Gas Prices Near $6 a Gallon In Parts of Florida: Is this illegal?
Gasoline prices rose up to $5.50 a gallon in parts of Florida on Friday when rumors of a fuel shortage spread across the state. Motorists in Tallahassee were lined up to pay $5.49 per gallon.
A ...
Gasoline prices rose up to $5.50 a gallon in parts of Florida on Friday when rumors of a fuel shortage spread across the state. Motorists in Tallahassee were lined up to pay $5.49 per gallon.
A fuel panic swept Gainesville on Thursday, where long gas lines spilled over onto a busy thoroughfare, tempers flared and the police were called, said Randy Bly, a spokesman for AAA Auto Club South.
But Agriculture and Consumers Services Commissioner Charlie Bronson responded quickly.
“There is no fuel shortage in Florida,” Bronson said. “There's hundreds of millions of gallons available.”
Bronson promised to act quickly to any price gougers.
He said he would subpoena the records of any gas station suspected of price gouging. Violators face a $10,000 fine per violation, up to $25,000 a day. He said retailers can’t raise prices arbitrarily just because they anticipate higher prices in the future.
But, according to Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesman Terry McElroy it doesn't necessarily mean retailers are gouging customers when prices rise wildly.
If wholesale prices justify the increases, there's not much regulators can do, he said.
Marsha Kut, travel Manager for Lee County AAA, predicted a 20- to 30-cent increase at Lee County pumps.
She said the hike should be short term, lasting a few days to a week.
“We have enough oil,” she said.
Ike’s relentless march across the Gulf of Mexico has had little effect on crude oil future contracts. They even dropped below $100 a gallon at one point Friday before settling at $102.50.
Randy Bly, a spokesman for AAA Auto Club South, said rising prices at the pump seem counterintuitive. He said the increase is related to refinery capacity.
“Our office has been flooded with calls,” Bly said “This was consumer-driven, it was like a run on the bank. There really is no shortage, we are well supplied. There could be some spot outages. We anticipate a price increase of 20 cents to 30 cents a gallon in the next few days.”
Gasoline contracts for October delivery spiked more than 8 percent — 2.08 cents per gallon — on Friday.
“The nightmare scenario is unfolding before our eyes,” said Jim Rouiller, senior energy meteorologist with Planalytics Inc. in Wayne, Pa.
Ike’s storm surge will “completely inundate all the refineries and chemical plants that line Galveston Bay from Texas City all the way to Baytown. It’s a storm surge that this part of Texas hasn’t experienced in a lifetime.”
The American Automobile Association reported that the statewide average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in Florida today is $3.69, a penny higher than the national average. Average prices peaked nationally at $4.13 a gallon for regular unleaded on July 1 and have been falling steadily ever since. (more)
A fuel panic swept Gainesville on Thursday, where long gas lines spilled over onto a busy thoroughfare, tempers flared and the police were called, said Randy Bly, a spokesman for AAA Auto Club South.
But Agriculture and Consumers Services Commissioner Charlie Bronson responded quickly.
“There is no fuel shortage in Florida,” Bronson said. “There's hundreds of millions of gallons available.”
Bronson promised to act quickly to any price gougers.
He said he would subpoena the records of any gas station suspected of price gouging. Violators face a $10,000 fine per violation, up to $25,000 a day. He said retailers can’t raise prices arbitrarily just because they anticipate higher prices in the future.
But, according to Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services spokesman Terry McElroy it doesn't necessarily mean retailers are gouging customers when prices rise wildly.
If wholesale prices justify the increases, there's not much regulators can do, he said.
Marsha Kut, travel Manager for Lee County AAA, predicted a 20- to 30-cent increase at Lee County pumps.
She said the hike should be short term, lasting a few days to a week.
“We have enough oil,” she said.
Ike’s relentless march across the Gulf of Mexico has had little effect on crude oil future contracts. They even dropped below $100 a gallon at one point Friday before settling at $102.50.
Randy Bly, a spokesman for AAA Auto Club South, said rising prices at the pump seem counterintuitive. He said the increase is related to refinery capacity.
“Our office has been flooded with calls,” Bly said “This was consumer-driven, it was like a run on the bank. There really is no shortage, we are well supplied. There could be some spot outages. We anticipate a price increase of 20 cents to 30 cents a gallon in the next few days.”
Gasoline contracts for October delivery spiked more than 8 percent — 2.08 cents per gallon — on Friday.
“The nightmare scenario is unfolding before our eyes,” said Jim Rouiller, senior energy meteorologist with Planalytics Inc. in Wayne, Pa.
Ike’s storm surge will “completely inundate all the refineries and chemical plants that line Galveston Bay from Texas City all the way to Baytown. It’s a storm surge that this part of Texas hasn’t experienced in a lifetime.”
The American Automobile Association reported that the statewide average price for a gallon of unleaded gas in Florida today is $3.69, a penny higher than the national average. Average prices peaked nationally at $4.13 a gallon for regular unleaded on July 1 and have been falling steadily ever since. (more)
Top Comment
View thread
-
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
It's called gouging.
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
Here we go again kick the little man while hes down...Thats why this world is so messed up now..Undecided
It's probably not illegal due to our 'free market' economy - the better question: Is it immoral? That's a definitive YES. And all we can hope for is independence from oil so the greedy bastards living large off our pain will have to drink the shit to get rid of it.Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
Im pretty sure this is illegalYes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
Time to go here...http://gaswatch.energy.gov/
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
THIS IS VERY ILLEGAL.......THEY WILL BE DELT WITH!!!Undecided
It should be.Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
The oil companies use every excuse to raise prices.They make a pitiful argument why this is so!!!!!!!This is not the oil companies in this case. This is small franchise owners who are playing a risky game.
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
I agree, a few weeks ago it was $150 a barrel. The price of gas was $4.07.Now its $91 and the price is $4.00.
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
nationwide,the price of gas jumped on average .04 cent a gal after ike. if you are paying more than .04 over last week you are getting gouged.Undecided
Don't know if it is illegal but isn't right for sure. Guess it is the American way to screw people.Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
How would that fucker feel if sumone raised gas prices on him??? He would probly get pissed off.Undecided
It's the democrats and their stupid ideas to save all our resources until the rest of the world runs short so they can then control everything. It's crazy talk, but, from them would you expect any less?Undecided
Thank the belief that more government is the answer.No. Rising gas prices is fair due to Hurricane Ike's crisis.
I heard they were locking up the president of Exxon for this matter......hahahahahago figure.
No. Rising gas prices is fair due to Hurricane Ike's crisis.
wait, are any of the people saying it is unfair to raise gas prices the same people I see say we should have open markets and no socialism or government intervention?because this is capitalism, you can charge whatever you like for goods and services in pure capitalism.
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
This is a perversion of the "free market" because any perceived demand spike can cause a price spike in the presence of a perceived shortage. The tricky part is how to control the wholesale prices, which is where the real evil lies. Companies like Exxon Mobile posted the highest corporate profit in history this year riding this wave of futures pricing by jacking up the wholesale price of gas. Retailers have no choice but to raise the retail price, so they are off the hook. But there is no one punishing the wholesalers for gouging, and they walked away with all your money. They will return to do it again after the election. They reduce the prices right before an election to take the pressure off their buddies in the Republican party. (Check the last election; it happened then, too.)Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
Greedy bastards, they'll use any excuse to raise the price of gas. Pathetic.No. Rising gas prices is fair due to Hurricane Ike's crisis.
Unfortunately in a capitalist society this would not be illegal. Perhaps not voting an oil businessman into the White House would've averted this problem, huh Florida?Undecided
ya know, when the hurricane was commin this way, our local station showed where most of the refineries were in the gulf and the biggest bulk of em are on the louisiana coast.....so this makes no sense.....yeah, im sure that there is some damage but that is the price u pay for drilling offshore....and i know that there are reserves...so why raise prices till we are in the reserves??? but what am i sayin, it doesnt matter in the end....Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
It should be illegal..in houston, gas shot up .05 cents after ike. in georgia it shot up $2.00.
maybe we should move to the disaster area to save.
Undecided
i would have to say that just sucks gas is 3.45 here but natural gas now come this winter is going to be bad it is going to cost me on average $250 a month on budget yeah national fuel decided to raise its prices by 33% this winterYes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
Well being that the price of crude oil fell down to $91.54 a barrel I think that any gasoline stations charging more than $1.39 a gallon are crooks. There is absolutely no reason gas shouldn't be $ 1.39 - 1.42 a gallon. Bunch of thieves.Undecided
Its probably out of line but if you figure in the cost of our military guarding the waterways for tankers to reach our shore and you add that cost were probably paying 10 a gallon anyway, the hidden cost that no one thinks about.Undecided
This BS and every one no's it we have had Hurricanes for years and gase prices were not this high I think its part of the bush BSNo. Rising gas prices is fair due to Hurricane Ike's crisis.
Shud stupidity be illegal?Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
And if it isn't it should be.Undecided
Umm.. I thought there was limited damage to the rigs and refineries during Ike. I'm not sure why some places are gouging.Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
PRICE GOUGING IS ILLEGAL IN THE WHOLE USA NOT JUST FLORIDA the greedy little bastards should be put out of business for goodNo. Rising gas prices is fair due to Hurricane Ike's crisis.
It's called a free market. If it's too expensive, don't buy it. The right to cheap gas is not in the constitution. Capitalism works, government tinkering does not.Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
more importantly, how can they be competitive if they're charging 5.49? what is the competition like, or is this some kind of monopoly? I mean, it sounded like people were willing to pay it?sounds like collaboration to me.
Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
I'm sure the Attorney General is looking into it. It's called gouging....they should be fined....if you paid that price keep your receipt this happened in Indiana when 9/11 happened and the stations had to refund us our money.Yes. If the average is 3.69, how can someone charge 5.49 because of a gas shortage rumor?
I think this is called price gouging!!!!!