Ron Paul likes price gouging, and the way he explains it, ..

Davian wrote:For $20 a gallon, most people wont be able to afford it so there wont be any demand anyway. Thus, your overall profit wont increase enough to create the type of push you're talking about anyway.

But that is what they were paying, so how is it that they could not afford it?

lsayre wrote:

Davian wrote:For $20 a gallon, most people wont be able to afford it so there wont be any demand anyway. Thus, your overall profit wont increase enough to create the type of push you're talking about anyway.

But that is what they were paying, so how is it that they could not afford it?

That's what the small percentage of people that could afford it were paying...slight difference.

You only mention the few bad things that happened the union thing was quickly rectified & the beating was an isolated incident (only one that I heard of) there are nut cases everywhere. You ignore all the people welcoming the utility workers & providing what they could to them & all the volunteers that showed up to help, even the wall st. occupiers movement got involved to help, all of the neighbor helping neighbor. Just as something like that brings out the bad in a few it brings out the best in most.

samhill wrote:You only mention the few bad things that happened the union thing was quickly rectified & the beating was an isolated incident (only one that I heard of) there are nut cases everywhere. You ignore all the people welcoming the utility workers & providing what they could to them & all the volunteers that showed up to help, even the wall st. occupiers movement got involved to help, all of the neighbor helping neighbor. Just as something like that brings out the bad in a few it brings out the best in most.

No...the 0.01% of the population that committed those acts are far more indicative of the overall communities in question.

Davian wrote:

samhill wrote:You only mention the few bad things that happened the union thing was quickly rectified & the beating was an isolated incident (only one that I heard of) there are nut cases everywhere. You ignore all the people welcoming the utility workers & providing what they could to them & all the volunteers that showed up to help, even the wall st. occupiers movement got involved to help, all of the neighbor helping neighbor. Just as something like that brings out the bad in a few it brings out the best in most.

No...the 0.01% of the population that committed those acts are far more indicative of the overall communities in question.

So after all of the haggling is $20 per gallon gasoline better than no gasoline, or not? And was the government wrong to impose price caps and stop any potential $20 gas from rolling in? We're not talking of permanent $20 gasoline. Only a few days and while circumstances justified it. Should free markets be permitted to function, or not. Are we a free country or not?

As to those who could not afford $20 gasoline, how many could pawn or sell off (or trade, as in barter) I-Phones or I-Pads or laptop computers or their 60" flat screen TV's for a few gallons? I realize that one must have priorities, but under the circumstances ....

And how many of them are currently maxing out their credit cards on Black Friday sales, etc...?

And if some (even if some means a lot) can't afford circumstantially justifiable $20 per gallon gasoline, just what authority do they lay claim to which would force others to provide it to them under any and all circumstances for less than that? Is one mans need a noose around the neck of another mans ability? Why should all suffer and do without when some can find relief in $20 gasoline? Is gasoline access a right or a privilege? (I hope it's the latter)

Save it boys, they just don't get it. And I am reminded of the friend that owns a station back in Maine. I quote," I have to purchase and pay in advance for this commodity and then get beat all to hell when I sell it at a profit. Why exactly am I in business?" AND, "If I buy any other commodity low and sell high, it is considered a plus, why is it different with gas and milk?" Because the socialist hate smart or well positioned people. I can tell you, if TSHTF and I am sitting on a truck load of toilet paper or some other commodity, it is going to cost. And I expect the guys arguing with you will feel the same way, no matter what *censored* they spout.

Kevin

Nah. They'll be looking for the government to force you to sell it at a loss.

Isayre, you tell me if $20/gal gas could roll in then why not gas at the regular price? It's my understanding that the problem was with more the lack of power than the lack of gas, too few stations with the ability as has been discussed before. Why then should someone have to sell their items to buy gas when among those items are firearms & they could just take the gas, not to resell but perhaps to keep the family alive? Should the military then have to protect & escort those gouging the public & anyone with gas & the return of power not be allowed to pump except at the $20/gal price? Then you would be saying the Gov. jacked up the price not the owners, remember the Gov. only gets tax/gal regardless of price. If these people that are being helped by gouging are being helped by it then maybe to help even more the banks could charge higher fees to use a mac machine & stores should also be allowed to help by increasing their price on any & every item they sell, shortly these people will have been helped soo much they would welcome the Gov. involvement simply because they help much less than free enterprise.

samhill wrote:Isayre, you tell me if $20/gal gas could roll in then why not gas at the regular price?

Why should I go through all of the expense (read that loss) and hazards and risk of delivering and distributing my gasoline into a hurricane torn area for $4 per gallon when I can get that price for it anywhere?

If the going black market spot price is $20, perhaps I can offer it in the legal marketplace (with the government at all levels getting its full tax cut from it) for $18 and at that price it may well cover my costs and make it worth taking the risk. As a side benefit of sorts the government does alright as a consequence.

KLook wrote:Save it boys, they just don't get it. And I am reminded of the friend that owns a station back in Maine. I quote," I have to purchase and pay in advance for this commodity and then get beat all to hell when I sell it at a profit. Why exactly am I in business?" AND, "If I buy any other commodity low and sell high, it is considered a plus, why is it different with gas and milk?" Because the socialist hate smart or well positioned people. I can tell you, if TSHTF and I am sitting on a truck load of toilet paper or some other commodity, it is going to cost. And I expect the guys arguing with you will feel the same way, no matter what *censored* they spout.

Kevin

Your right, Kevin "they" don't get it because most people are not that greedy. There is nothing wrong with making a profit, but is it ever enough in this mindset? I'd venture to say no it's not. Price gouging your neighbors/community is ok in your model because it's a way to be greedy and feel ok about it because "I'm in business and I can just say gosh sorry folks but whatever the market will bear" regardless of the situatiuon or consequences to others. This is nothing new. At the turn of the 20th century we had plenty of Robber Barons and finally people had enough of it and laws were changed when people had enough of it. It's the old Gordon Gecko "Greed is Good" philosophy. You can get away with it for a while until the community has had enough and as they did in the old days too, they tar and feather you and ride you out of town on rail.

Gives ya an idea what kinda mind set some of these greedy self centered--in the name of positive growth, schmucks are at. Nice post SZ

I agree with you Freetown Fred on your compliments on the great post of SteveZee's.

In the first place a driver doesn't own that gas, he's just the messenger I don't think there are many independent stations left these days. If you were to clean out your milk tanker & drive to a distribution center I highly doubt you would get in & loaded no matter how much gas you showed. Gouging is gouging no matter how you try & make it a noble profession, people (especially in the U.S.) have short memories but I would think you may as well close up that station & move after things got back to normal.

samhill wrote:Isayre, you tell me if $20/gal gas could roll in then why not gas at the regular price?

If I was a station owner I could contact a hauler, and say I need gas but road is blocked with trees. Hauler says we will get it to you but it is going to cost. Now the hauler may contract with a excavating comapny, and a large articulating wheel loader will push trees out of the road. well now said price for a gallon of gas is $20 for all the work involved.

So you think they should do all that work for $4, Why do anything to lose money in buisness?