NationStates Jolt Archive

Governor Sonny Perdue declared an Energy Emergency in Georgia on Wednesday.

The governor said that some gas stations have raised gas prices above $6 a gallon for regular.

"Price gouging will not be tolerated," said the governor. "Frankly, I'm embarrassed."

Earlier in the day, Gov. Sonny Perdue asked Georgians to remain calm over the rising price of gasoline, saying the state's major distributor should be operational by the weekend.

"There's no reason to panic. There's plenty of gas on the way and the only way we'll have problems locally is if we rush out and hoard," the governor said during a Wednesday afternoon news conference. "Stay calm and conserve, don't just run out to top off your tank. Just continue with normal fueling habits."

Despite Perdue's advice, Metro Atlantans spilled out of gas stations and onto busy roadways as they waited for their turn to fuel up. Several stations that were hit with anxious motorists starting early Wednesday morning were out of gas by late afternoon.

Read More (http://www.11alive.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=68579)

It's price gouging. These people are smelling the opportunity to make a quick profit at the expense of the victims, and they're going to do it. Their bullshit rhetoric about supply and demand isn't working anymore, and I'm glad they're starting to take a stand.

There should also be a serious inquiry in to why energy trading wasn't halted during the days immediately after the disaster. In any other of this magnitude (9/11 for example), the markets were halted to prevent any irrational price swings. This atmosphere is so ripe for corruption and profiteering, it's staggering.