Peter & Helen Evans
Microcosm of Democrats in power
By Peter & Helen Evans
We have been given a hint of what to expect from the coming Democrat administration by Senator Diane Feinstein. The Senator from California has oversight of the January 20th swearing-in ceremony of President Obama. Not content to leave well-enough alone, she wants to interfere with the liberty of those who obtain their tickets the traditional way — distributed free through congressional offices.
As quoted by AP's Erica Werner, Sen. Feinstein reveals her inability to understand what "free" really means. "These tickets are given for free to people. This is a major civic event of the time, and no one pays for their tickets, and we believe no one should be required to pay for their tickets." Well, Senator, even if your worst nightmare is realized and every single ticket winds up for sale on eBay, no one will be required to pay for their tickets. The defining factor of a free market is that every sale is a voluntary transaction between buyer and seller.
Another feature of the Senator's lack of understanding of real life is that she confuses price and value. The value of these 'free' tickets is an intangible quality that varies from person to person. Rumor has reached the Senator's ear that a few people may bid as much as $40,000 for a ticket to this "major civic event." Some people wouldn't walk across the street for it. But nobody gets any tickets without paying the price of requesting them from their member of congress and personally appearing to obtain them. What Feinstein wants to do is prevent the people who have paid this price from freely disposing of their tickets as they see fit.
This might be shrugged off as a spasm of anti-Americanism typical of the left coast, but Senator Feinstein is actually planning to waste Congress's time trying to pass legislation that would make re-selling these tickets a punishable misdemeanor. Let's see... the Congress is giving these tickets away free but if you freely sell one to someone who wants it enough to freely pay you for it, that's a punishable offense.
Please, Senator. Don't you have anything better to do?
© Peter & Helen Evans
November 17, 2008
We have been given a hint of what to expect from the coming Democrat administration by Senator Diane Feinstein. The Senator from California has oversight of the January 20th swearing-in ceremony of President Obama. Not content to leave well-enough alone, she wants to interfere with the liberty of those who obtain their tickets the traditional way — distributed free through congressional offices.
As quoted by AP's Erica Werner, Sen. Feinstein reveals her inability to understand what "free" really means. "These tickets are given for free to people. This is a major civic event of the time, and no one pays for their tickets, and we believe no one should be required to pay for their tickets." Well, Senator, even if your worst nightmare is realized and every single ticket winds up for sale on eBay, no one will be required to pay for their tickets. The defining factor of a free market is that every sale is a voluntary transaction between buyer and seller.
Another feature of the Senator's lack of understanding of real life is that she confuses price and value. The value of these 'free' tickets is an intangible quality that varies from person to person. Rumor has reached the Senator's ear that a few people may bid as much as $40,000 for a ticket to this "major civic event." Some people wouldn't walk across the street for it. But nobody gets any tickets without paying the price of requesting them from their member of congress and personally appearing to obtain them. What Feinstein wants to do is prevent the people who have paid this price from freely disposing of their tickets as they see fit.
This might be shrugged off as a spasm of anti-Americanism typical of the left coast, but Senator Feinstein is actually planning to waste Congress's time trying to pass legislation that would make re-selling these tickets a punishable misdemeanor. Let's see... the Congress is giving these tickets away free but if you freely sell one to someone who wants it enough to freely pay you for it, that's a punishable offense.
Please, Senator. Don't you have anything better to do?
© Peter & Helen Evans
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