The Ravages Of Hurricane Mike (& Roy)
By John Hood
Carolina Journal Online
RALEIGH – On Friday afternoon, tens of thousands of North Carolinians, panicked by incessant press coverage of a storm headed towards Texas oil country, rushed out to top off their gas tanks. Many found their local stations were already out of gas. Others found huge gas lines, reminiscent of the 1970s, which clogged rush-hour roadways and wasted both time and fuel.
Frustrated North Carolinians probably thought Ike caused it all. But here are two other names that will forever be associated with this disastrous episode: Mike and Roy.
That’s Mike Easley and Roy Cooper, whose irresponsible and indefensible threats of prosecution deterred some service stations from pricing their scarce gas stocks rationally. As reports of rising pump prices proliferated throughout North Carolina communities on Thursday night and Friday morning, these two state “leaders” hurried in front of the microphones and cameras to urge consumers to report instances of “price gouging.” Hundreds of phone calls from upset motorists came in. Both independent stations and gas chains had good reason to take the current and former attorneys general at their word that “unreasonable” price increases would result in legal action: on Saturday, Cooper announced that his offices would start issuing subpoenas to certain unnamed service stations on Monday.
Carolina Journal Online
RALEIGH – On Friday afternoon, tens of thousands of North Carolinians, panicked by incessant press coverage of a storm headed towards Texas oil country, rushed out to top off their gas tanks. Many found their local stations were already out of gas. Others found huge gas lines, reminiscent of the 1970s, which clogged rush-hour roadways and wasted both time and fuel.
Frustrated North Carolinians probably thought Ike caused it all. But here are two other names that will forever be associated with this disastrous episode: Mike and Roy.
That’s Mike Easley and Roy Cooper, whose irresponsible and indefensible threats of prosecution deterred some service stations from pricing their scarce gas stocks rationally. As reports of rising pump prices proliferated throughout North Carolina communities on Thursday night and Friday morning, these two state “leaders” hurried in front of the microphones and cameras to urge consumers to report instances of “price gouging.” Hundreds of phone calls from upset motorists came in. Both independent stations and gas chains had good reason to take the current and former attorneys general at their word that “unreasonable” price increases would result in legal action: on Saturday, Cooper announced that his offices would start issuing subpoenas to certain unnamed service stations on Monday.
posted by Andy W. Rogers | 6:10 PM
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