REALITY CHECK. The dean at Anonymous Community contemplates crowded commuter lots.

We've had some talk of congestion pricing -- require a paid permit for prime time, but allow free parking during off-peak periods (i.e. late afternoon). The problem there is that anything regressive enough to make a difference would crash into our 'accessibility' mission, and anything sufficiently painless as to be completely nondiscriminatory would also be ineffectual. There's also an issue of inflated expectations when students actually pay. Not being able to find a free space is annoying, but not being able to find a paid space feels like being ripped off.

In a few weeks, we're going to get an entering class of a magnitude we haven't seen before. I wish them well in their quest for parking spaces.

Evaluate the generalization to health. In your essay, consider the parallels between the joint costs of producing a parking space for mid-day that is also available at night and a new therapy, and the effects of the Baby Boomers exercising their prescription drug benefits. Bonus points: why is a policy of rationing-by-congestioning midday and rationing-by-inconvenience in late afternoon discriminatory, even though there is no parking charge for anyone.