Remember when everybody was freaking out over a supposed gas shortage fueled by anxious drivers and a general mood of panic? Boy, that was something. It feels so distant now, a collective and embarrassing nightmare we’re all eager to forget. Let’s not do it again.
But first let’s reckon with the consequences of the great gas delusion of a couple weeks ago. The state has already kicked off some reckoning of its own, as Attorney General Ken Paxton on Tuesday filed lawsuits against three businesses accused of price gouging during the self-inflicted crisis, including one based in North Texas. From Paxton’s press release:
Bains Brothers, owners of Texaco-branded gas stations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Two of the stations allegedly charged $6.99 a gallon for regular unleaded gas on Aug. 31, even while displaying signs with prices in the $3-$4 range.
The attorney general’s office says it’s received more than 3,300 price gouging complaints related to Hurricane Harvey.
