So, Monopolies are OK As Long As They Are Run By The Government
From a post at the Mises blog on inauguration ticket distribution:
Senator Dianne Feinstein passed legislation through the Senate that criminalized the sale of inaugural tickets. In addition, Feinstein secured voluntary agreements from online auction websites such as eBay to ban ticket resale.
"These tickets are supposed to be free for the people," said Feinstein. "Nobody should have to pay for their tickets."
However, many did pay for a ticket, but the payment was to the government. The Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC), of which Feinstein is a member, distributed tickets in exchange for up to $50,000 in inaugural contributions.
Senator Feinstein's double standard is clever if you're a politician. If free people were able to sell their inaugural tickets, then they might not go to the politically appropriate authority, as deemed by Feinstein and her political cohorts.
I am sure it will come to a shock to all my readers that thousands of tickets meant to be distributed gratis to average citizens in fact were routed by Congresspersons to large donors, lobbyists, and political wheels.
John Anderson:
Since TJIC has given up blogging for Lent, let me briefly channel him:
Rope.
March 6, 2009, 6:48 am