A Blog should be interactive

 Earlier in the week I wrote about the closing of the Lake Forest Cafe, a Folsom landmark for the past 30 years that until the 30th operated in a 100+ year old house.   I made the point that while I support the substance of the Americans with Disabilities Act that a lawsuit offered by a person who seems to file a lot of them supported by a plaintiff's attorney who is making her living doing this offends me.   In economics that is often called "rent seeking."

The post generated a lot of readers, a big jump from my normal readership.  But no comments.

There are several possible explanations for the jump in readership.   

1) I was especially eloquent that day.   (Yeah, right)

2) I struck a nerve with local readers.   The owner who made a brief comment for the local Folsom paper but also had a great comment on her website which actually describes the homey nature of her soon to be closed business.   My wife and I have been occasional customers of the place.  The owner made the following statement on her website -

Lake Forest Cafe began as my dream over 25 years ago. I imagined a restaurant where people would feel comfortable and safe enough to enjoy and linger over good honest food. It would be a place of style where people would love to eat. Today, as in the past, my dedicated staff and I strive to fulfill my dream.

I sincerely hope your time at Lake Forest Cafe will be enjoyable.

That is one of those mission statements, that based on our experience, actually explains what the owner was trying to (and mostly did) accomplish.   From my perspective, the lawsuit was indeed a Wretched Excess.  I read the pleading and also the news account, I did not talk to any of the interested parties.  I also did some research on the plaintiff and the number of suits he has filed since the first of the year. (It is a lot.)

3) The disabled community thought that I was either fair or unfair in my description of this suit in particular and the broader issue of the appropriateness of private rights of action in the ADA.  (Which has been a high point of discussion in legislatures over the duration of the act.)

4) The Plaintiff's bar thinks I picked on them by using their own words and comparing them to not very admirable types.  (Gee that is a first.)

5) A group of students was given this URL for an assignment on how bloggers think.

Whatever the reason, none of you has made a comment.    As the introduction suggests, I write this blog on politics and economics and whatever else tickles my fancy.   I am a big fan of the Rivercats so I even write about them.  But I have two requests to all these new readers.   First, feel free to make a comment either positive or negative.   I spent a career as a lobbyist and some am quite comfortable with people who have differing opinions from mine.   But second, if you were intrigued by the original post on the Lake Forest Cafe, feel free to stop by again.