I always try to listen to the local radio stations as I’m traveling around the country in search of boomtowns. It was about an hour and a half drive from Green Bay to Antigo, WI and I got a chance to listen to numerous stations. All of the local announcers were talking about Raj Bhandari in nearby Merrill, WI (population 10,146) who had developed a $50 shopping card for the local youth hockey program. In exchange, customers got 3 cents off every gallon of gas they bought. Bhandari also offered his senior citizen customers a 2 cent discount. Everyone should be happy, right?
The Wisconsin auditor sent Bhandari a letter demanding that he stop selling fuel at a discount. Wisconsin has a minimum mark-up law which requires gasoline retailers to sell their fuel for at least 9.2% above their wholesale price, and Bhandari’s discounts pushed his prices below that margin.
Really! Do we need the government telling us what price to sell our products for? Don’t they have enough things to worry about, rather than customers getting a discount on their gas while helping the local hockey program?
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2 comments:
Jack,
I believe that sometimes there is too much taxation and intervention by the govenrment. A case in point, A friend of mine who retired from the U.S. Department of Transportation unknown to him was overpaid $3.67 in federal taxes. 4 months after his retirement he recieved a certified letter from the IRS for this amount. Laughing out loud of course, It cost the IRS almost $8.00 to send a certified letter over a balance of just $3.67. He sent them $20.00 and a note. The note said please accept this overpayment of the balance due for the next poor sole who owes a very miniscule amount like I did. This overpayment by a retired Federal worker and taxpayer will help the federal government save the cost of sending a certifed letter to which was not needed. Plese use common sense when dealing with issues that cost the taxpayers more money then what was owed. Too funny I thought. But having worked for the Federal Government for many years, I can very well see how that happens.
Harry
Great example! Sometimes common sense goes out the window when there is too much bureacracy.
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