- 9,744
The Health Reform Rumor Mill
- Thread starter Post Quartermaster
- Start date
- 2,455
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
So I guess you would be ok with waking up tomorrow to find gas to be $25 per gallon take it or leave it?
I'm ok with it as it just means I won't be driving anywhere and neither will several other million people. Oh and go ahead and ride your bike to the grocery store. Because gas would be so much good luck being able to buy food in the event they even had food due to the truck driver sitting at home unable to pay for gas to get to work.
Maybe I don't understand your post.......
I'm really not worried about that anyway. If the dollar keeps going the way it is it won't be worth a darn thing anyway. CEO pay won't mean squat and I doubt you or i would even worry about it.
So I guess you would be ok with waking up tomorrow to find gas to be $25 per gallon take it or leave it?
I'm ok with it as it just means I won't be driving anywhere and neither will several other million people. Oh and go ahead and ride your bike to the grocery store. Because gas would be so much good luck being able to buy food in the event they even had food due to the truck driver sitting at home unable to pay for gas to get to work.
Maybe I don't understand your post.......
I'm really not worried about that anyway. If the dollar keeps going the way it is it won't be worth a darn thing anyway. CEO pay won't mean squat and I doubt you or i would even worry about it.
- 9,744
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
Where does it stop? Someone decides they don't like the price of Fruit-of-the-Loom underwear, so we put some government price controls on that?
Don't know if you're old enough to remember "wage and price controls", but history has proven that they don't work!
I wouldn't like it, but I would accept it - and I sure as hell don't expect the government to get involved - based on their track record of screwin' up anything they get near.
The free, for profit market would invent alternatives so fast it would make your head spin!
Anything is preferable (and ultimately less expensive) than having the government regulate it.
Where does it stop? Someone decides they don't like the price of Fruit-of-the-Loom underwear, so we put some government price controls on that?
Don't know if you're old enough to remember "wage and price controls", but history has proven that they don't work!
I wouldn't like it, but I would accept it - and I sure as hell don't expect the government to get involved - based on their track record of screwin' up anything they get near.
The free, for profit market would invent alternatives so fast it would make your head spin!
Anything is preferable (and ultimately less expensive) than having the government regulate it.
- 14,808
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
About 10 years ago gas/electric deregulation was supposed to bring a flood of competition into the market and lower the prices of "greedy" Baltimore Gas & Electric. After all, they had to be gauging everyone so prices were gonna drop.
10 years later, 4 other competitors in the market and rates are about 70% higher...across the board including competitors. So much for the "greedy" BG&E gouging people. Turns out profits are razor thin due to the natural markets at play.
About 10 years ago gas/electric deregulation was supposed to bring a flood of competition into the market and lower the prices of "greedy" Baltimore Gas & Electric. After all, they had to be gauging everyone so prices were gonna drop.
10 years later, 4 other competitors in the market and rates are about 70% higher...across the board including competitors. So much for the "greedy" BG&E gouging people. Turns out profits are razor thin due to the natural markets at play.
- 2,908
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
Given the fact that we have chosen to not develop other supplies, we have no choice but to buy oil out on the spot market, which is set by a cartel. So the question becomes, how much of the price of a gallon of gas is set by the cost of a barrel of crude (you know the answer) and how do you freeze the price of gasoline at the price that prevails when crude was 90 dollars a barrel when it goes to to 130 a barrel? Answer: You can't or I dont know is another answer. You can squeeze the refineries on their piece and take the few pennies a gallon that the local quick pick gets but how much is that going to help, even if they do it for free.
Anyway, be good to figure out the answer to that because if we are going to use price controls on premiums but not on providers costs it will be the same scenario, and by jove I think we are well on our way to going down that road.
Not very smart.
"We will tell the insurance companies what the premiums will be" Both Obama and Hillary said that in their campaigns and here we are.
Given the fact that we have chosen to not develop other supplies, we have no choice but to buy oil out on the spot market, which is set by a cartel. So the question becomes, how much of the price of a gallon of gas is set by the cost of a barrel of crude (you know the answer) and how do you freeze the price of gasoline at the price that prevails when crude was 90 dollars a barrel when it goes to to 130 a barrel? Answer: You can't or I dont know is another answer. You can squeeze the refineries on their piece and take the few pennies a gallon that the local quick pick gets but how much is that going to help, even if they do it for free.
Anyway, be good to figure out the answer to that because if we are going to use price controls on premiums but not on providers costs it will be the same scenario, and by jove I think we are well on our way to going down that road.
Not very smart.
"We will tell the insurance companies what the premiums will be" Both Obama and Hillary said that in their campaigns and here we are.
- 14,808
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
The natural market works in the gas situation. In theory the cartels could force the price of gas to $10/gallon. Problem with that is consumption goes way down and they end up with the same profit or even less.
Even worse, the more they drive up the price of gas the more people start screaming to find alternate fuels. The cartels are very mindful of this and know just how hard to squeeze.
The natural market works in the gas situation. In theory the cartels could force the price of gas to $10/gallon. Problem with that is consumption goes way down and they end up with the same profit or even less.
Even worse, the more they drive up the price of gas the more people start screaming to find alternate fuels. The cartels are very mindful of this and know just how hard to squeeze.
- 2,908
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
The nature of a cartel is that natural markets are not working. It does not mean that market factors are absent. If one wants to get theoretical they can argue that monopolies or price fixing are also part of natural market behavior and I dont disagree with that. That is the nature of anti-trust laws. Competition left untethered will eventually become monopolisitc.
We get most of our foreign oil from Canada, not the mideast. Do you think they give us a price break because they watch our TV programs for free and dont have to transport their oil around the world to get here? No, they just look at what the OPEC price is and there you have it. Whatever Iran charges us, that is what they charge us.
It is true that OPEC shot themselves in the foot by tearing down (or piling on to) the worldwide economic crisis. That doesnt mean we got there through natural supply and demand interaction though. They got together and just decided to drive the price up. And when the price falls too low, they simply cut production. A basic monopoly/cartel.
The nature of a cartel is that natural markets are not working. It does not mean that market factors are absent. If one wants to get theoretical they can argue that monopolies or price fixing are also part of natural market behavior and I dont disagree with that. That is the nature of anti-trust laws. Competition left untethered will eventually become monopolisitc.
We get most of our foreign oil from Canada, not the mideast. Do you think they give us a price break because they watch our TV programs for free and dont have to transport their oil around the world to get here? No, they just look at what the OPEC price is and there you have it. Whatever Iran charges us, that is what they charge us.
It is true that OPEC shot themselves in the foot by tearing down (or piling on to) the worldwide economic crisis. That doesnt mean we got there through natural supply and demand interaction though. They got together and just decided to drive the price up. And when the price falls too low, they simply cut production. A basic monopoly/cartel.
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- 1,861
Re: The Health Reform Rumor Mill....
Any discussion of the free markets and the price of oil is incomplete without taking into consideration refinery capacity and local supply issues. We can b!tch about cartels all day, but I've never seen a hurricane with an Arabic name. On the other hand, Katrina did a whole lot for the price at the pump.....Much like healthcare, there are alot of moving parts in the energy markets and the old "drill here drill now" as a solution gets a bit overstated.....
Any discussion of the free markets and the price of oil is incomplete without taking into consideration refinery capacity and local supply issues. We can b!tch about cartels all day, but I've never seen a hurricane with an Arabic name. On the other hand, Katrina did a whole lot for the price at the pump.....Much like healthcare, there are alot of moving parts in the energy markets and the old "drill here drill now" as a solution gets a bit overstated.....
- 1,896
And getting people healthy to not need to utilize their plans, which can be viewed as a separate issue or a pre-cursor for yours.
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