N.J. charges 8 private sector merchants with gouging after Sandy

[The Rabbi]

Now this is something that I was certain would bring universal condemnation.

It's nice to know I'm not so jaded that some people actually surprise me.

Why should people be condemned for doing the rational thing and helping everyone else out? Are you happy seeing people fight over 10 gals of gas?

It is not the "rational thing" to charge victims of a natural disaster more for a product. That's "price gouging". It's illegal and even more importantly, immoral...but I don't expect you to understand that part of it.

It is a natural thing to try to maximize income out of a product that is limited and cannot be replaced. It is far more moral than the alternative, which is virtually everyone going without.
But I dont expect you to understand economics.

 

[Neurotika]

Sure, take them down. Eliminate any incentive for companies to bring energy and goods to the people who need them. Their need isn't that important so let's slow it down.

Why on earth are you supporting the price gougers? Seven gas stations and a hotel, according to this article, overcharged people that were in a bind.

sadly, for some folks..being a scumbag is a redeeming quality....

 

[Seawytch]

Why should people be condemned for doing the rational thing and helping everyone else out? Are you happy seeing people fight over 10 gals of gas?

It is not the "rational thing" to charge victims of a natural disaster more for a product. That's "price gouging". It's illegal and even more importantly, immoral...but I don't expect you to understand that part of it.

It is a natural thing to try to maximize income out of a product that is limited and cannot be replaced. It is far more moral than the alternative, which is virtually everyone going without.
But I dont expect you to understand economics.

No it isn't natural to be a douche and it is illegal. This is no different than war profiteering.

 

[The Rabbi]

It is not the "rational thing" to charge victims of a natural disaster more for a product. That's "price gouging". It's illegal and even more importantly, immoral...but I don't expect you to understand that part of it.

It is a natural thing to try to maximize income out of a product that is limited and cannot be replaced. It is far more moral than the alternative, which is virtually everyone going without.
But I dont expect you to understand economics.

No it isn't natural to be a douche and it is illegal. This is no different than war profiteering.

It is hardly being a douche. I realize you cannot think in any but emotional terms, but I'll go through it anyway.
Prices indicate scarcity. Scarcity is a mismatch of supply and demand, temporary to be sure. When there is too much demand it is rational to increase prices to maximize income from a scarce resource. Increased prices cuts demand and separates buyers who really need the product from those who merely want it.
In the case of gasoline, if it goes to $10 some people will put off their car trip to Aunt Sadie until next month. Others will buy gas at $10 because their delivery business absolutely requires it. They would rather have gas at $10 than no gas. No gas is what liberal douchebags like you offer people. Your argument is out of gas.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Capitalist pigs at their finest. So much for the private sector giving a shit about the down and out citizens.

N.J. charges 8 merchants with gouging after Sandy* - Business on NBCNews.com

New Jersey has filed lawsuits against eight businesses for allegedly gouging customers with exorbitant prices in the days after Superstorm Sandy roared ashore, the state's attorney general said Friday.

Did da gubmint suspend its myriad of taxes on everything needed for the cleanup?

Of course not... now go stand on line for some free shit and leave us alone.

 

[The Rabbi]

Lines and shortages are the results of liberal policies. It's the Soviet model of economics. And what they Dems dream about.

 

[bodecea]

Sure, take them down. Eliminate any incentive for companies to bring energy and goods to the people who need them. Their need isn't that important so let's slow it down.

I sure hope you aren't defending gouging.

 

[bodecea]

Lines and shortages are the results of liberal policies. It's the Soviet model of economics. And what they Dems dream about.

Has nothing to do with a massive storm hitting the most populated sector of our country....

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

Lines and shortages are the results of liberal policies. It's the Soviet model of economics. And what they Dems dream about.

Has nothing to do with a massive storm hitting the most populated sector of our country....

Then why did the feds, the states, the unions, etc. have to back off a lot of their restrictions before the recovery could kick in?

 

[Paulie]

It is a natural thing to try to maximize income out of a product that is limited and cannot be replaced. It is far more moral than the alternative, which is virtually everyone going without.
But I dont expect you to understand economics.

No it isn't natural to be a douche and it is illegal. This is no different than war profiteering.

It is hardly being a douche. I realize you cannot think in any but emotional terms, but I'll go through it anyway.
Prices indicate scarcity. Scarcity is a mismatch of supply and demand, temporary to be sure. When there is too much demand it is rational to increase prices to maximize income from a scarce resource. Increased prices cuts demand and separates buyers who really need the product from those who merely want it.
In the case of gasoline, if it goes to $10 some people will put off their car trip to Aunt Sadie until next month. Others will buy gas at $10 because their delivery business absolutely requires it. They would rather have gas at $10 than no gas. No gas is what liberal douchebags like you offer people. Your argument is out of gas.

The flaw in your argument is in assuming these gas station owners are doing this for the benefit of the market as a whole. They're doing it for the benefit of their own wallets.

At the end of the day it's really just greed. What does the gas station owner care if "enough" people are serviced? All he wants is to sell product. And I DAMN sure don't believe that your average gas station owner is sufficiently versed in economics to have broken it down the way you have. He sees dollar signs and that's all.

 

[Katzndogz]

When is FEMA, the Red Cross and LIPA going to be prosecuted for taking money and not showing up at all?

 

[Ravi]

Republicans support price gouging. Yet another reason they lost the presidential election.

 

[The Rabbi]

Lines and shortages are the results of liberal policies. It's the Soviet model of economics. And what they Dems dream about.

Has nothing to do with a massive storm hitting the most populated sector of our country....

You're right. The fact that gasoline was unavailable 2 weeks after the storm does have nothing to do with the storm. It has everything to do with gov't policies preventing supplies from reaching their destinations there.
You might be getting it at laast.

 

[The Rabbi]

No it isn't natural to be a douche and it is illegal. This is no different than war profiteering.

It is hardly being a douche. I realize you cannot think in any but emotional terms, but I'll go through it anyway.
Prices indicate scarcity. Scarcity is a mismatch of supply and demand, temporary to be sure. When there is too much demand it is rational to increase prices to maximize income from a scarce resource. Increased prices cuts demand and separates buyers who really need the product from those who merely want it.
In the case of gasoline, if it goes to $10 some people will put off their car trip to Aunt Sadie until next month. Others will buy gas at $10 because their delivery business absolutely requires it. They would rather have gas at $10 than no gas. No gas is what liberal douchebags like you offer people. Your argument is out of gas.

The flaw in your argument is in assuming these gas station owners are doing this for the benefit of the market as a whole. They're doing it for the benefit of their own wallets.

At the end of the day it's really just greed. What does the gas station owner care if "enough" people are serviced? All he wants is to sell product. And I DAMN sure don't believe that your average gas station owner is sufficiently versed in economics to have broken it down the way you have. He sees dollar signs and that's all.

Arent you supposed to be a narco libertarian and believer in the free market? Ever heard of the Invisible Hand?
What an ignorant shithead. No wonder I usually ignore you.

 

[Dick Tuck]

Why should people be condemned for doing the rational thing and helping everyone else out? Are you happy seeing people fight over 10 gals of gas?

It is not the "rational thing" to charge victims of a natural disaster more for a product. That's "price gouging". It's illegal and even more importantly, immoral...but I don't expect you to understand that part of it.

It is a natural thing to try to maximize income out of a product that is limited and cannot be replaced. It is far more moral than the alternative, which is virtually everyone going without.
But I dont expect you to understand economics.

You're an idiot. Those gouging, were the ones lucky enough to have power. It had nothing to do with supply. Most refineries were back up withing a couple of days after the storm. NJ lifted the limit of tankers in New York harbor. It was a luck of the draw who had electric power restored, and when. These scumbags were price gouging after a disaster, pure and simple. It's against the law, so let these pig assholes take personal responsibility.

Chris Christie is right on this, even if he is a Republican.

 

[bodecea]

When is FEMA, the Red Cross and LIPA going to be prosecuted for taking money and not showing up at all?

Prove they have not shown up.

 

[martybegan]

It is not the "rational thing" to charge victims of a natural disaster more for a product. That's "price gouging". It's illegal and even more importantly, immoral...but I don't expect you to understand that part of it.

It is a natural thing to try to maximize income out of a product that is limited and cannot be replaced. It is far more moral than the alternative, which is virtually everyone going without.
But I dont expect you to understand economics.

You're an idiot. Those gouging, were the ones lucky enough to have power. It had nothing to do with supply. Most refineries were back up withing a couple of days after the storm. NJ lifted the limit of tankers in New York harbor. It was a luck of the draw who had electric power restored, and when. These scumbags were price gouging after a disaster, pure and simple. It's against the law, so let these pig assholes take personal responsibility.

Chris Christie is right on this, even if he is a Republican.

The fact that they are only prosecuting 8 people for this shows that it really wasnt an issue. The issue was in fact, hoarding, caused by the lack of a price increase, that allowed the shortage of gas to persist as long as it did. While $10 gas may have been gouging, it would have given pause to those people buying gas just in case, instead of those who actually needed it.

 

[Soggy in NOLA]

8 out of how many?

ZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.................

Who cares.

 

[Katzndogz]

When is FEMA, the Red Cross and LIPA going to be prosecuted for taking money and not showing up at all?

Prove they have not shown up.

The agencies say they did show up. The Red Cross says their operation was flawless. It's just the people in the areas that say they STILL haven't seen them. The facts speak for themselves, no matter how much government propaganda there is. Proving a negative can't be done. The negative is, they aren't there and never were there. What help that these people have gotten is private help, churches who gathered up supplies, Mitt Romney and volunteers.

 

[bripat9643]

Republicans support price gouging. Yet another reason they lost the presidential election.

Perhaps. Bogus economic theories are popular with the dumb masses. How else would the Democrats ever get elected if it wasn't for general ignorance about economics?