« A Sick Man | Main | Spam, Wonderful Spam »

February 12, 2005

Which Part of "Free Market" Do They Not Understand?

First it was McCain sticking the federal nose into the private affairs of professional sports, and now it's Rhode Island:

Sen. Roger Badeau said he is fed up with athletes charging upwards of $100 for an autograph at large-scale autograph signing events. What really irks him is that children have to pay for the signatures of their sports heroes.

Badeau's bill would ban professional athletes, entertainers or promoters from charging a fee for an autograph to a child under age 16. They would be fined $100 for each violation.

Badeau said it didn't matter that some of those signed baseballs and bats will end up online or with sports memorabilia dealers. He said it still sends the wrong message.

The wrong message apparently being that no one, even a child, has a right to your labors, no matter how minimal, for free.

Update: And from England, we have this:

A new credit card aimed at millions of low-income families is to charge interest at up to 70% - the highest ever charged by a credit card company.

But Debt on our Doorstep said it will now increase pressure on the government to amend the consumer credit bill to include a clause allowing the government to impose a maximum interest rate cap.

Right, because credit card companies shouldn't be allowed to balance the interest rate they charge with the credit risk a borrower presents. We wouldn't want to send the message of "you are responsible for your finances," now would we?