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09/20/2005 Archived Entry: ""Price gouging" and the fedgov"

LET ME GET THIS STRAIGHT. It should be a federal crime to charge a buck "too much" for a gallon of gas during an emergency. But it's dandy fine to charge taxpayers and the children and grandchildren of taxpayers an extra $200 billion or so (plus interest) for political fuel during the same emergency?

Only relief from this latest crime of government gouging: it seems people recognize it for exactly what it is. After Bush's big piece of theater in New Orleans last week, in which he promised hundreds of billions of other people's money, I really feared the public might buy the ploy -- free goodies! government is DOING something! -- and take him back in their embrace. But if the above-linked poll is accurate (always a huge IF, of course), for once Americans weren't fooled.

(Thanks to SJ for the "price gouging" article, which is one of the most informative on the silliness, even if its author doesn't reveal a glimmer of a grasp of the consequences of price controls.)

Posted by Claire @ 09:08 AM CST
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