It's very encouraging to see the Obama administration moving so quickly to address the health care crisis in this nation. That said, I know there are many who fear health care reform and think that it means socialism, limits to care and long waits. The truth is there are many examples of successful universal health care systems in the world, some probably more appealing to conservative Americans than others. And in a country like ours where a person goes bankrupt from health care costs every 30 seconds, it's time to start taking a look at them. In England (what we typically think of as "socialized medicine"), they pay for services through taxes and use a primary physician as a "gatekeeper" to keep costs down, similar to our HMOs. There may be wait times for elective services, but they are a leader in preventative medicine. ...more

March 8, 2009

7-Eleven, Inc., the world's largest convenience retailer and ranked among U.S. top franchisors, is continuing its plan to convert the vast majority of its company-operated stores into franchised operations in the U.S. by 2012. The conversion of company-operated stores in some markets began in 2006. Approximately 4,100, or 75 percent, of 7-Eleven, Inc.'s more than 5,600 U.S. stores are now franchised. ...more

November 16, 2008