My girlfriend lives in Hoboken...she's heard that cars are allowed back in, but it's still a mess due to the damage and no electricity.
I'm sure. The one saving grace is that I'm on the fourth floor so all my property is okay.
It's just that I don't want to go back until the power's back on (I have power at home in Bergen County so I'm sticking it out here as long as possible.), but I likely won't have class until power's back on to most of the city anyway.
It's safe to say Stevens probably got hit harder than any other university. No power all week and literally an island among the flooded streets of Hoboken for three days.
__________________ "I hate the Rangers, and Lou hates them to death." - Martin Pierre Brodeur @DeFazioNJ
I think that's pretty debatable. Those people in Staten Island wandering around homeless haven't seen hide nor hair of FEMA (or any other relief for that matter) and I've seen the agency taking on some heavy criticism for lack of immediate response. This obviously isnt nearly as bad of a storm as Katrina (to put it lightly) so I dont think it's remotely fair to compare the two, but my guess is after this FEMA will learn more from experience and improve once again.
They can't be everywhere at once, and some places are harder to reach than others. I'm sure efforts are being made to get the relief where it needs to go as fast as it can. The point is that FEMA isn't sitting on its hands this time. You're right that every disaster offers learning experiences, it's just unfortunate that it has to come at such a terrible cost.
Quote:
Originally Posted by downtown56
Speaking of gas, i think it's ******** that they raised the prices 30 cents. Give everyone a break
The gouging isn't nearly as bad as it could be, but I agree that hiking the prices at all is pretty reprehensible unless the added cost is being incurred because the parent company has to pay more to ship it there.
Not to step on any toes here, but price gouging does serve a purpose sometimes. It allocates the product in an efficient way (queuing is not a very efficient way of allocation...it's first come first serve, and in a lot of cases people who don't make it in time are left out int he cold). I'm not sure if there is a rationing mechanism to the gas (you're only allowed to fill up a defined amount of canisters), in which case price gouging doesn't really serve as an allocative purpose and is purely exploitative.
But rising prices can be an effective means in incentivizing people to only take as much as they really need.
Saugus also has a good point. Very likely that shipping costs have increased.
If individual owners are jacking the rates right now, it is wrong.
If anything, the price of gas should be going down soon once the electric comes back on, because supply isnt altered while the near-term localized demand (once this craziness dies down) should decrease due to this devastation. The northeast is a huge consumer of energy.
Not to step on any toes here, but price gouging does serve a purpose sometimes. It allocates the product in an efficient way (queuing is not a very efficient way of allocation...it's first come first serve, and in a lot of cases people who don't make it in time are left out int he cold). I'm not sure if there is a rationing mechanism to the gas (you're only allowed to fill up a defined amount of canisters), in which case price gouging doesn't really serve as an allocative purpose and is purely exploitative.
But rising prices can be an effective means in incentivizing people to only take as much as they really need.
Saugus also has a good point. Very likely that shipping costs have increased.
I don't really care about gas going up 5-10 cents. To me personally, that's about 2 dollars extra for a tank of gas which will last me 10 days, give or take.
What I have a huge issue with is stories coming out of independent eateries jacking up their prices. That's a joke. One guy on the radio said a place he went to weekly for a sandwich tripled the price from 4 to 12 dollars, and was charging up to 2 dollars extra for altercations to food items. For example, the guy didn't want potatoes on his sandwich as the menu states so he charged an extra 2 dollars for it.
People like that deserve to die a terrible death, and I don't care if that's harsh. How can you take advantage of people like that? I would have told the guy that I'll pay his price since I have no choice, but once power is restored I will never ****ing come back to your restaurant. If people thought like that, the guy will make a months worth of profits in a day, and then will see his business go broke within a year. And he deserves every bit of it.
I made the same comment to my parents at dinner tonight.
Joking aside, and I'm not sure if you are or not, most NJ plates end in a letter so whatever the last number in your plate is is your odd/even status. All letter vanity plates fall into one or the other, no idea which.
I made the same comment to my parents at dinner tonight.
Joking aside, and I'm not sure if you are or not, most NJ plates end in a letter so whatever the last number in your plate is is your odd/even status. All letter vanity plates fall into one or the other, no idea which.
Read an article on nj.com and if it ends with a letter, it's considered odd
I don't really care about gas going up 5-10 cents. To me personally, that's about 2 dollars extra for a tank of gas which will last me 10 days, give or take.
What I have a huge issue with is stories coming out of independent eateries jacking up their prices. That's a joke. One guy on the radio said a place he went to weekly for a sandwich tripled the price from 4 to 12 dollars, and was charging up to 2 dollars extra for altercations to food items. For example, the guy didn't want potatoes on his sandwich as the menu states so he charged an extra 2 dollars for it.
People like that deserve to die a terrible death, and I don't care if that's harsh. How can you take advantage of people like that? I would have told the guy that I'll pay his price since I have no choice, but once power is restored I will never ****ing come back to your restaurant. If people thought like that, the guy will make a months worth of profits in a day, and then will see his business go broke within a year. And he deserves every bit of it.
The demand curve for sandwiches has shifted right. In response, it is actually best for the sandwich shop owner to raise prices. In this case, the sandwiches would go to the people who actually value them most - i.e., the people who are willing to pay the most money. If the prices of sandwiches was fixed at $4, the supply would evaporate extremely fast, and all the sandwiches would simply go to the people who first got there. That's not an ideal scenario. It's the same with concerts or sports events. You've probably ended up without a ticket to something you wanted to go to because the price was artificially low, you were a bit too late to buy them, and meanwhile they're going for twice face value on stubhub.
Ever consider that maybe it's simply not worth the time of the sandwich shop owner to open up right now unless he can charge $12? Maybe his time is better served fixing his house right now if all he can charge is $4. In that case, no one gets a sandwich. Is that a better scenario?
People who bash price gouging are kind of amusing, because it's almost as if they'd rather the transaction never take place than stomach the idea that they're paying more money than they "should".
People also have an odd idea that because the price of something is $X one day, it should automatically be $X tomorrow. Or if something were once free, it should never be charged for. All prices are is a reflection of supply and demand. The $12 price is no less a reflection of that than the $4 price. You simply think it's "unfair" because temporarily paying more money feels like its wrong.
And beyond all that, wishing death on someone for increasing prices when you know absolutely nothing about their motives or situation? Come on.
The demand curve for sandwiches has shifted right. In response, it is actually best for the sandwich shop owner to raise prices. In this case, the sandwiches would go to the people who actually value them most - i.e., the people who are willing to pay the most money. If the prices of sandwiches was fixed at $4, the supply would evaporate extremely fast, and all the sandwiches would simply go to the people who first got there. That's not an ideal scenario. It's the same with concerts or sports events. You've probably ended up without a ticket to something you wanted to go to because the price was artificially low, you were a bit too late to buy them, and meanwhile they're going for twice face value on stubhub.
Ever consider that maybe it's simply not worth the time of the sandwich shop owner to open up right now unless he can charge $12? Maybe his time is better served fixing his house right now if all he can charge is $4. In that case, no one gets a sandwich. Is that a better scenario?
People who bash price gouging are kind of amusing, because it's almost as if they'd rather the transaction never take place than stomach the idea that they're paying more money than they "should".
People also have an odd idea that because the price of something is $X one day, it should automatically be $X tomorrow. Or if something were once free, it should never be charged for. All prices are is a reflection of supply and demand. The $12 price is no less a reflection of that than the $4 price. You simply think it's "unfair" because temporarily paying more money feels like its wrong.
And beyond all that, wishing death on someone for increasing prices when you know absolutely nothing about their motives or situation? Come on.
Having witnessed these price gouging actions first hand, your post makes me angry beyond belief and if you truly believe this you should meet me down here this weekend and I'll give you a tour of area free of charge.
It's funny the people who aren't from the area are the most outspoken about it, defending insurance companies an price gouing and criticizing the home owners who lost everything. Guarantee you walk around the areas that got smacked the hardest and you won't have the same opinions.
Having witnessed these price gouging actions first hand, your post makes me angry beyond belief and if you truly believe this you should meet me down here this weekend and I'll give you a tour of area free of charge.
It's funny the people who aren't from the area are the most outspoken about it, defending insurance companies an price gouing and criticizing the home owners who lost everything. Guarantee you walk around the areas that got smacked the hardest and you won't have the same opinions.
Agreed. Having been from NJ and hung out with some of my "brothers" and other best friends...anyone needs all the help that they can get..
Its so bad down here. No one should take advantage of the people/area.
lol at anyone who believes there are altruistic reasons for price gouging. In isolated instances, yeah there can be mitigating circumstances. But most of the time, it's just plain greed...charge what you can get. It's the same reason the NHL keeps locking out, they can get away with it so everyone acts entitled to more, more and more without regard for anyone else.
There's a huge difference between gouging prices because you have a monopoly on the product (or the best/most popular product) and just taking advantage of a tragedy. There's almost no difference between gouging and looting in this circumstance.
The demand curve for sandwiches has shifted right. In response, it is actually best for the sandwich shop owner to raise prices. In this case, the sandwiches would go to the people who actually value them most - i.e., the people who are willing to pay the most money. If the prices of sandwiches was fixed at $4, the supply would evaporate extremely fast, and all the sandwiches would simply go to the people who first got there. That's not an ideal scenario.
So it's ideal that one store should make huge profit since by blind luck they didn't lose power, while another store should go out of business cause they did? Please, if you believe price gouging is 'neccesary' even half of the time I have an underwater bridge to sell you.
So it's ideal that one store should make huge profit since by blind luck they didn't lose power, while another store should go out of business cause they did? Please, if you believe price gouging is 'neccesary' even half of the time I have an underwater bridge to sell you.
Not to step on any toes here, but price gouging does serve a purpose sometimes. It allocates the product in an efficient way (queuing is not a very efficient way of allocation...it's first come first serve, and in a lot of cases people who don't make it in time are left out int he cold). I'm not sure if there is a rationing mechanism to the gas (you're only allowed to fill up a defined amount of canisters), in which case price gouging doesn't really serve as an allocative purpose and is purely exploitative.
But rising prices can be an effective means in incentivizing people to only take as much as they really need.
Saugus also has a good point. Very likely that shipping costs have increased.
Efficient method of allocation? That's a very euphemistic way of saying that it screws the poor folks into paying more than they can afford or going without, which is no choice at all for a necessity like gas. The people who are rich enough to not worry about the price hike anyway aren't going to take less just because of the price being higher, incentives and disincentives disappear into meaninglessness when the demand spikes like this.
Price controls and rationing measures are put in place after severe disasters for a reason, because the price hikes that happen are almost always exploitative and not a true measure of the worth of the product based on the demand.
As I said previously, the only reason the gas prices should be going up in a situation like this is if the station owner has been gouged just as badly by his supplier and needs to pass some of the increase on to his customers in order to keep some profit margin. Anything else is pure greed.
