On 4/12/05 9:17 AM, "Jeff Olson" <jlolson@cal.net> wrote: > As for anti-trust laws, from my study of them during my econ-major days, I > consider them to be an incoherent, logically contradictory mess -- and their > execution even *more* logically incoherent and contradictory. But even as > crazy as they are, they don't forbid people or organizations from posting > prices, or from making wages public knowledge; that's done by most major > businesses in the U.S. Anti-trust concerns *collusion*, implied or > explicit, not public disclosure of basic business data. Certainly the anti-trust laws were originally intended to curb excesses of monopolistic railroads and the like, but the laws were written so that they applied to any "agreement as to price," and thus were used, among other things, to quash the early labor movement. The labor laws are specifically written exempting labor - under strictly defined conditions - from antitrust prosecution. Where things get sticky, from the point of view of PTG, is in the area of "implied collusion" and how that might be interpreted. I think the real danger (as long as we don't actually "collude") isn't so much federal oversight as someone with an ax to grind filing a complaint, even a specious one. If there is no evidence, it would be dismissed summarily. But if there is something which could be taken as evidence (ie, giving the appearance of potential collusion), legal costs could bankrupt us even if it were proved there was no collusion. The document currently posted in the membership area (under 2004, antitrust) is precisely what I was arguing PTG should obtain. It is a detailed, reasoned document, setting out precisely where and how anti-trust law applies to us, and precisely what activities we should avoid. I applaud the board for having gone to this trouble and expense. But, again, I wonder why in the world it is hidden away. At the least, it should be included in the next "supplement" with by-laws and whatnot. Regards, Fred Sturm University of New Mexico
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