Comments on: Oregon car sellers want blue laws passed http://bligbi.com/2008/12/09/oregon-car-sellers-want-blue-laws-passed/ The ramblings of a non-apologetic militant atheist mom doing time in the lonestar state on atheism, religion, feminism, politics and current events Fri, 01 May 2009 15:29:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Chas http://bligbi.com/2008/12/09/oregon-car-sellers-want-blue-laws-passed/comment-page-1/#comment-1750 Chas Wed, 10 Dec 2008 12:46:11 +0000 http://bligbi.com/?p=1865#comment-1750 Illinois has these blue laws too. It is very un-retail: They want to save money by eliminating hours which they sell (and generating money)? If it really is for the reason they give, why don't they close their sales room on Monday or another day of the week? Illinois has these blue laws too. It is very un-retail: They want to save money by eliminating hours which they sell (and generating money)? If it really is for the reason they give, why don’t they close their sales room on Monday or another day of the week?

]]> By: watercat http://bligbi.com/2008/12/09/oregon-car-sellers-want-blue-laws-passed/comment-page-1/#comment-1749 watercat Wed, 10 Dec 2008 03:38:40 +0000 http://bligbi.com/?p=1865#comment-1749 It's basic Free Enterprise. When you can't make a profit, get a law passed that will keep anyone else from making a profit too. If you're a really good businessman, you get a law passed that makes everyone else close while you get to stay open! It’s basic Free Enterprise. When you can’t make a profit, get a law passed that will keep anyone else from making a profit too. If you’re a really good businessman, you get a law passed that makes everyone else close while you get to stay open!

]]> By: Rich Orman http://bligbi.com/2008/12/09/oregon-car-sellers-want-blue-laws-passed/comment-page-1/#comment-1748 Rich Orman Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:50:57 +0000 http://bligbi.com/?p=1865#comment-1748 My home state (Colorado) has one blue law left--car dealerships have to be closed on Sunday. Every once in a while some energetic new legislator introduces a bill to repeal this law, and the lobbyists come down on him or her like there is no tomorrow. Needless to say, there is no constituency that donates money to politicians who is in favor of a repeal, and the car dealers have a moderately powerful lobby. They come up with a number of rationales. First, they say that the prohibition is pro-consumer, because consumers want to be able to walk around a dealer's lot on Sunday without those pesky salespeople bothering them. Yeah, right. Second, they play the sympathy card--car salespeople work really really long hours, and they deserve a day off, and if they don't get Sunday off, they will work seven days a week. Their last argument is economic--they would not see an increase in sales from Sunday trading to offset increased costs. We just got the blue law on package liquor sales on Sunday repealed this year, but I don't see the car sales blue law going away any time soon. My home state (Colorado) has one blue law left–car dealerships have to be closed on Sunday. Every once in a while some energetic new legislator introduces a bill to repeal this law, and the lobbyists come down on him or her like there is no tomorrow.

Needless to say, there is no constituency that donates money to politicians who is in favor of a repeal, and the car dealers have a moderately powerful lobby. They come up with a number of rationales.

First, they say that the prohibition is pro-consumer, because consumers want to be able to walk around a dealer’s lot on Sunday without those pesky salespeople bothering them. Yeah, right.

Second, they play the sympathy card–car salespeople work really really long hours, and they deserve a day off, and if they don’t get Sunday off, they will work seven days a week.

Their last argument is economic–they would not see an increase in sales from Sunday trading to offset increased costs.

We just got the blue law on package liquor sales on Sunday repealed this year, but I don’t see the car sales blue law going away any time soon.

]]> By: eruvande http://bligbi.com/2008/12/09/oregon-car-sellers-want-blue-laws-passed/comment-page-1/#comment-1741 eruvande Tue, 09 Dec 2008 05:56:42 +0000 http://bligbi.com/?p=1865#comment-1741 Why on earth don't they just close on Sundays? Why should it be a law? This is ridiculous. Why on earth don't they just close on Sundays? Why should it be a law? This is ridiculous.

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