On Wednesday, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced that he would be lifting his draconian COVID-19 orders on June 2. (I would not be surprised if Gov. Goalpost finds a reason to rescind his order to rescind the orders between now and then, but that’s a discussion for another article.) In addition to opening the state back up (except for nursing homes, where everyone is most likely vaccinated), DeWine announced that he will use federal COVID relief funds to bribe Ohioans to get vaccinated—in a stunt that sounds like it was cooked up in a marketing department at a Vegas casino.
Instead of trusting the state’s residents to consult with their doctors and use their own best judgment to decide if the vaccine is right for them, he’s offering million-dollar lottery payouts for those who can show their vaccine “papers.” The announcement came with some scary-sounding warnings about how we remain “prey to the virus” and must remain vigilant because the “dark days of winter are coming”:
My fellow Ohioans, you got us to where we are today.
You sacrificed. You persevered. And many times, you have set the bar for the rest of the nation. Let’s show America again what Ohio is made of!— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
Those who are not vaccinated remain prey to the virus. We hope for a good summer, but we also have to be able to get through the dark days of winter safely. To do that, we need a much higher percentage of Ohioans to be vaccinated.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
This is our time — and, vaccines are our opportunity.
Ohio — let’s do this! Let’s get it done. Let’s get everyone vaccinated.
Because we are Ohioans.
We are Buckeyes.
We are strong.
And we will finish the job!
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
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And then he got to the part about the bribes:
Two weeks from tonight on May 26th, we will announce a winner of a separate drawing for adults who have received at least their first dose of the vaccine. This announcement will occur each Wednesday for five weeks, and the winner each Wednesday will receive one million dollars.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
To be eligible to win, you must be at least 18 years of age or older on the day of the drawing. You must be an Ohio resident. And, you must be vaccinated before the drawing.
We will have further, specific details tomorrow and in the days ahead.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
I know that some may say, “DeWine, you’re crazy! This million-dollar drawing idea of yours is a waste of money.” But truly, the real waste at this point in the pandemic — when the vaccine is readily available to anyone who wants it — is a life lost to COVID-19.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
Let me be the first to say it: DeWine, you’re crazy. This is the biggest Ohio boondoggle since John Kasich (back when he governed like a conservative) stopped the ill-conceived bullet-train project upon taking office. The whole scheme suggests that Ohioans are a bunch of children who need to be bribed with a lollipop to get them to take the shot. Millions of Ohioans have already been vaccinated, including a majority of the most vulnerable, and over a million more have had recovered from the virus. Maybe, instead of using a carrot-and-stick approach to pushing vaccines, the state should be truthful with residents about the real risks from the COVID-19 virus—how certain populations (the young, the healthy) have very little risk of getting seriously ill. Focus the efforts on those who need it most—not on school children who have a 99% survival rate. Oh, did I mention that DeWine has a lollipop for them, too?
On Wednesday, May 26th, we will announce the winner of a drawing of all those 17 years old and under who have been vaccinated, and the winner will receive a full, four-year scholarship to our State of Ohio universities. This will include tuition, room and board, and books.
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) May 12, 2021
Yes, he’s really doing this. He’s bribing children, who are in the lowest risk group, to take a vaccine that does not have FDA approval.
To recap, @MikeDeWine is bribing CHILDREN to take a vaccine that does not yet have full FDA approval. @JimRenacci for governor of Ohio. https://t.co/I6reEMG3bo
— Paula Bolyard (@pbolyard) May 13, 2021
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You can almost hear the poor, manipulated children begging their parents to take them for the jab: “But mommy, that’s my only chance of getting a college education!” Despicable.
Nick Adams explained the political ramifications of DeWine’s stunt:
Is this Mike DeWine's way of conceding the 2022 Republican Primary to @JimRenacci?
Giving away $1 million of Ohio tax dollars is a GREAT way to alienate Ohio's Republican base.
— Nick Adams (@NickAdamsinUSA) May 12, 2021
Yes, yes it is. Jim Renacci, who served in Congress from 2011-2019, has not yet officially announced that he will challenge DeWine in next year’s primary, but he’s pretty much a lock. And he didn’t mince words about the governor’s bizarro stunt:
Ohio lost over 300,000 jobs last year, and now Mike DeWine wants to give $1 MILLION of our hard earned tax dollars away in a vaccine drawing!
This is what career politicians do, they offer wasteful gimmicks over common sense solutions.
— Jim Renacci (@JimRenacci) May 12, 2021
It looks like Mike DeWine is now jumping on the socialist "Free College" bandwagon.
Offering a 4-year all expenses paid scholarship in an effort to get CHILDREN vaccinated is a pointless waste of tax dollars no true conservative would ever support.
Ohioans deserve better!
— Jim Renacci (@JimRenacci) May 12, 2021
I’m calling on Governor DeWine to send back federal pandemic unemployment assistance dollars.
Get Ohio back to work NOW!
— Jim Renacci (@JimRenacci) May 12, 2021
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Josh Mandel, a Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate, also took issue with the vaccine lotto-palooza:
Mike DeWine is bribing people with their own money. https://t.co/fzxetwLGfv
— Josh Mandel (@JoshMandelOhio) May 12, 2021
RINO governor Mike DeWine is now doing an INSANE $5 Million bribe to get more vaccines in Ohio.
Here’s a better idea, Open up Ohio and let our people get back to work!
Ohioans don’t want handouts, we want FREEDOM!
— Josh Mandel (@JoshMandelOhio) May 12, 2021
Hopefully, the state will open up on June 2 as promised. And, hopefully, Mike DeWine won’t get to be governor for a second term.
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