Really big crime in Detroit draws yawns?

[JBMcB]

Give up yet? Didn't see this in the breaking news? No Scott Lewis stakeouts? What? You haven't heard about theft in the [yawn] automotive wire-harness business? You're not alone. Me either.

Simple. How much has this price fixing scheme cost you? What effect did it have on your life? Usually these price fixing schemes only involve a couple percentage points of the total price of the item - and it's usually low-cost high-volume items so the fixing is difficult to notice. If the companies agree to a couple of bucks over the mean MSRP, that's tens of millions of dollars of more profit for them. The increase is lost in the noise of the other variable costs in the final product.

So, are you expecting a huge expose on how a group of tier 1 and tier 2 auto suppliers conspired in a complex fashion to bilk consumers out of a couple of bucks each? It's an illegal conspiracy, people are going to jail, but it ultimately doesn't affect the average guy on the street at all.

[Lowell]

Simple. How much has this price fixing scheme cost you? What effect did it have on your life? Usually these price fixing schemes only involve a couple percentage points of the total price of the item - and it's usually low-cost high-volume items so the fixing is difficult to notice. If the companies agree to a couple of bucks over the mean MSRP, that's tens of millions of dollars of more profit for them. The increase is lost in the noise of the other variable costs in the final product.

So, are you expecting a huge expose on how a group of tier 1 and tier 2 auto suppliers conspired in a complex fashion to bilk consumers out of a couple of bucks each? It's an illegal conspiracy, people are going to jail, but it ultimately doesn't affect the average guy on the street at all.

All of what you say is correct. My point is that theft or malfeasance as alleged with the Kilpatricks or Wayne county, which likewise only take pennies out of every pocket and similarly it doesn't affect the average guy on the street, gets far more ink -- even though the total amount of the theft is many times greater.

[lilpup]

All of what you say is correct. My point is that theft or malfeasance as alleged with the Kilpatricks or Wayne county, which likewise only take pennies out of every pocket and similarly it doesn't affect the average guy on the street, gets far more ink -- even though the total amount of the theft is many times greater.

I disagree. The resultant impacts of the two are radically different. Firstly, civic corruption takes from ALL the taxpayers whereas the other only hits those who purchase the targeted products. Secondly, tax funds aren't the flexible revenue stream that sales revenue funds are. Corporations can easily pass along their higher costs or find cuts to offset them. Civic entities, especially around here, don't have that kind of luxury. Civic corruption is far, far more damaging - both in actual effect and the breadth of those affected..