Louisiana AG is a rattlesnake… in a good way
With the hurricane season upon us, residents of coastal states are watching the radar and making storm plans. While New Orleans residents are wondering whether it’s safe to go home after Hurricane Gustav, their attorney general wants to make sure it’s affordable to come home.
Louisiana Attorney General James D. “Buddy” Caldwell plans to crack down on price-gougers, after getting complaints about inflated prices for hotel rooms and gasoline. But who isn’t complaining about gasoline prices these days?
From The Daily Advertiser:
The attorney general said that under state law, owners, managers, employees and “anyone who participates in jacking up prices” is subject to a $500 fine and six months in prison on each count of price gouging.“Like a rattlesnake, first we give a warning,” [“Buddy”] said. But if a business doesn’t comply with the law, “then we bite.”
What’s that sound? It’s the long rattle of the law.
Attorney general targets gougers [The Daily Advertiser]
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Comments
These pretzels are making me...shit.
first to say first (even if second)
We should have made Kash the new EIC.
Yes, because this post is so amazing.
Let's give someone a job who DOESN'T WANT IT. Brilliant stuff.
Good for Caldwell, bite away.
Sarah Palin is a complete ... oh wait, wrong thread. Carry on.
boring
4 = Elie. Come on, man. Fess up.
Get em Buddy!
- A guy at your high school who voted for Buddy
By prohibiting gouging, this douche-bag will accomplish two things:
(1) some people will stock up early, causing others to go wanting altogether; and
(2) business owners will keep smaller inventories of affected merchandise (knowing that storing, e.g., flashlights, is no longer justified by a "disaster premium").
When the shit hits the fan, the stores are not going to have enough supplies, at high prices or otherwise.
Bingo, 11. I got into a long debate with a FL generator repairman about how, by keeping his prices low during a hurricane, he's probably hurting people. Price is a great way of transmitting information about the relative value of goods; artificially depressing prices reduces the availability of goods to those who need them -- and would therefore be willing to pay -- the most.
Kash, please help the fat guy.
Supply and demand mother fucker!
i could tell from the preview in my RSS reader that this was written by someone other than Elie. so i actually clicked on it. bravo, kash.
Economics is just a myth like evolution