Price controls? No. But do examine the inputs to pricing.

[Frasier Balzov]

A popular attitude toward price controls is that they don't reduce prices and do harm supply.

Whether one believes this or not, a close examination of the prices of inputs to basic products could prove a useful exercise.

Take the mass production of eggs. As lovely as small, locally sourced, open range egg farms may be for a healthy and nutritious diet, cheap eggs as a source of protein is a mainstay of most Americans.

Inputs to the product? Lots of chickens, chicken feed, labor and packaging.

What are some other inputs to this industry? Energy and cost of money of course.

Which of these has gone up in price? (And remember, higher wages are an actual policy objective, so that's a big input right there for which state and local government intervention acts as a pricing pressure of higher human enlightenment.)

Zooming in closer, what are the inputs to those inputs and which of those has gone up in price?

My suggestion for getting out from under this perception of impending price controls is to engage in an ongoing public examination of the source of higher prices. Expose areas where any true price gouging is going on and, where it's not, propose plans for increasing the supply of inputs most responsible for driving costs higher on everything.

Make it an hourly seminar once a week of experts and legislators, and offer it as a programming feed to C-Span. End each session with inquiry goals for the next scheduled meeting (homework for the group).

I'm suggesting this to get the public on board with an intelligent effort to work on the problem of prices being too high. Find some funding for this kind of citizens commission and broadcast project.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

1. Greed seems out of control

It's extremely noticeable. We bought a condo in 1998. Shortly after that prices went way up. Quadrupled in 5 years. (Housing bubble). I believe once property values go up, everything else follows. No doubt 9/11/01 and the aftermath led to energy prices skyrocketing. I recall W telling us to do our patriotic duty - Shop! It was our duty to maintain the economy while Dick Cheney and his ilk made a killing off the Iraq war. All that effort benefitting a corrupt, but mainstream lot of Republicans.

My questions: Was that the first time DC insiders rigged the economy? Do they actually see the working class as their enemy?

Not an answer to your post, but related.

[Frasier Balzov]

2. Agricultural subsidies go back decades.

Agricultural subsidies were argued to maintain a constant supply of food by keeping farmers in business.

Petroleum subsidies too, through favorable tax treatment given to exploration, drilling and pipeline operations.

Those two examples of government intervention immediately came to my mind. Intended to rig the economy in their own way, for the benefit of suppliers and consumers both.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

3. I'm thinking about The Cheney/Rumsfeld team if looters.

They cloaked themselves in the flag and drove us into unwinnable wars. That truly blemished the Republican brand and became what President Eisenhower warned us about. I think so much of TSF's party is in part angry about the Cheney and Rumsfeld takeover of their party. TSF saw the opportunity to scam those dejected Republicans and loot the rest of the economy. The fact that he convinced them to only believe him is a travesty.

How can we possibly bargain with habitual liars? My hope is that Kamala will select a cabinet to get at the root of price gouging. And to truly build affordable housing by the millions. Surely that can only help to bring costs down. If our property values lowers, it means all will lower and I could maybe afford another place. I sure can't right now.

[Xolodno]

4. Correct.

Also having an input under the micro-scope, would also discover price fixing schemes and collusion. Using your farm example, its happened before:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lysine_price-fixing_conspiracy

Could have a cost of an input gone up? Sure. But don't count out criminal behavior either by people who think they could get away with it.

[SleeplessinSoCal]

5. Manipulation of our markets is smiled upon by our corrupt SCOTUS.

They are all corrupt. And they think that makes them smart. The so-called conservatives have coalesced over this belief that there are no legal barriers to their ideals.

Just came across this from a local activist...