UPDATE: Dairy Farmers to Get Subsidy...State Milk Board Needs Lesson in Economics

I hate to be lazy, but a reader sent me this and I couldn't come up with a better way to say it on short notice.

"(The State Milk Board has decided) to assess a "fee, but not a tax" on milk production. But do not worry says the state milk board, the fee will be divvied up amoung 145 farmers, but won't affect milk prices because it isn't assessed at the retail level.

"I ask, if we can help these farmers without raising the price of milk, why assess such a small fee, let's really help these boys out, say 5 dollars per gallon!"

Seriously, if "fees" (not taxes, of course) won't affect the price why not raise them to $1oo per gallon, or $1,000? Think of how great it is that we can enrich these farmers without even raising the price!!!

Like the severance tax, we once again learn that prices aren't affected if they're not on the consumer level!!! This is so great! These guys have reinvented economics. I'm dying to start increasing the cost in my own business. I just have to make sure it's not on the consumer level and voila...step 3: WINDFALL PROFITS!!!

UPDATE: Here's a link to how this terrible idea progressed through the Ledge.