There have been a lot of people along the Mississippi Gulf Coast complaining about gas prices and how much higher they are compared to nearby areas (like Mobile, Meridian, and Jackson). Many are claiming that the oil companies are price-gouging.
While I'm not discounting the possibility of price-gouging, I have to stop and wonder if any of these complainers have considered that...:
A) there are a lot more people along the coast...not just from New Orleans refugees but also *A LOT* of relief, recovery, and reconstruction workers.
B) because of (A), there are a lot more vehicles and a lot more traffic out on the road, using up a lot more gas than is normal around here.
It's a quintessential example of supply-and-demand.
Regarding (A), someone told me recently that officials are estimating there are around 45,000 people in Picayune right now. Before the hurricane, Picayune had around 11,000...
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