Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - "I've never run for public office," said businessman Carl Hasselback, on WBEN Monday.
The owner of multiple gas stations, including Jim's Truck Plaza in Cheektowaga, discussed his personal effort to launch a public campaign about the gas tax in the weeks before voters head to the polls.
He is one of two private businessmen pumping thousands of dollars into
the Erie County Executive's race this year. The other is Patrick Hotung of
the Main Place Mall.
Hasselback said the gax tax has been an issue for him for many years, but he never got any traction on it.
This year, he decided to launch a billboard, radio and TV campaign to coincide with the election.
"In June, 11 county legislators plus the county executive came up with the idea of taking the gas tax, which was at 4.75% percent, and making it a flat 10 cents. They did it with a drop out clause at the end of this year."
Hasselback insists the county sales tax on gas is the worst tax that you pay. It has the greatest impact on people who can least afford to pay it.
"There's no sales tax on food, because it's a necessity. There's no tax on medicine because it's a necessity. Gas is a necessity in Erie County. How else would you get to work, to school, the doctor's office or to a store?"
He was asked if he ever reached out to EC Executive Mark Poloncarz?
"I did. I made numerous phone calls to the County Executive's office.
With the first 3 or 4 calls, no one ever got back to me. When I called to complain that no one got back to me, someone said, hey, we want this tax to go back to where it was because we want the additional revenue," he said.
Hasselback also emailed the County Executive's office. He received an email
response that they were looking into the issue and will get back to him.
Those emails continue to go unanswered.
The businessman said you can draw your own conclusions, but he thinks the 10 cent cap was put in place in June to keep people from discussing the issue until after the election. Once the election is over, Hasselback said the county executive plans to go back to placing a percentage tax on gas.
His goal is to bring this to the public's attention.
"There's only one way to stop it. Erie County legislators will vote on the budget in December. I need the people of Erie County to go to their legislator and say I don't want to see my gasoline tax increased. Hopefully, a majority will vote to pull the item from the budget and it will go back to being
10 cents a gallon," he said.
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