That's Texas Baby!!!!

[felisviolaceous]

I just heard on the radio of Rita evacuees experiencing price gouging. Like $5.00 per gallon of gas, or $35.00 for a 12 pack of water bottles, and other outrageous prices for other foods and equipment to board up homes. This is on the road out of Houston/Galveston area. I was shocked and just wanted to beat some people up. I remember when 911 happened and Starbucks price gouged people trying to get water for the people that somehow made it out of the collasping buildings. Gotta LOVE them corporations!!!!
However, though certainly not small, the born-and-raised-Texas HEB not only not go up on their gas prices as they were steadily running out...they went DOWN when all they had left was super unleaded!! Last night after trying to wait in line after work, I instead went at 10pm in the evening and HEB had already run out of reg. and mid-grade unleaded. All that was left was Super and to my surprise it was $2.53 a gallon!!!! I only had $10.00 to put in which only gave me 3.9 gallons, but right now my car is a bit tipsy from the higher grade gas. ;) From what I heard on the radio, HEB is one of the first ones running out of gas because they are doing it right and trying to live up to the "Texas...the friendly state"!!!! And I also heard last night that Wal-Mart here in Austin had bumped their prices up by .20cents and hell the new Texaco across the street from the HEB that I filled up at, was up .04cents higher for reg. and by 10pm last night they were out. But it was just reg. that they were out of. I didn't go over to see if they dropped the price of mid-grade and super, but I'm willing to bet THEY DIDN'T!!!!

Comments

[beckyms.livejournal.com]

I don't think things can always be blamed on "corporations". There are plenty of unscrupulous individuals in the world. I'll bet it wasn't the CEO or board of directors of Starbucks that charged extra for water - it was likely a manager or owner (not sure of the company structure).

As for hiking up prices, I've heard good arguments for raising prices when there's a shortage or potential shortage. The extra money made on the price increase can then be turned around and used to acquire more of the product or to acquire good substitutes for the product. It also discourages people from buying as much of it at once and leaves more for other people to buy. As you pointed out, HEB was running out of gas. A lot of good their cheap gas did people who couldn't get there in time. (Not saying they did something "wrong", just saying having more gas available at a higher price might have benefited more people).

[tigerknight.livejournal.com]

I've actually seen a bunch of places with prices coming down steadily over the past week.

Tiger mart near the walmart on N-I35, race track on braker, heb, etc.

Awesome

[tamadaisy.livejournal.com]

That is so great. Mark is in town if you don't have plans tonight or tomorrow night.....

[doozer26.livejournal.com]

People here in Portland freak out over Walmart. They hate it. I find it all very amusing. Walmart is a wonderful thing, especially the Five Dollar DVD Bin.

Give me gas or give me death!

[redwolf1.livejournal.com]

I know our small town did not take a big hit from Rita but with all the trafic coming through we can not get gas anywhere. Thank god for a motercycle right now $5.30 to fill up.