Charlottesville
January 2, 2025
Yesterday I went for a walk at Ivy Creek Park with my daughter. A very well done park. I did not expect to be confronted by the issue of the role of government.
Was that the appropriate role of government? Some would argue, I suppose, that the free market would have resulted in a better outcome. Some would argue that the government acted correctly and that the cost (in terms of increased cost to consumers and some businesses closing) was appropriate.
I hear Milton Friedman in my head that government intervention here resulted in a suboptimal solution. Yet, Friedman did not address that it easier to ask for forgiveness than permission. I mean that in the sense that companies in my experience are often driven by near-term results. It is better to continue to put off increased costs for as long as possible. What is good for a company can (often/ar) times be at odds what is good for the consumer.
Relatedly I heard a pundit complaining about the cost of attending a football bowl game. The hotel, the airfare, the tickets were all so expensive. He complained that it should be illegal what he was charged. I’m 95 percent sure he would say the government overreacted in the dairy case.
🤔
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