Gas Price Gouging Hits Hurricane States
Officials Are Instituting Emergency Anti-Price Gouging Laws in Their States
By CHARLES HERMAN, ZUNAIRA ZAKI and SCOTT MAYEROWITZ
Sept. 12, 2008—
As Hurricane Ike barrels down on Texas, the impact is being felt in other parts of the country as the oil industry comes to a near halt and reports of price gouging start to spread.
Fears of gas shortages are leading to exploitation in some parts of the Southeast, where some stations are reported to be charging as much as $6 a gallon for gas.
In North Carolina, Gov. Mike Easley has declared a state of "abnormal market disruption" and signed an order allowing the attorney general to enforce the state's anti-gouging law. In South Carolina, Attorney General Henry McMaster invoked a similar law for his state, and Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency.
"Fear of price gouging is bad in the state right now," Mark Plowden, communications director for the South Carolina attorney general told ABC News. "Public panic can cause a run on the pump, creating more panic, so we are trying to control the situation."
His office has fielded hundreds of phone calls, and many other calls have been received by county law enforcement offices. Plowden added that the receptionist is fielding "a phone call every eight seconds on this topic."
"People have gone as far as calling 911 to report that gas is expensive," he said.
When I read that ,I thought the 911 calls HAD to be in Arkansas.LOL
I'll let ya'll know what it's like out there today. I do know that the town is packed full of people. Not just evacuees, but they also have a hog rally this weekend.
I better get some gas before it's all gone! ack!
Laters, Me
1 comment:
damn thats alful......gas has finaly gone down here were paying 3.75 a gallon....so call me how is brenda doing did the hurricane hit near her and weis....
Post a Comment