Michael Watterson wrote:
> There is also the option of an upper limit. Perhaps x2 isn't an
> unreasonable upper limit given perhaps higher transport costs,
> overtime, risks etc.
>
> Zero control and excessive or the wrong control both seem to lead to
> much evil.

What exactly is the evil in someone bringing a pile of generators into a
stricken area and charging whatever he wants for them?  I don't see how thi=
s
makes things worse than having it banned.  If everyone else agrees it's evi=
l
he has no customers, loses money, and the situation is taken care of.  If
some do buy his expensive generators, those people didn't think it was evil
and thought his alternative better than all the ones they would have had if
the he had been banned.  Why should this be disallowed because a third part=
y
thinks it's "evil".

It seems to me one of the effects of the Florida law that was quoted here i=
s
to slow down getting resources into a stricken area.  I'll make up a
hypthetical example with probably bogus numbers, but it still illustrates
the point.  Let's say it costs $20 per generator to ship it into the area
normally.  This is when it's done in bulk, lots of lead time, slow but chea=
p
ship method, using existing distrubution structure, etc.  Let's say it cost=
s
$200 each to bring a smaller number of generators into the area *now*.  If
you were running Home Despot, how much incentive do you have to incurr the
higher cost to get supplies in now if you aren't allowed to charge more for
them?  Let's say the extra $180 per generator wipes out most of your profit=
..

So you have a choice: Bust your butt to get a few generators in quickly and
loose money in the process, or get a bunch in a week or two later and make
money.  Remember, you're in the stricken area, and your resources are
suddenly crimped too.


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