Throw the book and paper towel roll at SC businesses using coronavirus to price gouge

Beyond the obvious concern about the threat to our physical health, aren’t we all becoming completely drained by the mental challenge of having the coronavirus cloud hanging over our heads each day?

The feeling of “Oh, man, now what’s going on?” whenever they announce that Gov. Henry McMaster is about to have a press conference.

The feeling of having one comforting slice of daily routine after another — from working out in a gym to taking kids to school — gradually if understandably taken away.

The feeling of edgy resignation when you walk into a grocery store and see everything from bathroom tissue to bottled water — come on now, bottled water?! — stripped from the shelves.

At best life is just not very comfortable right now.

And the last thing we need is to have a bunch of opportunistic parasites around our state who want to unscrupulously profit from our extreme discomfort.

That’s why I want the state Office of the Attorney General and local law enforcement agencies to go hard after any business operator across South Carolina who’s found to be engaging in price gouging.

To me, they shouldn’t just throw the book at these exploitative, greedy leeches.

They should also feel free to throw:

▪ The package of toilet paper.

▪ The two-pack of paper towels.

▪ The tube of hand sanitizer.

▪ The bottle of isopropyl alcohol.

▪ Any other item that’s been ridiculously difficult to find lately thanks to the selfish, mindless panic buying that was allowed to go on way too long before supermarkets finally put purchase limits on stuff.

Really.

Throw it all at ‘em!

According to the latest figures, 98 complaints of price gouging have been filed with South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson’s office since our state began feeling the impact of the coronavirus crisis.

Most of the complaints have been about stores charging higher prices for toilet paper and various sanitizer products — and lot of them are just cases where the cost for an item jumped from say, $1.69 to $2.69.

Now is that a curiously abrupt price increase for a store item that’s suddenly in high demand?

Yes, and you’ll never convince me otherwise.

But is it price gouging? No, that’s a stretch.

However, attorney general spokesman Robert Kittle does say that the office has received a complaint that a store somewhere in the state was selling a one-liter bottle of hand sanitizer for $90.

(Ninety dollars?!)

And Kittle hasn’t ruled out the possibility that a number of complaints will be eventually sent to local law enforcement department for potential prosecution.

Now what’s the punishment for price gouging in this state?

It’s a misdemeanor offense that could led to a $1,000 fine.

Or up to 30 days in jail.

Or both.

Well, I’m down for making it “both.”

I want both for any merchant in this state who is viewing the coronavirus crisis as a prime opportunity to exploit fellow South Carolinians rather than a perfect one to show common decency.

They deserve to pay a high price for stooping that low during a time that’s this unsettling.

Make ‘em pay it.

Opinion Editor Roger Brown can be reached at (803) 771-8464 or by email at rjbrown@thestate.com. Follow him on Twitter@ RBrown_SCOpin.

This story was originally published March 20, 2020 at 6:21 AM.