Attorney general sends examiners to Joplin to check price-gouging
Monday, May 23, 2011 | 2:22 p.m. CDT
BY
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
JEFFERSON CITY — The Missouri attorney general's office is sending investigators to Joplin to check for price-gouging after a tornado leveled a swath of the southwestern Missouri city.
The attorney general's office said Monday that investigators were sent to Joplin to monitor any price gouging. People who believe a business has artificially raised the prices for necessities such as gas, food and diapers can contact the attorney general's office at 1-800-392-8222 or file a complaint at www.ago.mo.gov.
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The attorney general's office says people who violate price-gouging laws can face penalties of up to $1,000 per violation.
Attorney General Chris Koster says recovering from the deadly tornado will require that everyone work together, and people should not try to take advantage of storm victims.
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Price gougers have a right to a speedy trial and the people who where taken advantage of also want a speedy trial to happen.
In times past, scalawags, scoundrels, snake oil sellers, and others of a similiar nature, were usually given a choice; get out of town before the mob of angry citizens arrived or ride the rail in a fresh coat of tar and feathers.
What if you were a company that specialized in Natural Disaster Relief and had your warehouse of generators to sell. Shouldn't you be able to charge whatever it is people are willing to buy them for?
No organization or individual should take advantage of people in a disaster situation. If your children were starving and in dire need of drinking water, would you still be pleased to pay $20.00 a quart for water and another $10.00 for a granola bar? Would you think it generous of them?
You should tell that to a lawyer.
I am not talking about food or water or diapers I am talking about items like survival gear everyone should have all ready.
Nice one Paul. If for some reason me or someone I know gets in trouble with the law and find ourselves in need of a lawyer I will have to call up the Capital and ask them to look into price gouging. Or maybe we should call them up now and complain about the price gouging the city does with all the extra little fees to nickle and dime people. The latest is a crime no matter how you look at it. You actually have to pay the city a fee to keep the job you have.
Sounds to me like Koster might be looking for a way to get his name in the paper since this brief story mentions no actual gouging. But then, I'm a bit cynical of politicians.