Comments on: Good example of why anti-gouging laws are a bad idea http://www.joewhite.com/2007/01/09/good-example-of-why-anti-gouging-laws-are-a-bad-idea/ The occasional writings of a questionable mind. Fri, 30 Jul 2010 01:45:28 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Roy http://www.joewhite.com/2007/01/09/good-example-of-why-anti-gouging-laws-are-a-bad-idea/comment-page-1/#comment-1480 Roy Wed, 10 Jan 2007 22:24:21 +0000 http://www.joewhite.com/2007/01/09/good-example-of-why-anti-gouging-laws-are-a-bad-idea/#comment-1480 Almost anything can be taken to the point of ridiculousness. Anti-gouging laws can be good. They can also be stupid. The notion that a 5% rule-of-thumb is the Final Authority over and against actual costs of transportation and time being rolled in is where the stupidity comes in. For a regular business, selling its already-held stock of plywood in advance of a hurricane, the 5% rule might make sense. For people trucking in emergency supplies, no. You pay extra for extraordinary service. That's not gouging. Almost anything can be taken to the point of ridiculousness. Anti-gouging laws can be good. They can also be stupid.

The notion that a 5% rule-of-thumb is the Final Authority over and against actual costs of transportation and time being rolled in is where the stupidity comes in.

For a regular business, selling its already-held stock of plywood in advance of a hurricane, the 5% rule might make sense. For people trucking in emergency supplies, no. You pay extra for extraordinary service. That’s not gouging.

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