cross-posted from: https://jorts.horse/users/fathermcgruder/statuses/113008342518705813
Instead of price controls to prevent gouging, why doesn’t the government build up reserves and stockpiles?
So you spend taxes for product at market rate and then depress the price using your money? The government doesn’t make anything so it would need to acquire the materials with some kind of cost that will always come from the tax base 100% of the time.
There’s no reason the government can’t produce things, but, to your point, the stockpiles would be built up when prices are low and only sold off when prices start increasing too quickly. The program might still operate at a net loss, but that’s okay if it successfully protects working class people from price gouging.
I agree the money is going to come from the monetary supply and government acting as buyer and distributor of goods would be incredibly problematic. A subsidy of some kind for domestic production + placing a max profit markup IMO would be a more effective method.
What your suggesting had been done, and it causes a price floor and the formation of a black market 100% of the time. This is not a solution.
Then perhaps reforming the commons? Agricultural land & surplus are owned in common by the people who live in the area. Government pays for the production of those food stuffs and only gets a nominal % tax on the surplus.
