Opinion: Why price gouging during disasters is illegal and unethical
Elizabeth Brake
FacebookTwitterEmail
Kathy McClure grabs some bread on a near-empty shelf at Arlen s Market in Galveston on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021. McClure has been out of power since Sunday morning.Elizabeth Conley, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer
As a scholar who has researched disaster ethics, I know this is not uncommon in such circumstances. It follows a pattern: Disaster creates a scarcity of basic necessities; retailers and providers respond by sharply raising the price tags on sought-after commodities.
Then comes public outrage and claims of price gouging a practice deemed illegal in 36 U.S. states, including Texas, in times of disaster.