2005 House Bill 4949: Impose gasoline price controls

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Introduced by Rep. Tom Casperson (R) on June 16, 2005, to make it unlawful to sell gasoline above or below a certain price range determined by a formula established by the state, subject to civil fines of up to $10,000 per day. The bill is a response to complaints by gas station owners that large retail chain stores like Meijer and Wal-Mart are selling gasoline below cost.
- Referred to the House Transportation Committee on June 16, 2005.

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1) No price controlls by Anonymous Citizen on June 21, 2005
Give me a break, if a business wants to sell below cost let them.. The next thing you will want to control, or stop, is stores selling leader items below cost.. passing this bill will hurt the consumer who is already on a tight budget...
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2) fluxuating gas prices by imachdav on June 21, 2005
With such large surpluses of gasoline in our stockpiles in the US, why don't they calculate the average and lock it in. I would rather pay 2.20 a gallon than waiting for it to drop from 2.30 to 2.10 and then wait in lines for hours while people battle for spots at the pumps.
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3) Bring back Nixon! by Mike Hignite on June 21, 2005
That's the last time we tried wage & price controls. It won't be any more effective now than it was in the 70's.

I've posted on this the last time it was brought up and it is still a stupid idea. So what if Meijer's low-balls gas sales? They do it so you will by a 93% marked up Diet Coke™. They will be fine. And consumers get cheaper gas. If it is too far out of the way, I'm still going to pay the higher cost at my local Mom & Pop, not worrying about minor differences. If it is a major difference, I will go out of my way. We sure don't need to pay to have a board set and monitor gasoline pricing. That's how the free enterprise system works. You remember, the one that defeated communism that you keep trying to bring back, one stupid law at a time.
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