At 08:31 AM 9/12/01 -0700, Leon Korkin wrote:
>That's capitalism at work! Free market! Supply and demand!

Let me think.  Hmmmm.  If HK here, your humble servant, owned a gas station --
and I was just told by my fuels supplier, "HK, no more gas.  They shut us
down.  We can't deliver.
We can't refine.  We can't sell what's in stock.  We can't do shi%. Sorry,
chump. Later, bye."
What would I do??  Continue to sell everything at dirt cheap prices like
127.9 per gallon?
Hell no.  And let all these rednecks come take my gas, and drive off with
it, knowing there's no more coming for who-knows-how-long?
No way in hell.  You're crazy.  I like gas, and I need it.  It makes me
go.  It moves my vehicles.
Yes sir, I would raise the price *way on up* to try to insure at least
everybody could get a little bit.  That way it wouldn't be gone in one day.
Now some jerks, pure greed would no doubt motivate.  But the reality for
most station owners would be as above, in my opinion.  (Most stations are
owned in our area by local franchisees).

horace