According to reporting by AZ Central, police and fire departments throughout the cities and towns in Maricopa County have been “waiting for days on N95 face masks and other protective gear.”
While the wait is unbearable, what is potentially criminal is that the vendor supplying these masks and protective gear, called Galls, has reportedly marked the price of these items 500 percent.
Arizona House Representatives Ruben Gallego and Greg Stanton have sent a letter to the Attorney General and Federal Trade Commission Office to protest Gall’s price gouging and call for a criminal investigation into the matter.
In the letter, shared by television journalist and commentator Brahm Resnik on social media, the Representatives wrote:
“……We have learned that a vendor who regularly supplies the City of Phoenix Fire and Police Departments with life-saving medical supplies is attempting to charge the city nearly 600 percent more per N95 mask than the city was charged for the same equipment as recently as two weeks ago. This is price gouging, plain and simple, and we respectfully request the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission open investigations immediately. In addition, this vendor is requiring significant pre-payment for the masks rather than the standard practice of billing upon receipt which leaves our first responders at further risk – and unable to turn to a different vendor – if the equipment is not delivered on time…. We understand that some departments are days or weeks away from running out of much-needed personal protective equipment. Profiting from the coronavirus pandemic – especially in a manner that places our first responders in harm’s way – is morally indefensible, and we commend the President for recently issuing an Executive Order to combat price gouging. We respectfully encourage your prompt attention to this matter and for your agencies to deliver justice for our first responder.”
There Should be a Special Place in Hell for People who Price Gouge during a Pandemic.
The first responders are the people who risk their lives to save others every day.
No one should take advantage of them or the people they serve during a public health emergency.
The people who are perpetrating this scam on the people of Arizona belong in prison.
The 2016 Popular Vote Loser bears some responsibility for this as well.
While Mr. Trump has issued the Executive Order to combat price gouging, this behavior, along with other vendors launching a, what New York Governor Andrew Cuomo calls an “E Bay” bidding war among states in need, would not be occurring if the President of the United States fully invoked the Defense Production Act.
He should have formalized that weeks ago and it needs to be done without delay.
The American People should not be at the mercy of avaricious war profiteers.
They will remember who allowed it if nothing is done in 216 days.
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Posted this comment at TW’s The Range. Seems pretty apt here:
In March 1941 the Truman Committee was formed to investigate the National Defense Program in order to find & fix problems in our war production such as waste, inefficiency and above all war profiteering. Truman’s success in this led to his selection as FDR’s 1944 running mate.
Now we have blatant profiteering in the War on the COVID-19. At least I think it’s a war as Trump is proclaiming he’s now a War President.
How far we’ve fallen! How much further will the national descent be?
That was back in olden times, when businesses used to feel a sense of responsibility to the community, and we were fighting Nazi’s, so there was some actual patriotism involved.
Now businesses infested the government organizations that should be watching them and there are Nazi’s running the White House.
Joe Biden wrote and editorial back in January about Trump not being ready for a pandemic.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/01/27/coronavirus-donald-trump-made-us-less-prepared-joe-biden-column/4581710002/
While I think we all agree that price gouging is unethical I have been wondering about whether the opposite is also unethical. I’m referring to the practice of trying to get a lower price because you know the vendor has an excess supply or availability to perform a task. I’d like to see some discussion.
Isn’t that just normal supply and demand?
The price gouging we’re seeing now is due to the pandemic and not part of normal business, and it’s detrimental to everyone on earth.
“supply and demand”— Yes. “normal”—Probably not. My problem is that the COVID-19 pandemic has reduced demand for some services and I’m uneasy about using that reduced demand to negotiate a lower price. After all, aren’t the price gougers using increased demand to negotiate a higher price? My dilemma is in trying to think one is unethical while the other is not.
Oh, I missed the context.
Someone being predatory during a pandemic by taking advantage of the situation to exploit others for cheaper prices on goods and/or labor.
Yes, those people are slime, too.
Lawrence O’Donnell on MSNBC had a story about an 11 year old girl who loves to sew and has made over 800 face masks.
Another reminder that the children deserve so much better than what they will inherit.
https://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word/watch/4th-grader-sews-masks-for-health-care-workers-battling-coronavirus-pandemic-in-boston-community-81521733566
What is the difference between a looter and these price gouging scumbags?
None. There is no difference.
Actually, a looter is more likely to need what they steal, so price gouging scumbags are worse.
I am reminded of what conservatives say we should do to looters.