Re: gas


"Michael R. Kesti" <mrkesti@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:43862213.4ED22982@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Robert Bolton wrote:
>
>>Hey, that's just free enterprise at work. Gasoline and other fuels are a
>>commodity that most people won't stop using. The producers and resellers have
>>a
>>right to charge whatever the market will bear and/or sell to the highest
>>bidder.
>
> Right on! I still believe that capitalism works but only on a level playing
> field.
>
>>If you want to add a touch of socialism and regulate things that are
>>considered
>>necessities that's OK with me,
>
> It's not OK with me. Almost every legislative attempt at this sort of
> regulation
> has had unintended consequences that result in even greater costs.
>

I'd like to disagree, but I can't.


>> but let's include these insane medical costs as
>>well. The wife had a root canal and cap last month to the tune of $2500.
>>That's about two hours labor for the dentist. Don't know what it takes to
>>produce a crown but my guess is the dentist is getting paid $1000/hr.. An
>>annual visit to her neurologist $176 this month, so I think dentists are doing
>>OK.
>
> I suspect that the denstist pocketed far less than $1000 per hour after he
> paid for the malpractice insurance that our insane tort system requires,
> the cost of his equipment whose price also includes insane legal costs,
> the wages and benefits he pays for his employees and the employees of his
> service providers, his office rent, and on, and on, and on.
>

While I appreciate their overhead, I think the reason they charge $120 for a
half hour cleaning but $1200 for a one hour root canal has more to do with free
market than overhead. Charge too much for a cleaning and people won't get their
teeth cleaned. A root canal on the other hand is typically necessary to relieve
the pain associated with an infection. No skipping the dentist when your teeth
hurt.

I think the same applies to the price of gas. I know it's much more expensive
in other parts of the world, but I think the recent price spike was free market,
not taxes or overhead.

Robert


.

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