New York officials work to curtail price gouging
<p> <span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="wake">wake</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Superstorm">Superstorm</span> <span word="Sandy">Sandy</span>, <span word="consumers">consumers</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="complaining">complaining</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="having">having</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="pay">pay</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="services">services</span> <span word="than">than</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="normally">normally</span>. <span word="The">The</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="State">State</span> <span word="Attorney">Attorney</span> <span word="General">General</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="office">office</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="investigating">investigating</span> <span word="accusations">accusations</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="gouging">gouging</span>. <span word="State">State</span> <span word="officials">officials</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="highlighting">highlighting</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="deter">deter</span> <span word="gougers">gougers</span> <span word="from">from</span> <span word="preying">preying</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="victims">victims</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="storm">storm</span>.</p><p>“<span word="This">This</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="different">different</span> <span word="day">day</span>, <span word="my">my</span> <span word="friend">friend</span>.” <span word="That">That</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="cab">cab</span> <span word="driver">driver</span> <span word="recently">recently</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="reporter">reporter</span> <span word="protested">protested</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="attempt">attempt</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="charge">charge</span> $30 <span word="for">for</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="usually">usually</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="a">a</span> $10 <span word="ride">ride</span>.</p><p><span word="A">A</span> <span word="spike">spike</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="demand">demand</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="taxis">taxis</span>, <span word="generators">generators</span>, <span word="batteries">batteries</span>, <span word="hotel">hotel</span> <span word="rooms">rooms</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="gasoline">gasoline</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="after">after</span> <span word="last">last</span> <span word="week">week</span>'<span word="s">s</span> <span word="storm">storm</span> <span word="prompted">prompted</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="vendors">vendors</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="charge">charge</span> <span word="exorbitant">exorbitant</span> <span word="prices">prices</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="goods">goods</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="services">services</span>.</p><p><span word="Al">Al</span> <span word="Ridolfo">Ridolfo</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="hotel">hotel</span> <span word="manager">manager</span>, <span word="says">says</span> <span word="some">some</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="his">his</span> <span word="competitors">competitors</span> <span word="charged">charged</span> $800 <span word="for">for</span> <span word="a">a</span> $300 <span word="room">room</span>. <span word="And">And</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="paid">paid</span> $25 <span word="for">for</span> <span word="an">an</span> $8 <span word="set">set</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="radio">radio</span> <span word="batteries">batteries</span>.</p><p>“<span word="There">There</span> <span word="are">are</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="these">these</span> <span word="few">few</span> <span word="businesses">businesses</span>. <span word="They">They</span> <span word="see">see</span> <span word="money">money</span>, <span word="their">their</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span> <span word="go">go</span> <span word="wild">wild</span> - <span word="dollar">dollar</span> <span word="signs">signs</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="eyes">eyes</span>," <span word="he">he</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="And">And</span> <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="really">really</span> <span word="bad">bad</span>. <span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="city">city</span>; <span word="it">it</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="bad">bad</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="businesses">businesses</span>”</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="attorney">attorney</span> <span word="general">general</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="several">several</span> <span word="hundred">hundred</span> <span word="cases">cases</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="price">price</span> <span word="gouging">gouging</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="since">since</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="storm">storm</span> <span word="hit">hit</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="state">state</span>, <span word="which">which</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="total">total</span> <span word="population">population</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 19 <span word="million">million</span> <span word="people">people</span>.</p><p><span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="professor">professor</span> <span word="Eleanor">Eleanor</span> <span word="Fox">Fox</span> <span word="says">says</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="small">small</span> <span word="percentage">percentage</span>. <span word="Prosecutors">Prosecutors</span> <span word="intend">intend</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="keep">keep</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="way">way</span>.</p><p>“<span word="In">In</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="extreme">extreme</span> <span word="cases">cases</span>, <span word="where">where</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="law">law</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="what">what</span> <span word="was">was</span> <span word="done">done</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="you">you</span> <span word="know">know</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="will">will</span> <span word="probably">probably</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="settle">settle</span>," <span word="she">she</span> <span word="said">said</span>. "<span word="So">So</span>, <span word="assume">assume</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="person">person</span> <span word="settles">settles</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="attorney">attorney</span> <span word="general">general</span> <span word="would">would</span> <span word="want">want</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="issue">issue</span> <span word="press">press</span> <span word="releases">releases</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="make">make</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="very">very</span> <span word="big">big</span> <span word="deal">deal</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="fact">fact</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="happening">happening</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="it">it</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>.”</p>
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