[consulting] List Mom Policies

[Laura Scott]

Given the costs of legal services, not to mention the time involved,  
just /being prosecuted/ could put you out of business.

But I feel the real issue here is whether it's even right to talk  
about rates (except for job offers, and even then maybe not). This is  
a public list, on public archives. It's only in our interest to keep  
everything above board. In public image, especially in the  
marketplace, even the appearance of impropriety can be very damaging.

My own two bits, fwiw....

Laura Scott

On Mar 15, 2006, at 9:16 PM, JasonN wrote:

>> "A famous story locally in Washington DC involved a group (substitute
>> 'guild') of real-estate brokers who went out to dinner together to
>> celebrate a birthday of one of them. At the end of the dinner, one  
>> broker
>> announced that he was raising his commission from 5% to 6% and  
>> wanted them
>> to hear it from him before reading about it in the trade press. No  
>> further
>> discussion ensued. Over the next year, several of the others also  
>> raised
>> their commissions to 6%. All of them were indicted, even those who  
>> did not
>> raise their prices, for price fixing. Criminal indictments, I  
>> might add."
>>
>> http://www.aip.org/hypermail/guild/0425.html
>>
>> I am not a lawyer. Heck I am not even a USA citizen. I just quote.
>
> LOL
>
> < going off topic for entertainment purposes - please excuse or  
> delete :) >
>
> Well, I never accused American prosecutors of acting universally
> within the law, or even decently.  We all know there are such cases
> where people are prosecuted for silly reasons, often for political
> hay.  But, if the people who didn't even raise their rates were
> pursued, I am positive they weren't successfully prosecuted.  The
> definition of the law requires them to "PRICE FIX."
>
> I can tell you a story of a man who bought a car in Alabama (my home
> state) and won a settlement of more than two million dollars because
> they didn't tell him it had a touch-up paint job.  I can tell you
> another (real) story of a CEO that headed a company during millions in
> fabricated profits, went to trial, was caught dead to rights, and got
> off clean.  Anyone remember OJ?  Do you really think he didn't do it?
> What about Robert Blake?  OK, not to start a political discussion.
> But, you all know someone in America that got caught doing something
> nasty and didn't go to jail for it.  Conversely, there's tons of
> stories of innocent people getting the shaft for stuff that was
> totally innocent.  There's always stories of travesties of justice.
>
> But, seriously.  Don't let the government bully you around through
> innuendo and blatantly misleading use or explanation of the law.  The
> IRS commonly applies tax code that doesn't exist.  Prosecutors in
> America are elected, and often reflect political motivations in their
> pursuits instead of good qualified legal jurisprudence.  But, we have
> a good overall legal system.  People don't often receive convictions
> that are completely asinine.  And, sometimes you just have to stand up
> for decency.  We still have FREEDOM OF SPEECH in this country.  I
> exercise mine.
>
> Just remember... Joe McCarther lost.  :)
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joe_McCarthy
>
> --
>
> Jason A. Nunnelley
> ----------------------------------------
> http://www.jasonn.com/
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