[sickoflibs]

RE :”Sure, put a surcharge on the gas to pay the extra expense of using a generator and having an electrician wire it up. Put the generator out where everyone can see it and hear it running. Put a sign on it too explaining the surcharge is paying for the thing.”

Not bad. That would deter some of the hard feelings.

Like I said, the first time I was introduced to Thomas Sowell was when his editorial appeared in the NY Post around 1991 making the case that gouging should have been allowed in FL after a hurricane because it would result in better consequences than rationing.
I had never heard anyone nuke the conventional popular wisdom with logic before that.

[count-your-change]

The last Sowell I read was one of his books on communism. Simple to understand and well written.

When we talk of prices we're talking about rationing by price instead of some other method.
As to desirable consequences the question is desirable to whom? And why?

If the goal is to alleviate the need of the largest number of people to the degree possible during an emergency, that is one goal. If the goal is keeping a supply/demand market going on with supply being able to charge until the demand can't meet the price and lessens that is something else.

If the goal is to restrict supply to those “who really, really need it”, raising prices is not an efficient way to do it.