Mike Strain (Louisiana State Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner)

"They can sell it six percent over cost all day long.  It's when they sell it below cost that it becomes a problem."

- "it" = milk.

Lets sort this out.  If a store in Louisiana purchases milk from the distributor for $1/gallon, they can sell it for $1.06/gallon (and presumably more), but they cannot sell it for $0.99/gallon.

Just to rub salt in this wound for the people of Louisiana who elect the morons who create these kind of laws:  The regulated cost the stores weren't allowed to go under on the day in question was $2.99/gallon...I regularly purchase milk at $1.67/gallon here in Phoenix, AZ.  Ha ha!

Back to the topic...Who is the state protecting with such stupid price controlling regulations?

Are they saving stores from themselves, assuring they don't lose money on the sale of milk?  Even if the store is willing to do so as an incentive to get more customers in their store; so they can possibly sell more of their other items?  Nah, I doubt the milk commissars are too concerned about store's profit margins...Though they may be looking at their own intake:  Higher store profits = higher store taxes paid to the state.  I doubt this is the matter, but I may be wrong.

Are they saving the customers from purchasing milk too cheaply?  Obviously not.  If anything they are forcing them to pay more than the stores are willing to charge them...FYI:  This hurts the poor much more than the wealthy.  I'm just saying.

They are saving the milk industry!  Ensuring the cost of milk is kept artificially high.

And why on earth would the state care more about milk producers than milk sellers and consumers?  Because Big Agriculture is Big Politics - meaning Big Ag tosses Big $$$ at Big Pols...Funny how it always circles back to that reality; funny in a sick way, that is.