(Published in 1986)
Once upon a time, in the country of Cornucopia, a
longstanding dream of the progressive leaders of the people finally came
true. They had made large gains in the
past but after that it had seemed that further progress had been stifled until
the present victory. In past years they had
decried the scandalous plight of the Elders in this most bountiful country in history. These unfortunate Elders, who had worked all
their lives but in the end had little to show for it, had long suffered the
ignominious fate of having to fall back
on the generosity of their families when they could work no longer. And so the progressive leaders, years before,
had convinced the people that the government could do the job better and
more fairly. The benefits were
obvious. The Elders had their
independence, the children were freed from their oftentimes burdensome obligations and the
overflowing wealth of the country was put to good use. A few grumbled about creeping socialism but
the great majority saw which side their bread was buttered on and so Socicare had
become the law of the land.
But this is an old story.
Although the Elders became more numerous and the wealth of the country did not seem quite
so unlimited anymore, Socicare was a way of life that none who were not
receiving its benefits could remember being without.
What the progressive leaders were excited about now was the
passage of Nutricare after years of
struggle. For an Elder who had to live
on Socicare alone, life, although proudly independent, was meager indeed and
particularly at mealtime. In their
former dependant days they had shared the family meal, but now, alone in their
small apartments, they had little appetite for cooking and mostly ate in cheap
restaurants when they could afford it, and often in charity kitchens when they
couldn't. There were even the scandalous
stories broadcast on the evening news of
Elders existing on cat food. The progressive
leaders argued that the Elders who
worked so many years to build the wealth of this country had a right to eat in the same
restaurants as everyone else, and surely there could be no citizen of Cornucopia,
which fed the world with this bounty, who did not eat steak or lobster once in
awhile. Now the government would see to
it than any Elder could eat his meals in any qualified restaurant. Like Socicare, this was not to be charity;
every Elder was obliged to participate, and all Elders, rich or poor, would be
treated alike.
This time the opposition had been a little tougher. The restauranteurs and waiters were an
independent lot who liked running their own establishments and didn't like the
idea of government interference. They
claimed that no Elders were truly going hungry, and that many low cost and
charitable restaurants existed where waiters, especially apprentices, served
Elders without expecting tips.
Opposition melted away however, when the government promised usual and
customary menu prices and tips. Everyone
knew it was a losing battle for who was going to vote down a free lunch.
From the beginning Nutricare's success exceeded even the
expectations of the progressive leaders.
Charity kitchens closed down in
droves almost overnight as the Elders
flocked to nice, comfortable high class restaurants. Incomes of restauranteurs and waiters
catapulted due to large numbers of new customers who paid the full fare.
Tables became scarce with long waiting periods. To satisfy the new needs, much of the new
profits, along with large supplements of government funds went into programs
for building new restaurants and adding big additions to old ones. New training schools for waiters were built
and the apprentices now trained in good restaurants for a reasonable share of
the tips.
The new restaurants were of highest quality as required
by government specifications. Teams of
official inspectors visited regularly causing great flurries of
preparation. Committees of waiters were
required for matters such as nutritional content and kitchen safety. And most important of all, the food was magnifique. The number of new utensils and appliances in the kitchen knew no bounds,
with new models replacing outmoded ones as fast as they could be built. Chefs, cooks and assistants of every type filled the
kitchen. Astounding advances in
gastronomy led to demands and expectations for ever more.
The Nutricare payment system was something new for the restauranteurs
and waiters. Formerly prices were set
according to what the competition would allow, but under Nutricare customers
cared little about the cost and demanded nothing but the best in large
amounts. Payments for services were
increased periodically but only as long as prices were increased
accordingly. Those who failed to make
timely increases were penalized by falling far behind, while those who raised their prices highest and fastest were rewarded by increased payments.
Who would have ever thought that a plan so well intentioned
and so well thought out could go wrong, and yet as time went on a disturbing problem began to appear. Grumbling began to be heard that the boundless plenty of
Cornucopia was beginning to show limits, largely because the cost of eating,
once almost laughably small, was now rising through the roof. The progressive leaders angrily pointed out
that the greedy restauranteurs and waiters
were ruining the system by their excessive prices and by inviting the customers
to patronize the restaurants unnecessarily, and they set about to make things right.
No longer would there be usual and customary menu prices and
tips. All menus would now be fixed
price. However, gourmet cuisine must
continue to be served since this had now become the standard fare. Restauranteurs understood that in order to
continue to make ends meet this meant that tables were to be turned over faster
and they went about it with a
vengeance. Chefs and waiters were made
to understand that time was of the essence.
No sooner was the last bite of
one elegant course eaten than the next
was served up immediately. There would
be no more lingering over that last cup of coffee, but the dishes were cleared
from a table and the customer was ushered out, not quite sure if he was really
finished.
Waiters and restauranteurs were sternly informed that their
former laxness would no longer be tolerated and that they were not to serve any
customer who was not truly hungry. No
one was to be served in a restaurant who had eaten within the last 5 hours. There would be no more dropping in from a day of shopping for rest and a
snack. Snacks were to be taken at
sidewalk stands which were much less expensive.
Checks were scrutinized carefully for any evidence that the customer had
not required a full meal and waiters were required to sign a statement on a
check testifying that they had not written in any extra items.
In time, the increase in cost of eating was reduced, but
still there was much dissatisfaction.
The Elders were unhappy because they didn't like being rushed through
their meal and put out before they were satisfied. Moreover, they didn't understand why, with so
many empty tables, they couldn't have a snack indoors, sitting down. Elders eat slowly, they argued, and they need
more rest. They remembered former days
when one could sit all afternoon in a cheap restaurant, talking with friends,
and nobody seemed to mind.
The restauranteurs and waiters were unhappy. Their business had always required hard work
but had given them security and independence in return. Now the work remained, but the rest seemed to
be fading away. They had always
considered serving the customer a nice meal to be a wonderful way of making a
living, but now the joy was gone, replaced by criticism from all sides.
But most of all the progressive leaders of Cornucopia were unhappy. Their efforts to go down in history as
benefactors of the people were going astray.
They knew that Nutricare would survive and prosper only if they
took firm control of the food service system. They knew that, in the end, the only true
solution to their problem was Pan Nutricare--for all.
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