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Author Topic: Justice - Price Fixing of Electrolytic Capacitors - Who Would Have Thought!  (Read 9951 times)
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Pete, WA2CWA
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« on: August 23, 2016, 01:38:42 PM »

What's the world of commerce coming too:
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/three-companies-agree-plead-guilty-fixing-prices-electrolytic-capacitors


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Pete, WA2CWA - "A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius"
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« Reply #1 on: August 23, 2016, 02:22:43 PM »

Thanks for posting that, Pete.  It would have been nice if the Justice Department had included some details about the conspiracy.
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W2PFY
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« Reply #2 on: August 23, 2016, 06:00:02 PM »

Those horrible people! At least big oil has never done that Tongue Tongue
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W6TOM
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« Reply #3 on: August 23, 2016, 06:41:20 PM »

  Several questions come to mind.... How much money did they make in comparison to what the fine was, cynical me thinks that it is "just another business expense".

  The next question would be if any CRIMINAL charges were brought, there had to be individuals who colluded to fix prices. Cynical me again but all I can think of is if I don't pay a parking ticket the local Gestapo will issue a warrant on me but price fixing elicits a fine???
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flintstone mop
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« Reply #4 on: August 23, 2016, 07:50:00 PM »

The prices for electrolyitcs from Mouser shot up dramatically the last time I ordered.

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Fred KC4MOP
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« Reply #5 on: August 23, 2016, 08:03:44 PM »

13.8 Million and 3.8 million in fines........where does that go ??  probably goes into the General Fund....to pay congressional salaries
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« Reply #6 on: August 24, 2016, 12:36:23 AM »

Those horrible people! At least big oil has never done that Tongue Tongue

True. I've never felt cheated when buying large oil capacitors.
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Pete, WA2CWA
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« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2016, 03:08:53 AM »

 Several questions come to mind.... How much money did they make in comparison to what the fine was, cynical me thinks that it is "just another business expense".

A lot would depend on their country of origin and what their tax laws allow. Here it would be probably considered a deductible business expense which may or may not help their bottom line.
assets - liabilities(expenses) = shareholders' or owners' equity

Quote
 The next question would be if any CRIMINAL charges were brought, there had to be individuals who colluded to fix prices. Cynical me again but all I can think of is if I don't pay a parking ticket the local Gestapo will issue a warrant on me but price fixing elicits a fine???

One was noted in the blurb.
"On March 12, 2015, a grand jury indicted Takuro Isawa, a former Global Sales General Manager for one of the capacitor manufacturers, for his alleged participation in the conspiracy."
However, it's up to the grand jury to investigate potential criminal conduct and to determine whether criminal charges should be brought.
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« Reply #8 on: August 24, 2016, 08:09:25 AM »

I see these are criminal, not civil law indictments.  There seems to be a rush in this country to criminalize everything to the point that anything you do can be criminalized.  In this case international spin-off action, so probably counter to trade rules. On smaller scale criminalizing Lesser, once civil only action is a one way ratchet to make "little guys" feel good.  So they got caught. Goes on every day at casual breakfast meetings etc. --possibly not even intended, just relative biz discussion along with who's wife or husband strayed, who partied too much at last conference, you know, biz stuff.  Grin.

But if the perps document the collusion, then yeah they're crooks.

Who knows, maybe price 'comparison, allows biz B and C to stay in business and not let Business A really have a monopoly and really stiff Ya.

New Electronic components were always expensive relative to personal income, way more so in the past than now.

Care to price a 1970's Motorola  500 uf at 450 volt pwr supply capacitor in today's dollars?
Not to mention its size, ...worth every pound.  Grin

Well today's caps can't be too expensive. You know what a 32" LCD HDTV is going for down at Wallmart these days?  $125 new dollar value; that's $12.50 old or even $6 or $7 depending on your age recollection.
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2016, 10:01:43 AM »

Gas is $1.75 where I live. More than 1/4 of that is taxes. If you're being cheated, it isn't by 'big oil' (whatever that means).
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WD8BIL
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« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2016, 11:02:54 AM »

Quote
Gas is $1.75 where I live. More than 1/4 of that is taxes. If you're being cheated, it isn't by 'big oil' (whatever that means).

It's $2.10 here and Ohio tax is $0.26/gal....... Fed tax is $0.19.

I agree with Steve. It isn't the oil companies gouging us. But I digress into the political....  which isn't proper here.  Wink
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W3RSW
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Rick & "Roosevelt"


« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2016, 11:11:53 AM »

That's not political buddley,
Fact is states and govt are into the gambling biz too, 50% skim off the top.
Strictly theft ( from many who can't really afford it) if done by anyone but the state.
Even the mafia'd blush at that kind of take.

Floating river raft casinos, anything to pretend it's not your state.
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« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2016, 11:51:49 AM »

"Electrolytic capacitors store and regulate electrical current in a variety of electronic products, including computers, televisions, car engine and airbag systems, home appliances and office equipment."


As usual, the media is biased and got it wrong...

Should say: "Electrolytic capacitors store white gooey pus, paper and smoke that gets spewed when in a foul mood. They are used mainly in class E rigs, big 4-1000A mawls and other manly ham radio equipment."


Capacitor in Foul Mood:
 


* Spewing Pus.jpg (106.74 KB, 1920x1080 - viewed 271 times.)
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« Reply #13 on: August 24, 2016, 01:14:17 PM »

 Here in the PRK (Peoples Republik of Kalifornia) we use "special" poo poo gas, it is supposed to pollute less. In the Bay Area gas is around $2.50 a gallon, more in San Francisco. Last weekend I went to the Vintage SBB Roundtable BBQ in Southern California, Santa Barbara, gas was close to $3 a gallon. The PRK has the state gas tax, nice to be #1!!
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KB2WIG
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« Reply #14 on: August 24, 2016, 10:02:10 PM »

At least the Collective spends the gas tax on roads and bridges.Here in the Empire State, we don't do that....
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Rick & "Roosevelt"


« Reply #15 on: August 25, 2016, 08:08:20 AM »

Yeah, but the PRK doesn't need to spread 50 gadzillion tons of salt on its delicate " freeway" parking lots or run 24 hr shifts shoving snow out of the way of the anointed. (Except for a few mountain passes in NPRK)

Now in the Empire pot hole domain, state loves to handoff responsibility to counties, towns (townships), extended 'private driveway' owners, and cities.  Most common trick is to bypass a city, drop the highway designation that used to go through town, hence the maintenance cost.

Don't forget most populated areas in all the USK have bloated smog check scam bureaus , and on and on.

Kalifornia , being the semi-desert it is, also has routine flash floods, brush fires ( notice that except for the big forest conflagrations, only houses and brush get burnt but the locust trees still have green tops?  Grin ). In the east we call that a smart fire.

Um, I'm really straying here, ....again.  Tom you started it. I really felt sorry for that little puppy cap. He had a glorious life ahead of him, purchased at premium when young and shiney then just gracefully aging, drying out while faithfully serving mankind. Cry

--Never to see Wallmart Heaven,   ....sigh.
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #16 on: August 25, 2016, 10:06:27 AM »

PA has the highest gas tax and the worst roads. Go figure.
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KD6VXI
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« Reply #17 on: August 25, 2016, 11:08:55 AM »

I am by no means a tree hugger,  but the esoteric blends and high prices ARE working out here.

Growing up,  we had ORANGE air,  think Beijing, in Los Angeles.

Blue skies now.

So,  the elimination of carburetors,  esoteric gas summer blends,  etc,  do work.

Sucks to have to pay the price,  but I'd rather leave a cleaner place than what we where doing,  or China is.

--Shane
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kb3ouk
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« Reply #18 on: August 25, 2016, 10:00:55 PM »

PA has the highest gas tax and the worst roads. Go figure.

Not too sure about the worst roads, but I know for certain that PA has the worst bridges in the country, I actually read an article about that somewhere, a little over 5000 structurally deficient bridges in the state, you drive around and close to all of them you see are literally falling apart. Before it was replaced a few years ago, the brige that carries the PA turnpike over the road that runs past my house would have chunks of concrete fall off almost every time a large truck drove over it. We probably have some of the highest vehicle fees around too (registration, inspections, etc.), even worse where I live because the county tacks another $5 on top of it to pocket for their own use.
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #19 on: August 26, 2016, 12:34:50 PM »

Shane, I take it you've never been to Beijing.  Wink
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KD6VXI
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« Reply #20 on: August 26, 2016, 07:00:56 PM »

Unfortunately,  no,  Steve.   Just what I've seen in and on our illustrious media......

The air in China is clean?

--Shane
KD6VXI
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Steve - K4HX
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« Reply #21 on: August 27, 2016, 08:33:00 AM »

No. It's not. I know people who've lived there. LA at its worst does not come close to the levels of pollution and dust in Beijing.
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flintstone mop
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« Reply #22 on: August 27, 2016, 12:19:11 PM »

Gas is $1.75 where I live. More than 1/4 of that is taxes. If you're being cheated, it isn't by 'big oil' (whatever that means).

YUP, We can drive 20 mi to OHIO and get gas .30 cents cheaper, than in Pa.
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Fred KC4MOP
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« Reply #23 on: August 27, 2016, 06:38:41 PM »

That's kind of what I saw,  and used for effect.

I do remember years ago,  whilst heading in to the LA basin,  eyes burning and a shortness of breath.   My sinuses would kick in to overdrive.   

I lived in the Mojave desert for a year,  and had to go back and forth to San Diego.   Was a  I weekly trip.   I still remember HATING the air.

I'll agree,  the pics I've seen make la in the 70s and 80s look like clean pacific island air!

--Shane
KD6VXI
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