The anti-gouging law in Florida works. It discourages the worst of human behavior while still allowing enough room for that market to work. As for my generator example, perhaps you don't understand that the local market was being cornered and that an artificial shortage was being created. People don't need that when a major hurricane hits.
" The anti-gouging law in Florida works."
That depends on how you define "work".
If you mean that people can't make profits in proportion to the given demand, you're correct.
If you mean that supply is naturally increased to meet the rise in demand (in other words, people get the food, water, generators, gas, etc... they claim to "need"), you are exactly wrong.
"He really seems to think that some Statute restricts human behavior."
L
"As for my generator example, perhaps you don't understand that the local market was being cornered and that an artificial shortage was being created. People don't need that when a major hurricane hits."
But they do need generators.
And frankly, all the more reason to NOT have anti-gouging laws. If some local guy is marking up his generators, the absence of an anti-gouging law makes it MORE likely that someone from out of state, maybe even several states away, will bring his truckload of generators down and undercut the overcharging local guy.
Again, if left to its own devices, and with as little government interference as possible, the free market is more efficient, more effective, and actually prevents gouging by giving an economic incentive for more competition.
Anti-gouging laws are nothing but populist measures to buy votes. They do little to help consumers and often hurt them more.