Automotive Gasoline Price Gouging Laws as an Anti-Capitalist Tool for Price Controls Considered

Price Gouging laws seem to break a fundamentalconsumers, causing the exact opposite of the
principle of free-markets and that is the intrinsic valueintended desire. Further if each gas station is setting
of anything is indeed, what someone will pay for it. Ifprices to each other, then they are breaking the
water is scarce after an Earthquake in San Francisco,"price fixing" rules, so either they are violating the
which demolishes Nancy Pelosi's district then waterprice fixing rules or the price gouging rules. Thus all
will have to be brought in from elsewhere at angasoline stations and companies are breaking the law,
extremely high cost. This cost should be allowed toone or the other, you see?
be passed onto the consumer so the businessAlthough I am no originator of the thought, I hold
person does not have to bite the bullet or go brokewith Ayn Rand that what will eventually happen if
trying to help people.Congress and the FTC keeps sticking their noses into
Next, let's talk about congress setting price gougingfree-markets on behalf of socialist minded mass
laws. If one gasoline station is too high, then they willmedia incited masses to look like they are doing
have to adjust their prices down to meet the othersomething, then eventually no one will be selling fuel,
companies otherwise they might be called a pricethere will be none available.
gouger. Some citizens think this is cool, but if thatIf you think this comment is way off base, I could
company cannot produce it as cheaply and is forcedsee it happening with the bouquet fuels and
to sell it at a lower price, they cannot re-invest inmandatory ethanol usage after periods of crop
tools to increase efficiencies to compete in thefailures from droughts or flooding. You know we
market. This gives advantages to whoever is left asreally need to get Congress some economic lessons
they go out of business.and level the FTC to deal with consumer baby-food
Fewer choices will add to higher prices forissues. Think on it.