Coakley Cracking Down On Gas Price Gouging

April 23, 2011 10:23 AM

Martha Coakley

Filed under

Business, Consumer, Heard On WBZ NewsRadio 1030, Local, News

BOSTON (AP) – Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is warning gas stations against price gouging as the cost of gasoline continues to climb.

Coakley said she understands that many factors, including major world events, have contributed to the increase in the price at the pump.

Still, Coakley said Friday that her office will make sure no business is unfairly capitalizing on the situation.

Coakley said her office is monitoring compliance with all requirements of state law regarding the pricing of gasoline and the display of gas prices.

Coakley pointed to a provision in the law that bars any petroleum-related business from selling gasoline or other petroleum products for “an unconscionably high price” during a market emergency.

She said stations must also clearly display whether they are selling gas for a lower price during cash transactions.

Coakley Cracking Down On Gas Price Gouging

mia

I am sure they are not filling up everyday but prices go up daily. Prices should not be able to go up if they do not get a gas delivery..
1608

Monday when I went to
work,gas was $3.81.

9 hours later $3.86.

Friday it was $3.89.
If we had REAL bus service in Worcester it only cost $80. a mo. to get to and from work.
http://thecurioustaskofeconomics.org/2011/04/23/when-economics-and-politics-collide/ When Economics and Politics Collide | The Curious Task of Economics

[...] This makes me angry. Aside from the inherent logical fallacies behind price gouging, there are a number of legal and political questions that need to be asked. [...]
Curious

We hear this story every time gas prices go up. Does the AG office get an convictions?
CEO

While there might be a small number of gas retailers that are gouging, the REAL problem is at a nationa/international level with speculators and OPEC. If we try to regulate speculators here they’ll just move their business to commodities exchanges in foreign countries to get around any new rules. OPEC purposely CUT oil production rather than increasing it to offset the disruption in supply because of Libya. Restricting supply only drives the price up.

As long as we continue to let ourselves remain dependent on foreign energy sources they will dictate prices and availability. Where is the leadership from Obama to make us energy independent? I hear a lot of talk but see little action and no real energy plan in sight.
DStein

Leave it to Marsha Chokely to go after an issue she knows she can do little about. The “investigation” of gouging will take a few hours and then she and her staff can go back to doing nothing for Massachusetts residents.