Willie Wilson announces third gas giveaway as Mayor Lori Lightfoot tweaks her own gas card plan
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Mayoral candidate and millionaire philanthropist Willie Wilson is planning a third gas giveaway this weekend, after providing $1.2 million in free gas for drivers in Chicago and the suburbs in two previous giveaways in March.
Wilson said he'll be giving away another $1 million of free gas on Saturday at 30 to 40 gas stations in the city and suburbs, although he said he's working on finalizing a list of stations.
It's the first gas giveaway Wilson has announced since he officially joined the race for mayor last week, his third time running for mayor. It also comes as Mayor Lori Lightfoot continues to tweak her own plan to give away gas cards and transit cards in order to get her proposal through the Chicago City Council.
Wilson denied that his gas giveaways are politically motivated as he runs for mayor again, noting he's given away money for years outside of Chicago; including to survivors of Hurricane Ida in New Orleans, as well as funding mask giveaways in Los Angeles and other cities outside Chicago.
"This is not a political thing," he said. "If it was a political thing, we wasn't running for mayor or nothing in New Orleans. We wasn't running for mayor in California."
Wilson also called on Gov. J.B. Pritzker, Mayor Lori Lightfoot, and Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle to temporarily suspend state, local, and county gas taxes during the gas giveaway; although he acknowledged he does not know if any of them have the power to waive the gas tax on their own, or if they would need legislative approval of such a move.
"They ought to be able to figure out that for themselves," he said. "Certainly if they're concerned about its citizens, they should be able to find a way of doing that without putting more hardship on its citizens."
A spokeswoman for Pritzker noted the governor's 2023 budget plan already includes a six-month freeze on the state's gas tax when the new fiscal year starts on July 1, which will mean a 2.4-cent-per-gallon inflationary increase in the state's motor fuel tax will be held off until January.
Representatives from Lightfoot and Preckwinkle's offices did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
According to published reports, before settling on the gas card and transit card program, Lightfoot had considered temporarily rolling back a 3-cents-per-gallon city gas tax increase that went into effect last year, but she said Thursday she ultimately decided providing gas cards to commuters was a more effective way of relieving the pain at the pump.
However, she said she hasn't shut down the idea of rolling back the city's gas tax.
"We haven't rejected it, and obviously that's still available to us, but in thinking about what we could do to actually provide maximum impact, we thought that this would be a better way to go to literally put a gas card in the hands of Chicago residents, and then obviously we want to continue to emphasize the importance of lowering our carbon emissions by partnering up with the CTA to give those transit riders some relief at the same time," she said.
As of Tuesday, gas prices in Chicago were averaging $4.77 per gallon for regular and $5.66 per gallon for premium, down slightly from one month ago, but still up significantly from one year ago, according to the AAA.
Wilson said, with gas prices possibly going up even further in the coming weeks, drivers need more relief at the pump.
"People are really hurting out here in terms of trying to survive, trying to be able to pay rent, trying to buy groceries, and we're just trying to play our part as well," Wilson said.
Wilson also said he has no plans to stop his giveaways as the mayoral election draws closer; whether it's gas giveaways, or giving money to the homeless or local churches, or to Ukrainian refugees.
"No. We won't stop supporting people," he said.
Wilson's previous two gas giveaways caused long lines at the stations giving away gas, although thanks to improved coordination with local authorities, the second giveaway was able to avoid the traffic nightmares caused by the first one.
Tickets were handed out to cars at each station to avoid having people cut the line, and each station was assigned one entry point and one exit point to help minimize traffic disruptions.
Wilson said city officials in Chicago have agreed to help with traffic control again on Saturday. A spokesperson for the city's Office of Emergency Management and Communications said they would provide those details in the next day or two.
Meantime, Lightfoot is still trying to pass her own plan to provide free gas cards and transit cards.
Her plan to give away $150 gas cards to motorists and $50 Ventra cards to CTA users faced significant pushback from several aldermen at a City Council Budget Committee hearing earlier this month, even after she agreed to lower the income threshold from 140% of the area median income – or $140,000 for a family of four – to 100% of the area median income – or $93,200 for a family of four.
In addition to those income requirements, to be eligible for a gas card, applicants must be at least 18 years old, be residents of Chicago, and have a valid Chicago city sticker with their current mailing address.
The Mayor's office late Tuesday released the design for the gas card, which has Mayor Lightfoot's name on it.
The mayor's proposal is now expected to come up for a Budget Committee vote on Wednesday after she agreed to further changes to win over the support of skeptical aldermen.
The latest changes would set aside 75% of the 50,000 gas cards to be given away for people living in South and West side neighborhoods deemed to be "High Mobility Hardship Community Areas," with the remaining 25% being given away citywide.
That's the same distribution plan the mayor had already planned to use for the transit card giveaway.
The city also would be authorized to shift money between the gas card and transit card programs if officials determine demand for one giveaway is insufficient, and there are funds left over to pay for a boost to the other program.
The city plans to give away a total of 50,000 prepaid $150 gas cards, with 10,000 distributed each month starting in May. The city also plans to distribute a total of 100,000 prepaid $50 transit cards, with 75,000 to be given away in "high mobility hardship community areas" on the South and West sides, and the remaining 25,000 given out citywide.
If the mayor's plan is approved by the Budget Committee on Wednesday, the full City Council would vote on the giveaways next week. Lightfoot's office plans to begin accepting applications for the giveaways on April 27, the same day as the full City Council vote, with distribution of cards expected to begin sometime next month.
Wilson has criticized Lightfoot's gas card giveaway plan, noting he's paying for his giveaways out of his own pocket, while Lightfoot's program would be funded with taxpayer dollars.
"I think it's against the law to use taxpayer dollars for political gain, you know?" he said.
Lightfoot on Tuesday denied her gas card giveaway is politically motivated, saying she's responding to an "urgent need" for relief from surging gas prices.
"I would just point them to the $6 per gallon for regular that people are experiencing all over the city," she said. "The fact of the matter is gas prices have skyrocketed, and for working families in particular, working individuals, I've heard it everywhere I go that people are really trying to ration their budgets, because they can't afford to fill up their gas tank."