Birmingham City Council To Hear $13 Million Vaccine Sweepstakes Proposal Tuesday
Birmingham City Council President William Parker will present a $13 million package of incentives, including million-dollar drawings, to encourage residents to get vaccinated against COVID-19. The plan, to be presented to the city council Tuesday, calls for $500 gift cards, savings bonds, college scholarships and two drawings for up to $1 million.
“Obviously we know there are a lot of different factors for why some people are hesitant to receive a vaccine,” Parker said in a statement announcing the proposal. “As elected leaders here, we must do everything possible to not only make the vaccine accessible, but also encourage its use. This is a bold strategy that we think will drastically increase the number of residents wanting to receive a vaccine.”
For months, Parker encouraged residents to get vaccinated through numerous Facebook Live Town Halls with health experts on the benefits of a vaccination. However, only 36% of Birmingham citizens have received at least their first dose.
The sweepstakes would be funded through money Birmingham received from the American Rescue Plan Act. However, some people said it won’t matter how much money is on the table.
“It’s a hard ‘no’ for me, because I’m not going to be bribed to take something that should be good for me,” Tremon Muhammed said.
Others said they’d only take the top prize.
“My life is not worth less than that,” Ira Smith said. “Why would I take something that only guarantees me a $500? I make more than that a week.”
If Muhammad and Smith reflect the greater Birmingham community, Parker’s lottery plans won’t make much of a difference. But in Ohio, the Vax-A-Million campaign has had a different reaction. The weekend after announcing their lottery, vaccinations in the state increased by 28%.
Parker says his goal is to have at least 175,000 Birmingham residents vaccinated.
So far at Cannes: De Niro gets a Palme d’or, Trump gets criticized, nudity gets banned
The updated dress code prohibits nudity on the Red Carpet and in other areas of the festival. The new rules surprised one jury member, who had to make a last-minute outfit change.
As few as 3 radar controllers monitored Newark’s airspace Monday night, FAA says
At times Monday evening, as few as three air traffic controllers per hour were lined up to monitor via radar the planes flying into and out of the airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said.
Privacy advocates urge states not to comply with USDA requests for food stamp data
One payment processor has so far signaled to states that it intends to turn over data about millions of Americans to the federal government even as privacy groups warn that the request is illegal.
Two former Shen Yun dancers allege forced child labor, brutal conditions in lawsuit
Two former dancers allege that they lived under a culture of fear and routinely performed despite injuries. Shen Yun has vehemently denied the claims.
He was experiencing psychosis. Then, his boss made a decision that saved his life
A few years ago, "A" experienced a psychotic episode. His boss made a decision that saved his life.
Trump administration’s universal flu vaccine project puzzles scientists
The Trump administration has launched a $500 million project to develop a universal flu vaccine that won't need yearly updates. But vaccine experts are mystified by its focus on a dated technology.
