We've seen so many restaurant owners thinking that they are Atlas, that they can shrug and Go Galt, and that we just can't do anything about it. We've seen businesses cutting hours to avoid giving health care to their employees. I really want the people touching my food to have health care, so I don't get sick. And recently there was This diary, where a lesbian couple was insulted by a restaurant owner (after they had paid, of course!)
More after the orange figure-skating mark.
Of course, they aren't Atlas. We are. We can shrug. We can take our business elsewhere. They need us more than we need them. But how do we know who to support? It's good to deny our business to restaurants that misbehave, but how can we find out who the good guys are? It does no good to avoid one misbehaving business, only to inadvertently give our business to another misbehaving business.
But what if the good guys could stand up and wave? Imagine restaurants with signs that said "This restaurant provides heath care to the employees." Or signs that said "This restaurant does not discriminate."
Negative rewards - withholding our business - are good. But combine that with positive rewards, such as giving our business to the good guys, makes our power even greater.
So how about it? Where shall we have lunch? Can any one recommend restaurants that are worth rewarding? Anyone have any ideas for how we can best reward the good guys?