Re: OT: Price gouging?

In article <74gbh15lc46bq1ql7qoncj5vrjshcbn38m@xxxxxxx>,
Tom Elam <tom_elam@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 08:20:26 -0500, Lloyd Parsons
> <lloydparsons@xxxxxxx> wrote:
>
> >I couldn't help but notice this morning:
> >
> >My home town: $2.49 Last night, $2.59 this AM
> >Next town over: $2.69 this morning - and they have the highest tax
> >Worktown : $2.85
> >
> >That is the gas prices, and it damn sure looks like 'price it as much as
> >the market will bear' with little to do with supply shortages.
>
> There will be no shortage of gasoline as long as the price is able to
> adjust in a free market. The only times we ever had actual gasoline
> shortages was when the federal government stepped in a tried to
> control prices.
>
> FYI - about 2% of our refinery capacity is out for at least several
> weeks. New Orleans and Mobile are also a major crude oil and refined
> product import terminals. We can replace the crude from the strategic
> reserve, but we cannot easily refine it, nor can we replace the lost
> imports of refined products. This is going to get very bad. $4 a
> gallon is likely to happen, $5 is not out of the question. It is
> going to take 2-3 months before we get back to anything resembling
> normal.

I fully understand that.

What is intolerable is the widely varying prices in literally the same
tax/cost of business area that I'm seeing.

Frankly, when one small town is higher by a bunch, then it isn't
shortages that is causing the difference, it is the distributor taking
advantage of the shortage.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: OT: Price gouging?
    ... >My home town: $2.49 Last night, ... >That is the gas prices, and it damn sure looks like 'price it as much as ... >the market will bear' with little to do with supply shortages. ... FYI - about 2% of our refinery capacity is out for at least several ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • Re: OT: Price gouging?
    ... >>That is the gas prices, and it damn sure looks like 'price it as much as ... >>the market will bear' with little to do with supply shortages. ... > FYI - about 2% of our refinery capacity is out for at least several ...
    (comp.sys.mac.advocacy)
  • TK was right OT
    ... I'd like to see a current study on shortages due to transportation, ... or it could be the newest hype, and the cost increases could have more ... to do with soaring oil prices. ...
    (rec.bicycles.racing)
  • Re: Bush likely to veto bill that would stop gasoline price-gouging
    ... It sounds like a bill that will create shortages. ... Can you say "Enron"? ... increase prices further. ...
    (alt.politics)
  • Re: More problems for the stupid libs in California.
    ... The increase in prices will be welcomed in certain circles. ... This is a perfect example of what happens when liberals run a foreign ... it was the privatization of the power in California that cause ... shortages, when the state knew they had the capacity to begin with. ...
    (talk.origins)