Kelsey Crockett

Hay! That's Not Fair!

Jan 3, 2012 at 12:45 PM

By Kelsey Crockett

Hay I got to spend some time with relatives in East Texas this holiday season, where the accents are as thick as the sweet tea. After days of presents, gluttony, and fireworks, my family and I packed our car and headed home. As we were passing a truck stacked high with bales of hay my mother commented on the escalation of feed prices in Texas. Apparently, due to ongoing drought in the region, the price of feed has significantly increased in recent months. My 13-year-old sister remarked, “So ranchers have to pay double to feed their cows just because there’s a drought? That’s not fair.”

I set up a scenario for my sister, “Let’s pretend you’re a rancher and you see that the government has lowered feed prices in the middle of a drought. You don’t really know when this drought is going to end, so how much feed are you going to buy while it’s capped at regular prices?”

“A lot,” she responded, “maybe all of it.”

We then talked about what would happen to the ranchers in line behind her who wouldn’t get a chance to buy enough feed because she bought so much. What if someone in front of her bought up all of the feed, leaving none for her to purchase for her animals? She decided that wasn’t fair either. Paying higher prices may be tough, but at least ranchers could feed their livestock instead of watching bales and bales of hay be dragged away by the ranchers who showed up first.

One of the chief allegations against the free market is exploitation of the consumer – such as “greedy” farmers jacking up the price of feed during a drought. But in truth, simply allowing supply and demand to dictate price fosters just distribution of the product. No government assistance required.

Comments (4)

Americans Elect: New Ticket, Old News

Aug 17, 2011 at 11:58 AM

By Kelsey Crockett

Americans Elect is seeking to create an “open nominating process” that will submit a bipartisan ticket for the 2012 presidential election. They invite online visitors to sign up as “delegates” and contribute by prioritizing issues, then answering more detailed questions about those issues. The authors ask decent questions, but provide very black and white (or should I say red and blue?) answers that basically mirror the Republican and Democrat platforms. Nothing new.

Because they simply reproduce old party ideas instead of fostering outside discussion, it's likely that whatever position gets the upper hand on this new ticket (judging by the current response statistics -- Democrat) will do nothing more than take a few votes away from the official ticket.

Nevertheless, the response statistics are interesting. This one on job creation serves as a reminder of the work set out for us.

Comments (3)

Free the Vendors!

Jul 29, 2011 at 12:27 PM

By Kelsey Crockett

A major lawsuit was filed against the city of Atlanta yesterday against an unprecedented government vending monopoly. In the already trying economic climate, Atlanta is stifling economic liberty with its overreaching regulations. Best of luck to the Institute for Justice as they attempt to right this wrong through the judicial system.

To read more, visit the Institute for Justice's full report here.

Comments (5)

Romanticizing the Past, Jeopardizing the Future

Jul 27, 2011 at 1:40 PM

By Kelsey Crockett

Reminiscing over the “the good ole’ days” is common, especially during tough economic times. Back when people worked harder, educated themselves, and had a superior sense of morality than your 21st century average Joe. Everything was laid back. Life was good. That is, until you have to go out in a blizzard to chop firewood, or you can’t sleep because the stench of the 14 other people on the floor keeps you up, or you're drafted into some foreign war, or your child dies of chicken pox…depending on which decade or century of “good ole’ days” we’re advocating.

Specialization has led to efficiency, and efficiency has given us access to the world. The US is great at growing corn. It’s a specialty. Japan doesn’t have adequate space to grow corn well, but they have fabulous resources for making passenger cars (like the one below). So we trade. We work for Japan; Japan works for us. It’s a win-win! And it’s what can happen when the free market fosters, then utilizes, efficiency on a global scale. It’s a beautiful thing, and I would never trade it for the slow pace of the past. Make sure your candidates want to foster liberty and prosperity as time goes on, and not transport us back to some romanticized yesterday.

Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf earned a top 5-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Adminstration and a Top Safety Pick Award from the Insurance Insitute for Highway Safety.

Peter Valdes-Dapena, CNN, “Nissan Leaf Earns Top Crash Safety Rating” July 25, 2011.