“Gouging” .
Fuck That. Pricing for motel rooms has ALWAYS been a market based thing. Trust me, much of the time the property makes very little profit as a motel during the week. Weekend pricing/special event pricing is ALWAYS higher
Gasoline? Ever notice that that pricing varies weekend to weekday and then is even higher on special holidays? Labor day? Memorial day? Independence day? Yep, Market Based Pricing.
Same with some food items.
Same with….surprise! Plywood in an area about to be impacted by a hurricane.
Snow shovels after a blizzard.
No discounts on generators after an ice storm.
But folks are angry because some dude is selling his hotel rooms, in an area where folks are willing to pay a LOT right now for a dry bed and a hot shower, for a higher price. Don’t wanna pay $300 per night for that dry bed and a private room to shower in? Don’t. No one is forcing you to do so. You can stay in a shelter with other displaced folks and be treated like cattle FOR FREE… I will bet that the dude is having to clean rooms himself or pay (or house and feed his staff and their families ) a lot to get staff to clean rooms and operate his motel for those guests.
Or the guy who owns a gas station has decided that his gas is worth $10/gallon. He’s likely having issues with his staff ’cause they are flooded too….But he is open. Hey, it is his gas. Don’t like the price? Don’t buy it.
Bottled water for $75 per case? Go find your own clean drinking water. You could have stockpiled a couple of cases that would be fine (and cheaper) if you’d bother to prep a bit ahead. The store owner has it, and it is his to sell at whatever price he chooses to sell it for. Don’t like the price? Buy it somewhere else. Or next time, learn from this lesson and stock a few cases of water at your home. (Or buy a Berkey water filter so you can purify your own).
Either way, if you need it (or want it, in the case of a motel room or gasoline), and someone has it, then you can either pay their price or choose not to. If their price is too high, then no one will purchase it, and they will have to lower it. IF someone will pay it, then that is the market price. When I own something it is I who chooses at what price to sell it. Not the buyer, and certainly not the Government.
Complaining about “gouging” is just whining because you were too fucking stupid to prep or plan properly.