THSCC Forums

At least they have the time to think about helping the folks in Louisiana and Mississippi. If those folks are lucky, the government will finish thinking soon and start acting. We're a week into this deal, and just now we're starting to see a mobilization of efforts?

This was a very forseeable catastrophy (New Orleans), yet, it's been public policy for quite some time to turn a blind eye.

Thank goodness we have all those spare National Guard troops guarding the nation of Iraq... Thank God hindsight is 20/20 or else we'd be blind all the time!

Scott

FEMA pre-staged emergency response teams and critical commodities such as ice, water, meals ready-to-eat (MREs), and tarps in strategic locations in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Convoys of supplies are moving into heavily impacted areas but with many roads damaged or impassable, it may be several days before emergency workers are able to reach all the victims of Katrina.

were inside the New Orleans Superdome during the height of the storm providing security and distributing food and water. Thousands of storm refugees had taken shelter in the 77,000 seat football stadium, home of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints.

In addition the Guard had engineers inside the dome keeping a close watch on the structural integrity of the facility, which sprung a leak when hurricane-force winds ripped several panels off the stadium's roof.

Louisiana Guardsmen assisted state police with the evacuation of New Orleans and have helped establish 122 shelters across the state, according to the Army public affairs office.

hyperbolic bullpuckey

hyperbolic bullpuckey

"My sense is the supply and demand equation does not fit a 60-cent (a gallon) increase in the last 36 hours."

I will defer to Art's commments, as they are most relevant. While we are comfortabally arguing about gas prices, politics, etc there are people who need help. We all out to be ashamed of ourselves (me included) for being so petty right now. What's done is done, let's be productive and figure out what we can do.

Scott

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9170150/

Mike, there is your graph. Plus a little bit of support for what I was saying.

Scott is talking about what we as a club can do.

If you have any suggestions please let us know.

Typical economic guru's...I believe the graph supports what I have been saying. When the little green line and the little red line intersect, you will have your ideal price. Be prepared for $4.00 a gallon on average

Scott is talking about what we as a club can do.

If you have any suggestions please let us know.

Roy Cooper, North Carolina Attorney General

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 31, 2005

Contact: Noelle Talley
Phone: 919/716-6413

AG COOPER ON THE LOOK OUT FOR GAS PRICE FIXING
Cooper offers simple steps consumers can take to save money on gas

RALEIGH: As gas prices rise across North Carolina and the country, Attorney General Roy Cooper today encouraged North Carolina consumers to watch out for price fixing by gas stations and to take steps to save money at the pump.

"Trying to profit from a natural disaster or other crisis is wrong, and I hope that North Carolina businesses won't stoop to that level," said Cooper. "But if consumers have evidence of price fixing, I want to know about it. Since gas prices are on the rise in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, I also want consumers to know they can take some simple steps to save money on gas."

North Carolina has laws against price fixing, which can occur when competitors agree together to raise or fix their prices. Any consumers who have evidence of price fixing by gas stations in their area are encouraged to file a complaint with the Attorney General's office. Consumers can download a complaint form at www.ncdoj.com under "Consumer Protection" or can call 1-877-5-NO-SCAM to receive a complaint form in the mail.

Price gouging-or charging too much in times of crisis-is against North Carolina law, but that law only applies when a disaster has been declared by the Governor. No declaration of disaster for North Carolina is now in effect.

Cooper today also wrote to the Federal Trade Commission asking it to monitor the gasoline market in North Carolina for any illegal practices. "It is essential that we stamp out any instances of price fixing or price gouging by oil companies or others within the gasoline supply chain in the event they occur," Cooper wrote to FTC Chairwoman Deborah Platt Majoras. "We must not permit anyone in the gasoline supply chain to profit from a natural disaster by taking advantage of consumers."

There are many global factors impacting gas prices that are beyond the authority of the Attorney General's Office, including the shut down of oil refineries along the Gulf Coast in the wake of Katrina. However, Cooper offered the following tips consumers can follow to save money on gas.

. Shop around. Encourage competition by taking your business to gas stations with lower prices.

. Slow down. Keeping your speed down means you're burning less of that expensive gas. Using cruise control and the overdrive gear on your car can also help.

. Tune up. To increase your miles per gallon, keep your engine tuned, replace clogged oil and air filters, and make sure your oxygen sensor works properly. Using the right grade of motor oil for your car and keeping your tires properly inflated will also help.

. Stick to regular gas unless your owner's manual specifies you need a higher grade.

. Plan your route. Combine trips to save gas. For example, run errands while on your way to work or while taking your kids to school. Also, consider carpooling or use public and alternative forms of transportation.

. Pick the right vehicle. If you own more than one car, drive the one that gets the best gas mileage.

. Don't idle. Turn off your engine if you plan to sit for awhile.

. Don't overload your trunk. Clear unnecessary things from your trunk and avoid hauling large items on your roof to improve your gas mileage.

###

NC Department of Justice
9001 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-9001
(919) 716-6400

Prices didn't stay at these levels for long, however — on the same day this photograph was taken, Georgia governor Sonny Perdue signed an executive order authorizing sanctions against price-gouging gasoline retailers:


With some retailers advertising gasoline prices as high as $6 per gallon, Gov. Sonny Perdue signed an executive order authorizing state sanctions against gas stations that gouge consumers.

"I do not believe there is an energy emergency in this state but we will not tolerate our citizens perceiving the fact there is by exorbitant price-gouging prices," he said.

Perdue's order allows the Gov.'s Office of Consumer Affairs to seek civil sanctions against retailers who can't justify their prices based on the price they paid at the terminal for the product, adjusted for their normal markup.