Many people believe that the government should interfere with the free market when it is necessary to prevent things like price gouging. In Wisconsin, the government enforces it.

Raj Bhandari, owner of Center City BP in Merrill, WI, provided discounts to senior citizens and to those people who participated in a local hockey league’s fundraisers. By doing so, he violated the state’s “minimum markup law” (read: “Price Gouging Enforcement Act”), and received a letter informing him of that fact (ostensibly, threatening him with legal action if he didn’t cease and desist). He’s since stopped offering the lower prices.

This is what happens when we allow the government to start messing with the market — it doesn’t know when to quit.