Gov't steals from hoarder....??

[abner13]

''The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few!'' - Mr. Spock

[PAMedic=F|A=]

The government is going pay him fair market value (based on pre-panic prices) for the goods they confiscated, so it is not total theft.

So they are still stealing. And still paying less the. They are worth.

[PAMedic=F|A=]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-h...-idUSKBN21K34F

some will most likely cheer ...... to those I have to ask ..... where is THAT line drawn?

U.S. officials redistribute protective gear seized from alleged hoarder

Mark Hosenball
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. officials said on Thursday they would distribute a stockpile of personal protective equipment, including 192,000 N95 respirator masks, which they seized this week from an alleged hoarder.

FILE PHOTO: Various N95 respiration masks at a laboratory of 3M, that has been contracted by the U.S. government to produce extra marks in response to the country's novel coronavirus outbreak, in Maplewood, Minnesota, U.S. March 4, 2020. REUTERS/Nicholas Pfosi/File Photo
The departments of Justice (DOJ) and Health and Human Services (HHS) said the equipment had been seized by a task force set up to crack down on coronavirus-related hoarding and price gouging.

The material included 130,000 surgical masks, 598,000 medical grade gloves, surgical gowns, disinfectant towels and bottles of hand sanitizer and spray disinfectant.

It will be distributed to health authorities in New York and New Jersey, the U.S. epicenter of a pandemic that has so far killed nearly 5,000 Americans.

Local officials have been scrambling to secure protective gear, which is in short supply. An emergency stockpile maintained by the U.S. government has been nearly exhausted.

Officials said they seized the supplies from Baruch Feldheim, a 43-year-old Brooklyn man arrested on March 30 for lying about his activity and coughing on FBI agents who questioned him.

Feldheim’s defense lawyer, James Moriarty, denied the charges and said his client had not yet entered a plea.

According to court documents, Feldheim offered to sell around 1,000 N95 masks and other materials to a New Jersey doctor for $12,000, which federal authorities said was approximately a 700 percent markup over the normal prices.

Investigators said Feldheim told the doctor he could pick up the materials at an auto repair shop in Irvington, New Jersey.

The doctor told investigators the auto repair shop contained enough materials, including hand sanitizers, antiseptic wipes and surgical supplies, to outfit an entire hospital.

FBI agents also observed people walking away from Feldheim’s residence with boxes or bags that appeared to contain medical supplies.

When federal agents questioned Feldheim outside his home on March 29, they said he coughed on them and told them he had COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, according to a court affidavit.

The seized material will be delivered to the New Jersey Department of Health, the New York State Department of Health and the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Reporting by Mark Hosenball; Editing by Andy Sullivan and Daniel Wallis

[JenniferG]

But, but, but banks make this hoarder guy look like a piker. Its legal to rape mortgage interest customers from a bank that doesn't have the money to lend. Ever figure out how much you actually pay for a mortgage over 30 years? It isn't 3.5 or even 5% of that $250,000 house. it's a multiple of thousands of percent interest and they're going to arrest a guy marking up medical gear 700%. Ever been to a jewelry store and buy a "nice diamond" for your woman or whatever? Markup on diamonds are about the same as Brooklyn medical equipment and that's legal too. If only Governor "Carlo" Cuomo and Kim Jong Murphy had planned ahead there wouldn't be this shortage of medical equipment among the money shuffler communities in New York and North Jersey.

Carlo in case you were wondering.

[gnbrotz]

The law states a formula that looks at prior number of weeks market price and allows a certain percentage increase. Over that and it triggers state action. Somehow this doesn’t seem to apply to ammo and guns. I think it is aimed at retailers. I forget the specifics to the formula but it was on the radio when I was in the work truck. AM radio.

PA statute is more than 20% increase over the average price in the 7 days before the "emergency" was declared.

Statute contains a few other conditions/exceptions as well, such as an actual increase in costs, etc., so there are legal scenarios where a hypothetical 30% increase wouldn't be considered gouging.

I'm amazed at how many folks are clueless about supply chains and supply/demand principles.

Here's the statute:
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/WU01/L...06/0/0133..HTM

[Walleye Hunter]

Sounds like a case of eminent domain to me. If not it's awfully close to it.

[Rotorwash]

The government is going pay him fair market value (based on pre-panic prices) for the goods they confiscated, so it is not total theft.

If someone takes something from me at the point of a gun, it is total theft. It is obvious the masks are worth more than paper money, else he would have made masks out of dollar bills.

[Rotorwash]

Even if I wear a condom ..... I'm pretty sure it's still "total" rape if the lady still said "no"
or at least it should be...............................

Or more like paying the lady afterwards based on "fair market value".

[ABuck]

So, it’s a huge issue that this guy was price gouging, but it’s ok when the pharmaceutical companies make something for pennies, and sell it for $1, $10, $100, or more?

Also, I wonder what the hospitals bill customers for these masks? Look at an itemized medical bill if you want to see price gouging.

[Carson]

So, it’s a huge issue that this guy was price gouging, but it’s ok when the pharmaceutical companies make something for pennies, and sell it for $1, $10, $100, or more?

Also, I wonder what the hospitals bill customers for these masks? Look at an itemized medical bill if you want to see price gouging.

Why does a $1 aspirin cost $10 at a hospital? Not because they are making $9 profit. It is because 9 other people are paying zero.

Same with pharmaceuticals to a degree. Some gouge, others are preparing for future multi-million dollar lawsuits because someone got the runs after taking their product.