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photo by Marcus Frazier
Jimmy Hibbs pumps gas at the Chevron station on Homochitto Street Friday. Gas prices at the station were 14 cents higher on Friday than on Thursday.
Pain at pumps begins before landfall
Published Saturday, August 30, 2008
NATCHEZ — If Hurricane Gustav wasn’t bad enough, a storm of high gas prices is brewing around the Miss-Lou.
Many prices around town jumped to 3.79 per gallon, an increase of up to 20 cents per gallon, which has left many residents upset.
“It’s kind of interesting because (the hurricane hasn’t hit) yet,” Ron Chapman said. “I have a feeling it’s a little bit of anticipation by the oil company.”
Chapman is from Chalmette, La., near New Orleans, but has evacuated Gustav to his house in Natchez and remembers his 2005 evacuation to Natchez well.
“As Yogi Berra said, ‘It’s deja vu all over again.’ People are just realizing they’ve got to move and move fast.”
Ricky Barlow, who spent nearly $80 to fill up his truck, was also very upset.
“I think it’s ridiculous because they didn’t pay 20 cents more for it when it was in the ground,” Barlow said. “It was $3.59 two days ago. The same gas they paid a lower price for is still in the ground.
“It really hasn’t done anything to us yet. It’s just a gouge.”
And although Gustav has yet to make landfall, it has had an impact on the price that the stations are paying for the gas, said Charles Zuccaro of Independent Oil.
Independent Oil saw a price increase of 26 cents per gallon, which has been passed on to drivers, Zuccaro said.
“Demand and inventory numbers have a lot to do with it,” Zuccaro said. “The inventory numbers usually come out on Thursday and if the inventory is low then it goes back up.”
The increase in supplier price has cut into Independent Oil’s profit margin, Zuccaro said.
“We’re definitely not making what we normally make.”
And for the Mississippi Attorney General’s office, profit is the key component in fighting price gouging.
“The rule of thumb is very clear,” Attorney General Jim Hood said. “You cannot increase you profits.”
However, the misconception of many people is that the storm calls for a price freeze, Hood said. Stores are allowed to increase the prices to cover increases in the cost of fuel.
“Your local store, it cost them more, and you can’t ask them to sell fuel at a deficit,” Hood said.
However, some stores try to get around this rule.
“What some of them do though, is they’ll call ahead and find out that their next load is going to cost 25 cents a gallon more, and they’ll run out and change out the cost on the gas they have in the ground,” Hood said. “And that’s price gouging.”
And this is something that the Attorney General’s office is taking very seriously.
“We have sent the message out very clear, he said. If you price gouge over $500 it’s a felony and that’s subject to one to five years in the penitentiary.
If we catch them we’re going to try to send people to the pen, if I have anything to do with it.”
While they have been working very hard to stop price gouging, Hood said that consumers are the key to prosecuting it.
“Just about everybody’s got a camera on their cell phone,” he said. “Use that camera, a picture’s worth a 1,000 words in those criminal courts.”
Comments
Posted by oldshool (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 1:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
look like i'm gone have to do another gas drive off if the prices keep rising,everytime I do right ,somebody makes me do wrong.
Posted by oldshool (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 1:22 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I no one thing is people better get locks on there gas tanks cause if they keep on they are gonna be a few gallons short,lol
Posted by speakup (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 1:50 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i'm slow i guess..are you saying you drive off with out paying for your gas?
Posted by xfloodman (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 2:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It appears this person needs to be tied to his vehicle bumper and pulled several hundred yards down a gravel road.
Posted by southernbelle (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 5:41 a.m. (Suggest removal)
(oldschool) shame on you! Granted, if those selling gas are actually gouging the public, they are breaking the law. Apparently you feel you can use this as an excuse to also break the law by stealing their gasoline. Then you go on to say that the general public should also be aware that you may use this as an excuse to steal gasoline from their unlocked vehicle tanks. You are no better then those you accuse and I hope that you will be caught and punished. Your Mamma would be ashamed of you.
Posted by youneverknow (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 7:57 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Oldshool is very good at upseting some people------can't yaw see he is jerking you around for his amusement.
southernbelle that was not (oldschool) Everybody relax and have a blessed day.
Posted by sayitloud (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 8:48 a.m. (Suggest removal)
oldshool is out to shock posters and get attention, that's all.
Posted by picture_music101 (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 9:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
i thought it was funny come on people read it completly its no more than a joke gah losen up
Posted by speakup (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 9:38 a.m. (Suggest removal)
and the nd called the npd and told them who he is
Posted by siriuseve (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10:06 a.m. (Suggest removal)
relax people old school was just joking. And honestly so now we call the cops for someone voicing an opinion? lol
Posted by youneverknow (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10:24 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Listen------joker is------oldshool
a completely different person is (Oldschool)
different spelling---- have a fun blessed day.
Posted by oldshool (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 11:19 a.m. (Suggest removal)
ya'll don't do nothing but complain,ya'll a bunch of tattle tails i guess ya'll gone tell that huh
Posted by MARIE (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 11:51 a.m. (Suggest removal)
yall should have known oldschool was just joking who would be serious and put it on here come on yall lets get ready for the storm
Posted by meluvcookies (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 5:49 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oldschool shouldn't joke about something that's no laughing matter! That's the way I feel about it. :)
Posted by johnwentworth (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 7:51 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oldschool hasn't posted at all on these comments, oldshool has! notice the incorrect spelling of school. the poster here lacks a "c".
Posted by MARIE (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 8:57 p.m. (Suggest removal)
it dont matter oldschool or oldshool u know what we talking about
Posted by lookingout (anonymous) on August 30, 2008 at 10:29 p.m. (Suggest removal)
I think its funny how he gets y'all upset..lol...Keep those post coming oldshool....
Posted by oldshool (anonymous) on August 31, 2008 at 12:33 a.m. (Suggest removal)
lookingout thanks,i am not thinkng bout them tho,they are my least priority.Ya'll need to be worried bout this storm why ya'll putting these fony comments on here,ya'll gone make me tell ya'll something if ya'll keep on.
I am not playing to,if these gas prices keep rising i'ma seep my neighbor gas out his hummer truck.Hope non of ya'll drive a Hummer........?
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