Rising gas prices are affecting everyone, in pretty much all corners of the earth – and that includes both sides of the 49th parallel here in North America. Some governments have taken steps to help dull the pain, either with cash rebates or tax credits.
This is notably the case in California, where I am now. The state's governor, Gavin Newsom, has introduced an $11 billion relief plan that would see every vehicle owner receive a $400 credit to help absorb the rising cost of fuel and consumer goods. Tax vacations and transit funding are also on the table.
Some will see in these gestures attempts by politicians to influence voting habits during the next election, of course. We'll let you be the judge of that.
What's happening in the Chicago area, doesn’t’ really fall into the realm of vote-buying, however. There, a businessman by the name of Willie Wilson is offering motorists one free $50 fill-ups per vehicle, until the total reaches $1 million. About 50 gas stations in all participated in the giveaway.
As you can imagine, many drivers lined up to take advantage of the offer.
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For Willie Wilson, it wasn't the first time he's done this since the war in Ukraine started a month ago. On March 17, he held a similar exercise with 10 gas stations, with a cap of $200,000. Chaos ensued because it was so unorganized. Monster traffic jams occurred.
Lessone learned. This time, everything was properly organized with volunteers handing out numbered tags to waiting motorists and police helping direct traffic.
In case you’re wondering, the price of a gallon of gas currently sits at about $5 in the Chicago area.
The 73-year-old Wilson is a former candidate for mayor of Chicago and for the U.S. Senate, a self-made millionaire who once owned several McDonald's restaurants in the Chicago area. He's also been involved in other successful ventures, and evidently he felt like giving something back.
“I had no idea that it was going to be this big... but when it happened, it just exploded. And I was surprised like everybody else,” Wilson told local outlet ABC7 News. “A lot of people didn't get a chance to get the free gas in the last giveaway,” he added. “They stood in line. I saw people in tears.”
Hence the sequel, with a higher cap, just so a many folks as possible could benefit.