Comments on: Abramoff close to giving up his “partners” in Congress http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/ General interest observations and true web-log. Fri, 19 Mar 2010 04:14:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: AB CD http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-85080 AB CD Mon, 02 Jan 2006 16:10:02 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=3745#comment-85080 This might actually snare Tom Delay. This might actually snare Tom Delay.

]]> By: Greg http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-84918 Greg Sun, 01 Jan 2006 01:33:07 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=3745#comment-84918 However, if you have something that people require instead of merely want, and you don't have significant price competition, price in a market economy can far outstrip what's required to control demand. An absolute purest-sense free market isn't always self correcting, which is why we don't have one. We muddy it a bit with anti-trust laws and other regulations because it's in people's best interests. Whether the government stepping in on this particular issue is a good idea I don't know, but I don't give the oil companies a free pass here which is why I'd be willing to consider it. However, if you have something that people require instead of merely want, and you don’t have significant price competition, price in a market economy can far outstrip what’s required to control demand.

An absolute purest-sense free market isn’t always self correcting, which is why we don’t have one. We muddy it a bit with anti-trust laws and other regulations because it’s in people’s best interests. Whether the government stepping in on this particular issue is a good idea I don’t know, but I don’t give the oil companies a free pass here which is why I’d be willing to consider it.

]]> By: Mike http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-84903 Mike Sat, 31 Dec 2005 22:14:10 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=3745#comment-84903 The function of price in a market economy is to offset demand. The reason why price increases are a good thing is because they cause the demand for a scarce commodity to decrease. I guarantee the next time the government decides to muck around with price controls on gasoline, the demand will shoot through the roof and we'll all be standing in line waiting for our turn at the pumps. Most economists will tell you this. I'd rather pay 3 bucks a gallon for gas, but know that there will at least be gas around to buy, than deal with the alternative. Most people aren't going to control their consumption until it hits them in the wallet. The bottoming out of SUV sales over the past two years is proof of this. The function of price in a market economy is to offset demand. The reason why price increases are a good thing is because they cause the demand for a scarce commodity to decrease. I guarantee the next time the government decides to muck around with price controls on gasoline, the demand will shoot through the roof and we’ll all be standing in line waiting for our turn at the pumps. Most economists will tell you this. I’d rather pay 3 bucks a gallon for gas, but know that there will at least be gas around to buy, than deal with the alternative.

Most people aren’t going to control their consumption until it hits them in the wallet. The bottoming out of SUV sales over the past two years is proof of this.

]]> By: Greg http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-84889 Greg Sat, 31 Dec 2005 21:16:38 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=3745#comment-84889 Mike: Regardless of who makes more money on a gallon of gas (and I don't have the requisite knowledge to know whether that's true, but I'll assume that it is) the oil companies control the prices, the government does not. If the government could lower prices significantly it would because high gas prices are politically damaging. I'm no Bush fan, but I don't think it's right when people try to pin it on him. As for the oil companies, they are enormously enormously profitable right now. People hurting at the pump look at that and see it as evidence of price gouging, and I don't think that's unfair. They're certainly entitled to make money, but the degree at which they're raking it in shows the prices to be unnecessarily high. People can live without Starbucks. That's an expense they incur by choice. Gasoline is necessary for many people to be able to function. Mike: Regardless of who makes more money on a gallon of gas (and I don’t have the requisite knowledge to know whether that’s true, but I’ll assume that it is) the oil companies control the prices, the government does not. If the government could lower prices significantly it would because high gas prices are politically damaging. I’m no Bush fan, but I don’t think it’s right when people try to pin it on him.

As for the oil companies, they are enormously enormously profitable right now. People hurting at the pump look at that and see it as evidence of price gouging, and I don’t think that’s unfair. They’re certainly entitled to make money, but the degree at which they’re raking it in shows the prices to be unnecessarily high.

People can live without Starbucks. That’s an expense they incur by choice. Gasoline is necessary for many people to be able to function.

]]> By: Mike http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-84883 Mike Sat, 31 Dec 2005 20:42:38 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=3745#comment-84883 The government makes more from a gallon of gas than the oil companies do, yet it's the oil company that is called greedy (even though they are the ones who did all the work to get it to you). Why don't bitch about how much a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs? Harvesting coffee beans is so much more expensive than finding, drilling, pumping, and refining petrolium products. The government makes more from a gallon of gas than the oil companies do, yet it’s the oil company that is called greedy (even though they are the ones who did all the work to get it to you).

Why don’t bitch about how much a cup of coffee at Starbucks costs? Harvesting coffee beans is so much more expensive than finding, drilling, pumping, and refining petrolium products.

]]> By: Gwendle http://www.dvorak.org/blog/2005/12/31/abramoff-close-to-giving-up-his-partners-in-congress/comment-page-1/#comment-84872 Gwendle Sat, 31 Dec 2005 18:26:49 +0000 http://www.dvorak.org/blog/?p=3745#comment-84872 About time someone stepped up and nailed em. Now to nail them about the oil prices, tobacco, and every other thing that they are crooked about. About time someone stepped up and nailed em. Now to nail them about the oil prices, tobacco, and every other thing that they are crooked about.

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