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Goldi-Locks and We’re Doomed
May 14, 2013 Economic Illiteracy

We hate hospitals and medical care because “they” charge prices that are too high, especially for “important stuff.”

We hate Walmart because “they” charge too little.

And no, people do not have theories of positive and negative external costs to justify holding both positions. 

  • In other news, I just received a notice from New York State that I owe back taxes … from 2009. Why? The Feds screwed up my federal taxes that year by a few dollars (and I mean a few dollars). So I ended up with a slightly larger refund. I forgot, presumably, to refile my NYS taxes that year and owe them something on the order of $30. They are seeking that $30 now (which is fine) … AND making us pay a penalty of close to $200 for being late. Remember that ignorance is no defense. I’m sure glad they didn’t realize I was one of those classical liberal nutties, else I might have been singled for some special auditing. By the way, given what you know about government pay, how much do you think New York State spent doing that audit and how much do you think they will ultimately spend before collecting the $200 from me? That number is surely north of $200.
  • In other news.
  • And in other news. Something similar happened to one of my students right here in Rochester.

Yet I’m called a cranky reactionary.

 

 

 

"2" Comments
  1. I am waiting for the price police to determine the correct price of a hooker plus a unit of crack, adjusted for big-city prices, in Poughkeepsie. So many variables, too little time for research.

  2. If treated as interest, that makes an interest rate of 69% pa that you are being charged.
    Is that legal? I would imagine the government taking a dim view of anybody else charging that interest rate.

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