Misery Index

Examples of cuts:

• Public health programs: At least 14 states have implemented or are considering cuts that will affect low-income children’s or families’ eligibility for health insurance or reduce their access to health care services.  For example, Rhode Island has eliminated health coverage for 1,000 low-income parents, and New Jersey has cut funds for charity care in hospitals.  In Tennessee, an estimated 30,000 to 40,000 seriously ill people are expected to lose hospitalization and other medical services provided through TennCare.

• Programs for the elderly and disabled:  At least 11 states are cutting medical, rehabilitative, home care, or other services needed by low-income people who are elderly or have disabilities, or significantly increasing the cost of these services.  For example, Florida has frozen reimbursements to nursing homes and relaxed staffing standards and Rhode Island is requiring low-income elderly people to pay more for adult daycare.  Tennessee has reduced community-based services for people who are mentally retarded.

• K-12 education:  At least 13 states are cutting or proposing to cut K-12 and early education; For example: Florida cut school aid by an estimated $130 per pupil, Nevada eliminated funds for gifted and talented programs, and Rhode Island is eliminating early education funding for 550 children.

• Children's Services:  Illinois has reduced funding for child welfare, mental health, youth services and other programs.

• Colleges and universities: At least 17 states have implemented or proposed cuts to public colleges and universities.  For example, Alabama, Kentucky, and Virginia have all cut university budgets and/or community-college funding, resulting in tuition increases of 5 percent to 14 percent.

• State workforce: At least 19 states have proposed or implemented reductions to their state workforce.  New Jersey is reducing its workforce by 2,000 employees through early retirement, lay-offs and attrition.  In Tennessee, the governor announced the elimination of over 2,000 state positions - about 5 percent of the state workforce.  Some 1,500 employees accepted buy-outs for early retirement.  In Kentucky, the public defender will eliminate 10 percent of positions (54 positions) and decline certain types of cases including family court cases, probation and parole revocations and some types of involuntary commitments and misdemeanors; hiring freezes have been instituted in Arizona, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Minnesota,  New Hampshire, Virginia and Washington.

• Raising Taxes and "Sin" Tax:  New York has enacted tax and fee increases.  Large liquor retailers in New Hampshire, will pay more in state taxes along with a tobacco tax increase.  Several states, including Maine, Oklahoma, Rhode Island and Vermont, changed their tax codes to avoid revenue loss that would otherwise have occurred due to the federal economic stimulus legislation enacted earlier this year.

• Various:  New Mexico was forced to put off a $500 million bond sale.  Massachusetts had to pull the plug halfway into a $400 million offering.  Maine is considering canceling road projects that were to be funded with bonds.  South Carolina Governor Sanford said legislators shouldn't be paid to return to Columbia to fix a state budget shortfall because they created the problem, saving taxpayers $50K daily.

In order of budget gap (as a % of the total budget), from lowest to highest of the worst.  (NOTE:  The unemployment rates are the most current state rates available, being August 2008 published on September 16, 2008.  The national unemployment for September, 2008 was 6.1%):

Rhode Island

Budget Gap:  31.1%
Gap:  $430 Million
August Unemployment Rate:  8.8%

Proposed cuts to the public college system and aid for municipalities, as well as tighter limits on welfare benefits are planned.  The state has reduced the maximum income level at which parents can receive public health insurance from 185 percent of the federal poverty line to 175 percent.  This will eliminate coverage for approximately 1,000 parents.  More than 7,800 low-income families will also have to pay higher monthly premiums for public health insurance.

Low-income elderly people now must pay higher rates for subsidized adult daycare.  This is estimated to affect more than 1,200 people with incomes below $20,000.

State aid has been frozen for K-12 education at last year's levels in nominal terms and reduced the number of children who can be served by Head Start and similar services by more than 550.

Fund have been cut for affordable housing, eliminated health insurance for home-based child care providers, restricted TANF cash assistance for children, reduced health insurance for retired state workers and cut support to localities by $10 million.

A reduction in the state workforce by 2,000 or more employees via encouraging early retirement, but has announced that it will lay off workers if needed.

A tax credit for foreign taxes paid was eliminated, a tax credit for motion picture production was capped, a moratorium on new projects qualifying for the historic structure tax credit was placed, and fees were increased.

Connecticut

Budget Gap:  2.6%
Gap:  $450 Million
August Unemployment Rate:  6.4%

In Connecticut, home to many Wall Street employees, the state budget hole has more than doubled in a month to $300 million and now to $450 million.  The governor has ordered budget cuts to programs that help prevent child abuse and provide legal services for foster children.  There is currently a freeze on hiring.

Alabama

Budget Gap:  9.5%
Gap:  $784 MIllion
August Unemployment Rate:  5.3%

Alabama closed some corporate tax loopholes, and made cuts to colleges and universities.  The Department of Human Resources has announced it will end in August home-makers services of approximately 1,100 older adults.  These services often allow people to stay in their own homes and avoid nursing homes.

Minnesota

Budget Gap:  5.4%
Gap:  $935 Million
August Unemployment Rate:  5.8%

Policymakers capped enrollment at current levels for a program that provides expanded health services and care coordination for people with disabilities.

There is currently a freeze on hiring.

Maryland

Budget Gap:  7.2%
Gap:  $1.1 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  4.5%

Maryland enacted a $1.35 billion tax increase in late 2007, which along with $277 million in budget cuts, is designed to help address the state's deficit.  However, due to the declining economy an additional gap of $270 million has occurred.  This is likely to be addressed by further spending cuts.

Nevada

Budget Gap:  16%
Gap:  $1.2 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  6.9%

Nevada has the worst foreclosure rate in the nation and its economy has slowed dramatically this year.  Nevada has no state income and derives its income from sales tax and casino tax.  Since people do not have the amount of "extra" money to use on vacations, and since Reno, Las Vegas and most of the rest of the state lives of tourism, income has drastically declined.  The governor capped the state's children's health program and increased children's health-care premiums, and cut funding for K-12 education, higher education and welfare.

The governor has capped the State Children's Health Insurance Program at its approximate current number of enrollees and increased the premiums that families must pay.  As a result, many applicants will be denied coverage, even though the economy is weakening and need consequently is rising.  Health services for some pregnant women have also been eliminated.

The welfare agency will make it harder for low-income families to receive cash assistance and health insurance, for instance by increasing the amount of time before which some families that have lost benefits may reapply.

The governor has ordered various cuts to K-12 education, including delaying an all-day kindergarten expansion, cutting per pupil expenditures by $400 in a pilot program, eliminating funds for gifted and talented programs, eliminating funds for a magnet program for students who are deaf or hard of hearing, and made across-the-board cuts.

Massachusetts

Budget Gap:  4.3 - 4.5%
Gap:  $1.2 - $1.3 billion
August Unemployment Rate:  5.1%

Whenver Administration and Finance (A&F) determines that revenues will be "insufficient to meet all fo the expenditures authorized to be made from any fund, whether by appropriation or distribution," the commissioner must notify the governor and the House and Senate committees on Ways and Means, in writing, and certify the amount of the "probably deficiency."  The governor must act within 15 days of receiving notification.

Governor Patrick is preparing to make budget cuts using the emergency powers granted to him under his section "9C" which refers to a section of the MA General Laws - Chapter 29 - that governs state finances.  Section 9C deals specifically with revenue deficiencies, and what steps the executive branch should take to ensure a balanced budget.

There are some restrictions to the 9C and use, for example, the governor cannot renege on contractual obligations, nor can he cut accounts governing pensions or Medicaid.

Ohio

Budget Gap:  4.5%
Gap:  $1.3 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  7.1%

Ohio plans to close two mental health facilities.

The governor has announced plans to eliminate as many as 2,700 positions, about 4.5 percent of the state workforce.  The reductions will be achieved through a combination of early retirements, lay-offs, and unfilled vacancies.

Georgia

Budget Gap:  8.7%
Gap:  $1.8 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  6.4%

The governor has asked state agencies to cut 4% to make up an expected shortfall in the $21 billion budget for the coming fiscal year. 

The Governor has withheld funds from the Homeowners Tax Relief Grant which passes state money to counties sot hat they can provide property tax credits to homeowners, thus casing localities to roll back the credits, or fund them from their own resources.

Six out of seven state run parks lodges are money losers, according to the state.  Toilets at the Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Centers have been closed due to budget cuts and portable toilets are put in place.  The park doesn't have the money from the state to fix a sewage problem in the bathrooms.  Hours are being reduced at many parks.  One of every eight jobs at state parks remains vacant.  Half a dozen parks and historic sites have been closed for two to four days a week, as fewer staff cover more than one property. 

At Fort Yargo State Park there are only two "badges" on the 1,814 acre park who carry guns, write traffic tickets, and answer the calls for 3am unruly campers.  How they control costs is by leaving one position vacant, and reducing the number of times they patrol the campgrounds.

Arizona

Budget Gap:  19.9%
Gap:  $2 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  5.8%

The state reduced the Medicade rolls by increasing the frequency with which some adult recipients must reapply for benefits.  Arizona has also cut funding for community health centers and state universities along with vaccines.  They have also put a freeze on hiring.

Eliminated was temporary health insurance for people with disabilities coping with serious medical problems.

New Jersey

Budget Gap:  7.7%
Gap:  $2.5 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  5.7%

The state legislature passed a $32.8 billion budget that is $600 million less than last year's budget.  New Jersey plans to trim the budget by offering early-retirement incentives for state employees through attrition, or a reduction in number by 2,000 by leaving vacancies and laying off staff.

Property tax rebates for households with incomes over $150,000 are eliminated and reduced for others.  A public utility tax that was scheduled to end in 2010 has been extended to 2013.  A renters' credit for families with incomes under $50,000, previously worth $200 or more per family, has been cut to a maximum $80 per family for non-elderly, non-disabled renters.

Florida

Budget Gap:  19.9%
Gap:  $5.1 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  6.8%

Florida also has no state income tax.  The $66 billion Florida budget for the coming year is about $6 billion less than the one approved the previous year.  It includes a $332 million reduction in public school spending and cuts to state hospitals, nursing homes, and various social programs.

Aid has been cut to local school districts for the current  year by $130 per pupil.

Nursing homes and other providers will not get scheduled cost-of-living adjustments in their reimbursements and staffing standards will be relaxed for one year in the expectation that the freeze would result in staffing cuts.  Medicade reimbursements to hospitals and community based services for the elderly, such as meals and homemaker services, have also been cut.

New York

Budget Gap:  9.8%
Gap:  $5.5 Billion
August Unemployment Rate:  5.6% (NY State), 5.9% (NYC)

Governor Patterson said the state could face an "economic blood bath" as the budget hold continued to worsen.  "We are in a very serious economic crisis.  There's no way to sugarcoat it," he said in a public meeting last Friday.

The state made cuts to the health insurance program for low-income families, and enacted tax and fee increases.  There is a hiring freeze and further agency reductions of 7 percent, in addition to a 3.35 percent reduction in spending in April.

The budget raises approximately $1.5 billion in revenue through a variety of measures including closing tax loopholes, delaying tax credits, raising cigarette taxes, requiring collection of taxes for more on-line purchases, and increasing various fees.

Paterson said that he will also seek some $2 billion worth of cuts, because of his fears that the state's taxpayers will continue to decline.  And he said he was taking the steps to try to hold off a downgrade in the states credit rating.

California

Budget Gap:  22%
Gap:  $22.2 Billion + $250 million court ordered
August Unemployment Rate:  7.6%

As of today, California sits $1 billion in the red.  Governor Arnie sent a letter  (PDF) last week warning Paulson, the Secretary of the Treasury, this week that the great state of California "might" need to borrow $7 Billion from the Feds, if credit market's don't ease and banks don't start loaning money again, to pay for salaries and other operating costs.    The money needs to be in the state's bank account by October 28th to be able to fund a scheduled $3 billion payment to more than 1,000 school districts.  The state was also thinking about planning a $7 billion bond sale.

The state did however, enact a budget that imposed cuts to the state's health insurance program for the poor and other social service programs.

There is currently a freeze on hiring.

They also reduced the State Children's Health Insurance Program, increasing co-payments and reductions in dental services.  The state will also require more frequent eligibility determinations for Medi-Cal recipients and is cutting payments to health care providers significantly through February of next year.

Cost-of-living adjustments are suspended to cash assistance programs for low-income families and cutting child care subsidies.

Revenues will be increased in the current fiscal year by limiting certain business tax credits and suspending corporate "net operating loss deductions."  Other revenue increases in the current year will come from accelerating tax withholding.

And if all that isn't enough, U.S. District Court Judge Thelton Henderson on Wednesday ordered the state to prepare to turn over $250 million to the federal receiver charged with improving health care in the state's prisons.  Altogether, the receiver is seeking $8 billion.

States Budget Gaps:

FEDERAL BUDGET

If you would like to see what your state receives from the Federal Government, head on over to the White House website for Fiscal Year 2009, State by State, Federal Budget.

RANT ON

So, States are considering going to the Feds for help, with California officially saying that "might" need help.  Now, we've already seen bailouts of banks and various financial institutions, that "officially" are to the tune of $700 Million, but have been estimated to be more than $1.8 Billion by the time it's done and over with.  So how long do you think all this money from the Feds is going to last?  I mean if the states are suffering from lower income tax, isn't the Federal Government going to suffer from the same? - RANT OFF.

SOURCES

• BusinessWeek
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• U.S. Department of Labor
• L.A. Times
• Wall Street Journal
• San Jose Mercury News
• Daily News Transcript
• Maiden Observer
• Atlanta Journal Constitution
• WABC-TV, New York, NY
• Forbes

Sorry, but this article is just crap.  I think the bigger picture should be looked at.  Why are our banks failing?  Why are regions not able to get fuel because of a hurricane from over two weeks ago!?  And what about those that price gouged the cost of fuel.  NINE DOLLARS A GALLON FOR FUEL?  Or what about only being limited to 10 gallons of fuel?  Seriously, how far these days does 10 gallons of fuel last when you're stuck on a freeway in rush hour traffic?  Instead, we are all just crazy trying to make sure to take care of our own. 

As the captain said to the rats "All is well... all is well...." when the boat was sinking and the captain was heading to the lifeboats.

Sour economy tied to psychology that fed gas panic

September 28, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)

As anxiety on Wall Street led banks and other investors to hoard cash last week, a different kind of market fear gripped cities across the Southeast.

A hurricane-related disruption in gasoline supplies prompted jittery drivers from Atlanta to Nashville to top off their fuel tanks more than usual, causing sporadic shortages and temporary shutdowns of stations.  These closures only magnified the problem, of course, leading to more shortages, which sent local prices skyrocketing.

"It's a wonder people didn't go out and empty all of the grocery store shelves, too," said Larry Lamb, of Nashville.  "All you need to do when something like this happens is just calm down."

Perhaps - in hindsight - that is the sensible thing to do.

But economists and other experts say individuals - not just Americans - are hard-wired to respond quickly when they are scared, and in a way that is not always in their own, or their neighbors', best interests.

Dennis Jacobe, chief economist for Gallup Inc., said an emotional response is quite normal when expectations - such as gas being available or the safety of a money-market fund - suddenly are called into question.

"When those basic assumptions of your daily life are violated, it sends you a shock and you do get emotional, irrational reactions," Jacobe said.  "That means panic."

Lars Perner, an assistant professor of clinical marketing at the University of Southern California, said the combination of worries about the economy and gasoline supplies may have exacerbated motorists' reactions.

"Once you get into that kind of negative thinking, you often have a vicious cycle going on," Perner said.  "You get into sort of a protective instinct that comes out - and you go and fill up."

This protective instinct is what drove pension funds, corporations and other institutional investors to make large-scale withdrawals from U.S. money-market mutual funds earlier this month, jeopardizing the nearly $3.4 trillion industry - until the government stepped in to prop it up.

That run was prompted after Reserve Primary Fund, the nation's oldest money-market fund, suffered a setback that had occurred just once before in the industry's nearly four-decades-long history:  Its underlying assets fell to 97 cents for each investor dollar put in, a phenomenon the industry calls, "breaking the buck."

Peter Rizzo, senior director at ratings firm Standard & Poor's, said many of the money funds hit by a rush of redemptions had investments tied to financial sector firms that had far healthier balance sheets than Lehman Brothers and other fallen financial firms.  But investors pulled out from the funds anyway, he said.

"What made things worse was people panicking and pulling out money quickly, and forcing fund managers to sell quickly at losses," Rizzo said.

"If you yell 'fire' in a theater," he added, "people will run."

Authorities promised to be vigilant for price gouging during the gas shortage, but costs sill shot up by an average of about 50 cents in a matter of days to more than $4 per gallon around Nashville and Atlanta.  The current national average is about $3.68, according to the AAA auto club.

The runs on gasoline and money-market funds aren't the only recent examples of fear-induced economic behavior.

The U.S. Mint was forced last week to suspend sales of its popular American Buffalo 24-karat gold coins because it couldn't keep up with investors' soaring demand for commodities and other asset classes deemed to be safe.

And earlier this year, customers stockpiles imported Thai jasmine, Indian basmati and long grain white rice in response to soaring prices.  That caused the country's two biggest warehouse chains, which cater heavily to small businesses like restaurants, to impose limits on bulk purchases.

Although with fuel situation has eased somewhat, the short supply in the Southeast continued into the weekend despite rising fuel production at refineries that had been shut down by hurricane Gustav and Ike, and government officials' attempts to assure drivers that there is enough gasoline for everyone - just not enough for everyone to be riding on a full tank at all times.

"People are freaking out," said landscaper Dennis McDonald, 50, after waiting to pump 10 gallons of gas into his pickup in Woodstock, GA.

Robert Prechter, a market forecaster and president of The Socionomics Institute of Gainsesville, Ga., said in an e-mail that the response in Nashville and other cities to even temporary shortages of gasoline should have been expected.

"Topping off is simply a rational reaction to disrupted supplies," he said.  "So it is incorrect to charge everyday people with thoughtless herding in this case."

_______________

Associated Press Writers Rose French in Nashville, Greg Bluestein in Woodstock, Ga., and Mark Jewell in Boston contributed to this report.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA Clear back on September 4th, the EPA waived clean air requirements for Georgia fuel.  Then on September 11th, an additional waver was issued allowing Georgia and eight other SE states to begin selling "winter transition fuel" earlier than usual. On September 15, a wavier was issued allowing fuel trucks more hours to deliver fuel and to carry larger loads of fuel to gas stations across the state.

September 22, 2008 Tuesday
Another waver was grated on clean fuel requirements through October 12.

On Tuesday afternoon at a 20-pump QuickTrip station just north of Atlanta, the lines were about 40 cars deep.  It was the only spot in the area with gas to sell, and police said they had been called in often to referee spats over cutting in line.

Wednesday
In Cobb County, motorists waited on a gas truck.  David Craig work up early to look for a way to fill his tank before work.  "Trying to get to Stone Mountain for a job, and we're already two hours late," he said.  But he ended up sitting in line at a station where the pumps never turned on.  "We waited an hour there and we seen this tanker here so we came here and waited a half hour.  Now we finally have gas, so I've been going through this since about five this morning," Craig added.

Saturday
At a Shell gasoline station this Saturday morning in Atlanta's Midtown district, about 25 drivers waited for a chance to pump what's become a rare commodity.  The line clogged a side street, causing backups on Peachtree, the city's main thoroughfare.

"We got about 12 or 13 cars outside right now," said Randy Akins, assistant manager of the Shell station on Peachtree Street.  "It's crazy.  It's been like this since 6 a.m.  We'll probably be out by lunchtime at this rate.  I don't know when we're going to get more."

When desperate motorists do find gas stations with fuel they are often forced to wait in long, slow moving lines.  Many have waited so long, that their tanks go dry before they can get to a pump.  One driver at a QuickTrip gas station on Cobb Parkway in Cobb County said he waited for 45 minutes and ran out of gas while in line.

QuickTrip Corp., which runs more than 111 gasoline stations in the Atlanta area, said it shut down fuel pumps at about half its stores and is struggling to keep fuel flowing at those it's keeping on.  Company spokesman Mike Thornburgh said "Don't ask me for a projection [of when fuel is available] because I don't know.  We're scrambling just to try to find fuel."

Plastic grocery bags covered the handles of gas pumps today at some stations in Gwinnett County, northeast of Atlanta.  The overhead sign at QuickTrip in Norcross, Georgia, had blank squares where the price usually hangs.

Another QuickTrip, about two miles away off Interstate 85, was jammed with cars trying to squeeze into lines at pumps that were each at least two deep with drivers waiting to fill up.  There was no premium or mid-grade gas, only regular unleaded.  Tractor trailers were three deep waiting for diesel on the back side of the station.

Meanwhile, the state of Georgia has subpoenaed sales records from 130 gas stations after complaints of price gouging.  One station charged nearly $9 a gallon for regular.

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE Governor Phil Bredesen said Friday afternoon that the pipeline to Nashville, which had been full only sporadically since Hurricane Ike hit Texas, was running at top capacity.  But that did not seem to stop the run on gas over the weekend. Fuel supplies in Nashville are up to about 70 percent of capacity from 30 percent earlier this week, Randy Bly regional spokesman for AAA stated.

The Tennessee Petroleum Council said it could take another week or two before the supply returns to normal. 

While gas is in short supply, reports of gas theft are increasing.  On Thursday, Julie Pace was parked outside Governor's Square Mall in Clarksville she noticed someone underneath her vehicle.  The two men claimed they tried to fix a leak beneath her vehicle, but Clarksville police took them to jail for trying to steal gas.

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA Four out of five stations in Charlotte are empty, according to AAA.  Cities further north and closer to the coast supplemented their fuel supplies with shipments by barge, AAA said. Drivers camped out overnight in the hope that a shipment of gas would arrive at a station in Charlotte, NC, WSOC-TV reported.  Other drivers felt trapped at home, fearing that their

gas tanks would run dry on the way to or from work.  "This is it; I'm stuck," Shana Roseborough told WSOC.  "I can't go get my child, I can't go get my husband, I can't provide for my family.

The News & Observer of Raleigh reported that Alan Hirsch with Governor Mike Easley's office said the terminal in Spartainburg, S.C., that serves western North Carolina was being refilled Thursday.  Hirsch said the Charlotte terminal was expected to be refilled Friday.

On Friday night, in Northwest Meckelnburg known as "tank town", where oil from the gulf arrives by a pipeline, there were a lot of tankers filling up and heading out.  Even the Federal Motor Carriers Association allowed an "emergency declaration wavier of hours of service requirement" extension that lets truck drivers to work overtime delivering the fuel to the retail outlets.  However, it was reported that gas seemed harder to find than earlier in the day.

But Saturday morning, gas was still difficult to find in Charlotte, and when it was found, there were long lines.  Police had already responded to several gas stations to help with the traffic situation and resolve disputes between customers.  Even the WBTV's news team reported they were having trouble finding gas.  And one of their photographers had to diver to Mooresville to fill up.

Aaron Angel, finally found a station with gas after searching for the past two days.  Unfortunately, while he was in line, Angel ran out.  He had to get help from someone to push his car up the hill.

Another driver stated "I've been to four places, this was the shortest line.  I didn't quite make it.  And I'm stuck at Park Road Shopping Center."  He had to put gas in a 10-gallon can and take it to his car.

Tensions are still running high around the gas stations.  A look at some police reports shows reports of intimidation, assault and theft.  One driver got punched out.  Some stores have resorted to hiring private security to keep things in order.

"It's been pretty easy going and then I have stuff like this," said security guard Lofton as a man driving a Maserati cut in line in.  "That's not fair.  Everybody else has been waiting.  Just because you got a nice car don't jump in front of everybody."

And gas theft is up in Charlotte also.  "It's messed up the entire gas tank, and it's going to be $3,000 to replace," Faison Covington stated after a couple of men tried to steal gas out of Covington's car by punching a hole in the gas tank.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

City officials in Asheville have closed the civic center, parks and offices because of the gas shortage.

Police were also monitoring stations that do have gas after reports of fights at pumps between drivers accusing each other of cutting in line.  "It's been a nightmare for everybody," one driver, who found gas, told TV station WHNS.

At one gas station a driver stated that this was the fifth gas station they had been to looking for gas.  There was a purchase limit of 10 gallons.

Some gas station were planning to be closed on Sunday, to make sure there is gas at the start of the workweek.  "I can't catch up, and that's part of the reason we're closin' on Sunday is so that we can get to the point where it will take more than three hours to sell everything we have," a Kounty Line gas station manager stated.

FORT MILL TOWNSHIP, SOUTH CAROLINA

Fort Mill police were busy on Friday directing traffic around one of the few local gas station that has gas to sell.  Cars were lined up 15 to 20 deep around the pumps at PJ's Citgo on Spratt Street.  At around 3 p.m. workers at PJ's said they had about 900 gallons left.

At Love's truck stop on Sutton Road in Fort MIll, more than 30 cars and commercial 18-wheelers were stacked up at around 6:30a. 

In Indian Land, the Gate Petroleum station received a half-tanker of gas, workers there said.  The station typically receives a full tanker three times a day; one each in the morning and at midday and another in late evening.  The tanker quickly attracted customers, and the station was out of gas by 9 a.m.

John Walton at Cobblestone Creek Market and Texaco station in Indian Land said he's been out of gas since Tuesday.  He hopes a tanker will arrive sometime today, but added "I couldn't say when."

DALLAS, TEXAS

Here's one that you haven't heard much about.  There are a few shortages still in Dallas however, they are usually not more than 24 hours at any particular station. 

Even at a major truck stop, the Flying J at I-20 and Bonnie View had no premium unleaded.

Yesterday, Friday, both gas stations around DFW airport were reported to be out of gas at 3:00 pm.

SOURCES:

Bloomberg
FOX Carolinas
NBC4, Washington DC
Atlanta Journal Constitution
WSB-TV, Atlanta, GA
11Alive, Atlanta, GA
FOX5, Atlanta, GA
WBTV, Charlotte, NC
WCNC, Charlotte, NC
ABC13, Asheville, NC
Fort Mill Times, NC
D Magazine, Dallas, TX