George Rebane
OK boys and girls, time for a little review of an arcane notion of economics that is the darling of socialists cooking up ever more ways to make our lives miserable. An externality of some good or service traded at market price is the attributed added cost to society that the consumption of such a good or service entails. For example, consider the hamburger you had for lunch. The progressive sees that hamburger as being the source of all kinds of additional costs that are not reflected in the price you paid for it, costs like treating diseases resulting from national obesity to costs of manmade global warming resulting from all the cow farts collecting in the upper atmosphere.
As you might guess, the progressives’ solution to this ‘problem’ is to increase the hamburger’s price by a tax levied to pay for fixing all the subsequent externalities that might arise due to the consumption of hamburgers. In their enlightened brave new world, such additional costs would be added to the trade of every item in an economy onto which they can pile some externalities. According to their thinking, this type of accounting would pay for itself by finally making the purchase of goods and services ‘externalities neutral’. Light thinkers at this point begin to feel fuzzy and warm all over – why didn’t they think of that?
‘Tis the politically directed shopping season
George Rebane
A correspondent sent me the following information about which retailers support which political parties in the country. You wouldn’t want to shop in the wrong place now would you? Brought to you in the spirit of the season as a dispute-free and modest public service.
With the holidays upon us, we might wish to be mindful of what political party businesses donate to, as reported by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Shopping?
Price Club/Costco donated $225K, of which 99% went to Democrats
Rite Aid, $517K, 60% to Democrats
Magla Products (Stanley tools, Mr. Clean), $22K, 100% to Democrats
Warnaco (undergarments), $55K, 73% to Democrats
Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, $153K, 99% to Democrats
Estee Lauder, $448K, 95% to Democrats
Guess? Inc., $145K, 98% to Democrats
Calvin Klein, $78K, 100% to Democrats
Liz Claiborne, Inc., $34K, 97% to Democrats
Levi Straus, $26K, 97% to Democrats
Olan Mills, $175K, 99% to Democrats
WalMart, $467K, 97% to Republicans;
K-Mart, $524K, 86% to Republicans;
Home Depot, $298K, 89% to Republicans;
Target, $226K, 70% to Republicans;
3M Co., $281K, 87% to Republicans;
Hallmark Cards, $319K, 92% to Republicans;
Amway, $391K, 100% Republican;
Kohler Co. (plumbing fixtures), $283K, 100% Republicans;
B.F. Goodrich (tires), $215K, 97% to Republicans;
Proctor & Gamble, $243K, 79% to Republicans
Hungry?
Sonic Corporation, $83K, 98% to Democrats
Triarc Companies (Arby's, T.J. Cinnamon's, Pasta Connections), $112K, 96% to Democrats
Pilgrim's Pride Corp. (chicken), $366K, 100% Republican;
Outback Steakhouse, $641K, 95% Republican;
Tricon Global Restaurants (KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell), $133K, 87% Republican;
Brinker International (Maggiano's, Brinker Cafe, Chili's, On the Border, Macaroni Grill, Crazymel's, Corner Baker, EatZis), $242K, 83% Republican;
Waffle House, $279K, 100% Republican;
McDonald's Corp., $197K, 86% Republican;
Darden Restaurants (Red Lobster, Olive Garden, Smokey Bones, Bahama Breeze), $121K, 89% Republican;
Traveling and/or dining?
Hyatt Corporation, $187K, 80% to Democrats
Marriott International, $323K, 81% to Republicans;
Holiday Inns, $38K, 71% to Republicans.
Posted at 03:24 AM in Culture Comments, Food and Drink, General, Our Country | Permalink | Comments (60) | TrackBack (0)
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