still paper covering the windows and it says "coming soon ".
If the rents are so high (and I believe you if you say they are), then how is that the Spanish-speaking only stores are able to stay open? I do not frequent them as I am not welcome, as I do not speak Spanish, and they cannot bother to speak English.
This baffles me.
mom of one To mom of One
I'm a bit baffled myself. how did a comment about the price of a Sundae get turned into a discussion about rents And the stereotyping of people Who can obviously afford the rents and are keeping our downtown going.
The fact that someone speaks Spanish or speaks only Spanish does not mean that they're poor. As a matter of fact welfare statistics show that the Hispanic population on welfare is less than half of the white population On welfare.
I'm curious to know why you feel you are not welcome in their stores. Did you try to shop in one and get thrown out? How do you know they are not bilingual? You ever try to speak to them? I can't really picture A customer being unwelcome when it's your business that helps pay their rent. If you're wondering, I am white and would shop anywhere they had a product I was looking for regardless of the owners race, religion, or what language they spoke.
Mom of one, I hope that the one of which you are the mom is too young to read these posts, does not hear you when you speak like this, and if he or she is an older child is more open-minded than you. Everyone wants The future to be a good one for the current and future generations and that can only be accomplished when we get rid of prejudices and stereotypes and when everyone just tries to get.
To all of you who looked at this thread to read comments about Rita's, I apologize for my venting here. Prejudice just gets me hot under the collar.
So just to bring the whole topic back to Rita's, I agree $14 is too much to pay for 2 sundaes. I hope they were at least good!
Steamed 
MB I really can never understand how people end up at a register to pay for something and act surprised when the prices are clearly posted for all to see.
Tracy I have actually gone into several stores in our town to shop in which the person working in the store did not speak any English and did not seem to be interested in helping me find an item I was seeking to purchase from their store. As I do not speak Spanish, I could not have a discussion with them about their items for sale. I left feeling unwelcome which is a shame. I am not racist by any means, but have been feeling frustrated that the town I live in has stores on main street which don't seem to welcome my business. One of the reasons I moved to Hackettstown was due to its cute Main Street. I can only speak to my experiences...perhaps yours have been better. My reason for posting is that people are saying that rents are very steep--so I would think that all businesses on Main Street would then try to cater their goods/services to all of the townspeople, not just a select group. Just my opinion i am sharing of which I believe is the point of this forum?
I shop in every store in Hackettstown! I was in 2 today and EVERY SINGLE one spoke English. So I am very curious which one you went in that did not. They are still in business because they are busy! They have great items for sale and have all nationalities buying from them. Try them you might like them.
Your statement rings racist all over it.
MB...While I do not recall the specific name of 2 of the stores I was referring to (and I dont want to call them out specifically) one was a clothing department type store and the other was similar but also had sports gear--both on Main street.
That was my specific experiences in several different stores on Main Street. period.
If your experience has been better, than good for you.
People around here don't know what racism means. Look it up. Sheesh.
Racism...a very serious and disgusting thing, is NOT complaining that a store is run by a certain group and someone was upset that the person could not speak the language to help. That's just venting frustration.
Seems everyone loves to say the word "RACISM" while pointing fingers.
I'm sure the prices on the Yogurt place wont be cheap......
Some of those can end up costing more than a small meal.
BrownEyesGuy 
musicgal FYI, Rita's is giving away free Italian Ice to everyone on Friday, March 20th from 12 to 9PM.
Jazzykatt Funny enough, I never had an Italian Ice before. I love ice cream but not a fan of fruity flavored ice. What is it exactly?
Jazzykatt - I love the Mistos that Rita's makes, you choose your custard flavor and your Italian Ice flavor, they blend it together and you drink it - it really cold and there is a danger of brain freeze. The Misto is great if you have a sore throat. I get Vanilla Custard mixed with Orange Italian Ice and it tastes like a Creamsicle. If you get Vanilla Custard with Root Beer Italian Ice, it tastes just like a Root Beer Float. Yummy.
They will give you samples of the Italian Ice to see which flavor you prefer.
Will H Disclaimer: I happen to speak both Spanish and English so these are just my opinions.
@Mother of one: I haven't been at a store in Hackettstown where they only spoke spanish, but since this is a free country and people can shop wherever they please you are always welcome to shop at other stores. It is your choice as a consumer to shop wherever you want and as a business owner it's their choice to cater whomever they feel like catering to. I have my own business and there are some customers I just don't want. Life is too short!.
@Christine: Her statement is far from racist.. People should be able to express their opinions. WTF
NJMike I love watching these discussions devolve from expensive ice cream to high taxes to race relations.
I once considered doing a Main Street ice cream parlour / dessert and tea shop kind of like the Franklin Fountain in Philly...very old school, C. 1900. But I'm glad I didn't because the reality was most desserts and sundaes would need to be priced around $10 for it to make it. I can only imagine the postings here if I had gone through with it. Would've been out of business in a month! To me, $8-$10 for a high quality dessert and a cool environment is definitely worth it. But you have to be willing to pay for quality or else you just won't get it. Otherwise, you can get your "Frozen Dairy Dessert" fake Breyer's Ice Cream half gallon from shoprite for $1.99 on sale. Grab a big spoon.
eperot How about you post your address, and we can start coming to your place to have you make us sundaes for only $3 each, and we'll see how long it takes before you decide it's not worth it?
JerseyWolf Jazzycat...........my favorite is the lemon ice. It's not as sweet as some of the other flavors. But if fruity isnt your thing, they do have chocolate. :)
littlelu heidi wrote - "the the high rents are causing a lot of this (like I said in my earlier post) but don't blame the landlord...as I said before; Rita's raised the price of their product to cover the rent increase, because the landlord had to raise the rent to cover the tax increase, because the taxes went up to cover...."
i agee with her, the rents are too damn high;
next to rita's is the empty brian's market, i heard around town that brian moved his business due to the high rents? if true, and that old store front has been empty for several years, the landlords tax obligation stays the same, correct? so my question is, how smart is it to have rents so high that no one rents a taxable property from you for several years?
at some point in order to attract tenants the rent needs to be lowered? am i right?
enjoy your ice cream and Italian ices, it's out of my price range, but you'll have this
BrotherDog Eperot, agreed. Has anyone ever seen the lines for ice cream at Ghiardelli in San Francisco? Definitely worth the wait and the price tag.
I don't speak Spanish and I always feel welcome in those stores. mom of one's comment is so racist. Great way to shift the conversation away from how those stores are able to be affordable while the "white" stores like Rita's and Cold Stone take advantage. And it's remarkable she feels persecuted now.
LeRoy Grimace "This land is your land, this land is my land, this land was made for you and me "...
Chocolate flavored ice?? Hmm not sure about that, though I love chocolate. Is the custard like ice cream??
My dad always gets the chocolate ice with chocolate custard. He likes it, but he's a chocoholic. The custard is like soft serve ice cream but richer.
If you feel unwelcome in a store don't return. If the employees of the store alienate enough customers they will be out of a job. I don't think it necessarily has anything to do with race- just downright unfriendly people.
MommyinaGreenDress There is actually a line for free ice at Rita's in Washington. Happy 1st day of Spring!
maja 
CJ Wow, is "racist" the new "bullying"....these two words sure do fly around pretty damn easily these days.
I think a better way to describe the comments is non PC....but "racist" is pushing it.
Nosila 
JerryG I just came back from Rita's. They do have their prices posted and the cost of a large sundae is $6.54. With that being said, they have raised their prices from last year. I used to get 1 regular gelati and 1 large gelati and it was $8.75. Tonight I got 2 regular gelati's and the price was 9.75. I will still be a regular customer during the summer and will not let the higher prices keep me from enjoying one of my favorite summer time treats !! Now if the temp can just cooperate and get above 40 degrees. I am freezing after enjoying my treat !!
JerryG - That's because it's not called Hershey. ;-) The name of the place is "Enjoy Creperie".
According to their Facebook page, they're open now. (for whatever that's worth, lol)
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ritas-of-Hackettstown/130971613584832
ianimal Their Facebook page is not updated! My husband just ran past there and the sign is still up from the fall about when they were closing !
About 30 minutes ago Rita's Hackettstown announced via tweet that they opened today ( Thursday, March 10) for the season. Hours 12 noon to 9pm
https://twitter.com/hackritas
Phil D. Mariann
You're quite welcome, my pleasure. Just hoping I can make it over there before closing!
Rita's has a very good product......I have not been there in over a year....and will not go Back because Every time I purchased a Cup of Vanilla.....the amount was NEVER the same......so inconsistent......and not Cheap.....Fill the up the Cup !!!
LittleRascal I've never had that problem there no matter who served me. We get ices, gelatos, and sometimes just the custard. Did you say anything to the server at the time? I know anytime I have been concerned with the server or service at some place I frequent I ask why the service was different\sub par\or bad.
MK 
Bernie I've been there 5 or so times already since they opened for the season. It hits the spot;-)
I like Vanilla Custard in a Medium cup from RITA's.....my problem is that they never fill the cup up.....one person will put this amount of Ice Cream in the Cup this time.....next time I get another small amount that is different from the last time. And it is too expensive for that small amount. I have not been back there since last July.... ..DQ and COLD Stone are generous with their Servings. That is where I go instead of RITAs. Enjoy !!!
Mom of one, I call bull**** on your rant about not being welcome. I have gone into nearly every Hispanic-owned business in Hackettstown, looking for specialty products, and have always been treated very well. They all speak English - yes, some of them have accents - just as you would IF you could be bothered to learn any other language to expand your horizons.
Flapjack I have been following Ritas for some time now, even when they were back over by Dunkin Donuts. To start, yes, their prices have had to rise due to the rent in that plasa are VERY high. The other location had a little lower rent, however the location was not the best, it was outside, and parking was constantly overloaded.
Moving on, back to the core of this topic. If LoBo purchased 2 large sundaes, it is no suprise that the price was so high. From past experience, sundaes consist of the custard, 2 topings, whip cream, and a cherry. To start, custard is not like regular old ice cream. one of its main ingredients is eggs, and if you have followed national news, you will know and see the drastic climb of prices in eggs. This was due to a sanitary issue where the chickens were bread, and an out break of a flue. That issue is long gone, alas, the price of eggs are still higher than they were, thus, the price. Custard is like taking soft surve, and adding eggs to enrich the quality and consistency of the mix. Custard isn't cheap, and around here, its rare.
Then, the toppings, all of which are generally consistent in proportion, and do in fact cost money. All of which, when added up, add to the charge. Either way, The most expensive item at Ritas, without going into party buckets, is a Large Sundae. That says a lot. Besides, 2 large sundaes are ALOT of custard anyway. For $14? Thats not bad at all.
I hope this clarified some of the general confusion. Of course, everyone is entitled to their opinion. I for one love the environment, the employees are great, and I for one Love Ritas. Simple as that!
Andrew Noticed that RITA's lights were on last night.
Stopped in and the owner said he was open because of the nice weather and on weekends now thru opening in March.
Love to see them back.
I'm reviving this because I stopped by Rita's last Wednesday evening and there was a sign stating "Closed - No Power" and indeed, it looked as though the other stores may not have had power as well. I stopped by again on Thursday and Friday, both times also to find just the note on the door and while Rita's was still dark, it looked as though the power was on in the rest of the strip. Boy was I disappointed.
Today I stopped by after work (around 3:30pm) looking for cold refreshment and spotting lit torchieres on the inside, turned into the parking lot only to see the same sign still adorning the door and the window.
Their website, Twitter & Facebook pages don't have the latest updates, nor any info on the closing.
Does anybody who works there know what's going on and when we can expect it to reopen (that is if anyone that works there is also here on HL)? I really prefer to go to the Hackettstown Rita's than to go to the Flanders location because of the awesome people working there and the ability to "dine in", but here it is, perfect icy treat weather and it's closed :-(
Noname Noname
If that's the case, then why not just post that they'll be closed from xxx to yyy? At least then I, and I imagine others, wouldn't bother to try to visit until they're supposed to reopen. I felt badly that they might be having problems, because if the custard lost refrigeration and spoiled, they'd have to likely sterilize all the equipment before starting up again, but if someone's being disingenuous then I'm doubly disappointed.
Would make zero sense for an ice cream joint to close for vacation on the 4th of July weekend.
Like a Christmas tree farm taking vacation in December.
I hope everything is alright.
Stymie Also easy to criticize self employment. How many of you are responsible for all aspects, not just clocking in +- 8 hours?
RITA's is back in business. Ran into a "snag". Not easy running a business at times.
iJay
Stymie and I both posted because we were obviously concerned that something may not be right and that they may be having problems. Personally, I really like Rita's, as I've already mentioned. I realize that due to the new business opening next door, there may be some kind of power issue developing on that strip due to the possible increased electrical demands, especially with the heat of the summer requiring more AC, especially with all the chargers and electrical usage of the phone store next door. Add to that any new equipment at Rita's and/or the hair stylist and there could definitely be power issues that need to be taken care of by upgrading wiring, etc.
As a faithful customer, I have every right to post that IF they WERE actually on "vacation", rather than having some sort of issues, that I'm disappointed they didn't just post a "Closed from date x to date y" instead of posting a "Closed - No Power" sign. I don't begrudge anyone some time off, especially the great young high schoolers that work there, who started working when school was still in session and will likely be working until school is well back in session. I've met the gentleman that I believe owns Rita's and he's a good guy and I don't begrudge him any time off during the season either, especially if he has nobody to take care of his responsibilities while gone.
My feeling is that of disappointment as a customer, to keep coming back and worrying that they're having issues, as well as not being able to buy their product with absolutely NO clue when they'll reopen. I imagine other customers would likely feel that way as well. My CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is for better signage, period, IF and only IF it wasn't an actual power issue.
As for being responsible for "all aspects", besides just clocking in for +/- 8 hours, my 15 years of experience in retail and even more in customer service speak for themselves. I spent 7 years actually managing a store, before, during and after computer product replenishment programs. I was responsible for hiring, firing (sadly, a few times), scheduling, being there for a minimum of 44 hours per week, often more like 50+. I was responsible for up to 30 full and part time floor associates and 10 shop technicians, reading time cards and recording the times to go to payroll, as well as tabulating bonus points, service and parts times, etc. On an ongoing basis, I was responsible for ordering thousands of items, then receiving them and making sure the resources were in place to stock all that merchandise and keep both them and the store neat and clean.
I trained cashiers in register operation, security of cash and credit transactions with proper customer service and when needed operated the register myself, as well as making bank deposits, getting change from the bank and supplying change to cashiers, training counterpeople and new managers in training.
SOOOOOOOOOOOOO, I think I am well-qualified to make a minor suggestion such as better signage, IF they had been on vacation, rather than experiencing electrical issues. The last thing anyone would need would be for another business to be harmed by an electrical fire! I only wish the best for Rita's and their employees and I'm sure they'll feel the loss of income for that week or so they were closed. I know I did at that age.
Phil, don't worry about iJay. He has many issues. Lol.
It's very apparent that you are one of the nicest, most knowledgeable and helpful posters on here.
Please don't fret over it. He's just another pot stirrer.
I hope you had a great holiday!
positive positive
Thanks, not really worried about him. Just figured I'd let him know that I'm well-qualified to comment on matters of customer service. My family also owns a business, which I worked at for about 7 years and currently work for a small business, so let's just say I'm well-acquainted with those struggles and challenges. I've had many jobs in fact, lol. My holiday went fine, though I was busy with yard work and other stuff for part of the day. I hope yours was great as well!
Bernie
Thanks for the heads up! Great to know things are back on track for them and hopefully I'll be able to swing around after work tomorrow and help support them (and my Rita's habit - could be worse habits to have, lol).
I don't disagree. 99% chance they need to do better as Phil mentioned. With all of the gossip maybe it is something else -- people say vacation but maybe an emergency. That is my point, cut them a break.
Read Phil's post again, it speaks wonders for the private sector. Meanwhile, your typical teacher is 1 or 2 weeks into 10 weeks off.
My point is the private sector is the real deal. N to sure how many teachers could do Phil's job...
Phil, care to comment about your total compensation versus that of a public worker? Are you underpaid, paid about right, overpaid when compared to someone with lot's of time off, fixed hours, retirement medical, pension, etc.?
Actually , I've been self employed for 32 years.
The thing I get the biggest kick out of is people complain that "they can't find a job..." or " no one is hiring..".
The beauty of this country is that you have incredible freedom to go out and MAKE YOUR OWN JOB.
The freedom to make your own hours ( long) and own decisions in my mind far outweighs the security of punching a clock or receiving a regular check.
There is a constant learning curve involved as the market place is always changing- but, hey, fall down seven times, stand up eight.
iJay
I've never actually taken the time and effort to compare them. For me it's more about whether or not I like what I do, whether I'm fairly compensated for the tasks I perform and at the skill level I have and whether or not that's increased based on my streamlining of processes, improvement of my own skills and productivity, despite vendors falling down on their job(s) at times, knowledge of the job and ability to work with others, especially when under time constraints.
Obviously, things have changed and I don't know how the retail sector is at the moment as far as benefits, but I do know that in the private sector as costs have risen for my various employers, some of the burden and responsibility has been passed onto me, depending on what level of health and life insurance benefits I wish to have.
As far as public employees, teachers, etc., that's a whole 'nother ball game. I haven't actually worked in any of their positions, though I've known a good number of teachers through the years. I don't feel I can make a completely fair decision based on that lack of personal experience. There are times when Unions work well and provide needed protections that otherwise wouldn't be there, such as my Grandfather's membership in the UMWA. Without those protections that were later enforced by OSHA, he may not have had anything when he had to stop working due to Black Lung Disease (mid-60's). There are other times when Unions only serve to agitate and prevaricate, which has been the death knell of some businesses, left unable to compete in an evolving marketplace.
When I worked at Rickel as a multi-department manager/lead, some of our part-time high school kids were saying "We need a Union" at which point another manager and I laughed and said, "You already get competitive pay, great med., dental & eyeware coverage plus life insurance and have safeguards in place against abuse by mgmt. So do you really wish to PAY into a fund to pay some other people, who live in a big house & travel by limo, etc. to get what you already have? How much pay increase will you need just to cover Union dues? Think about it." They looked a bit sheepishly at us for a moment and just said "Oh".
Anyway, back to Rita's... .
Nice post Phil. How about the taxes you pay, not all all concerned/interested that excessive spending has raised it? Taxpayers should not be paying for excessive benefits/excessive compensation just because they were promised 40 years ago.
Regarding unions, I have always said that they started as a good thing but went astray; they went past what is right to "what we can get" through manipulating the system. And once they get it, they are very unwilling to change.
What do we do in the private sector when they grandfathered pensions and dropped retiree medical. Not happy, but evaluated where we were at, can we go elsewhere and get the benefits?
As for your Rickels story, it doesn't apply to teachers. The $800 or so each pays per year in NJEA dues protects pensions and retiree medical. With the value of this at many tens of thousands per year in retirement, $800 per year is a bargain.
Yes, let us all get back to RITA's.
They have overcome their business problem for the moment and are open again.
Enjoy a "treat".
AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDD, literally,
back to Rita's. Yes, I did go back tonight to get a large Mango/Vanilla Gelati "fix". Unfortunately poor K-man looked a bit tired & frazzled. Glad to see them getting back into the swing of things.
Bug3 - you're speaking to poor Johnny One Note - don't waste your typing fingers....
4catmom 
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