Update on Unintended Consequences

In light of the record number of comments your reporter got on his relentless snow tire exposé (1, plus an email!) I felt compelled to follow up the previous post.

Both comments concerned the the possible rent-seeking or lobbying aspects of this story, but the problem is that I honestly don't think *anyone* lobbied for this. In the past, you still had to have snow tires as soon as it got cold, but there was never a dated that was declared "cold." So snow-tire manufacturers already had a captive market. The tire lobby can't possibly be THAT strong in CR, particularly vis-a-vis Škoda. As for the mechanics, I imagine they actually find the new law a pain in the ass, since their work probably is horrible that last week of October and zippo the first week after. Furthermore, mechanics in CR are usually small-business owners (Živnostníci), and small businesses are not generally well-represented by sector in Prague -- owners of small and family-run businesses in CR do have considerable clout, but generally more in terms of tax policy.

It just seems to me like there are a lot more Baptists than bootleggers for this legislation.

Unintended Consequences, Volume 23,497

A recent article (3 November) in Mladá fronta Dnes (sorry, no link, and anyways it would be in Czech) points out that because of a new law, all cars must be outfitted with snow tires after November 1. This is causing headaches for Czech car manufacturers, because they have to drive the cars "a couple hundred meters" to the train station, after which they are transported to dealerships or distribution centers by train. Moreover, customers who buy cars between November and March have to have snow tires as soon as they roll off the lot. This means they have to buy snow tires directly from Škoda, (whose dealerships don't particularly want to double their tire inventories) or customers need to buy regular tires when the weather warms up. In any case, Škoda has now started to deliver cars by truck in the wintertime to manage this problem. This is more expensive, and it requires cars to be sorted at the factory (rather than at their staging ground near the train station in Vrchlabí) for domestic and foreign markets, some of which (like southern Italy) rarely see snow. The spokewoman for the Ministry of Transportation, Květa Kočová, explains that dealers can also "recommend the nearest mechanic that can change out tires," since "it's not a calamity." The other option is that buyers can "bring their snow tires with them [to the dealership] and change the tires themselves."

It's not a calamity, it's just a hassle for people who are affected by the law, and a reminder that the law is often a very blunt tool to change society.

Cool stuff from NDU

The National Defense University (the one on Kounicova here in Brno, not the one on Buzzard Point) has developed a new simulator for troops.
You can "play" it on XBox.

The Wonders of Free Trade

This news, from the Weekly Standard, should brighten the day for quite a few readers of this blog, although not necessarily all readers will rejoice for the same reasons.