DeWine hits jackpot with vaccine lottery

Editor's note: Thumbs up/Thumbs down are short editorials that celebrate successes across our region and call out those who stand in the way of progress.

Thumbs up

$1M prize spurs more Ohioans to get vaccinated

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine made a big bet by initiating a state vaccine lottery to encourage more people to get vaccinated, and so far, it looks like he's hit the jackpot. The governor wagered that creating a $1 million prize drawing for those who are vaccinated would be incentive enough to get more Ohioans inoculated against COVID-19. "Ohio Vax-a-Million," drawings will be held for five consecutive Wednesdays, starting May 26, to pick the winners. Preliminary data (as of May 19) showed that more than 113,000 Ohioans had received their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccines after the announcement. That represented a 53% increase in vaccinations over the previous week. DeWine was panned by Ohio lawmakers in both parties for what some called a "stunt" and "game show gimmicks," but it's hard to argue with the results the lottery is producing. And now other states such as New York and Maryland are jumping on the vaccine lottery bandwagon. Let's give DeWine credit for his creativity at a time when getting more people vaccinated is crucial to stopping the spread of the virus and returning our society to normal. And if five people become millionaires in the process, even better. Sure, we could quibble with the details of the lottery – should it have been 10 prizes of half a million dollars, etc. – but kudos to DeWine for trying to a different and effective way to get more shots in arms. Turns out money talks after all.

Truth-telling still matters in political campaigns

Kudos to the Ohio Supreme Court for upholding a public reprimand and fine for Hamilton County judicial candidate Karen Falter for disseminating false information about her opponent, Curt Hartman, in the 2020 Republican primary for Common Pleas Judge. In a letter delivered to absentee voters, Falter, a magistrate for the county's domestic relations court, falsely claimed that Hartman moved to Hamilton County in 2017 to take a judicial appointment from Gov. John Kasich. She was hit with fines and court fees totaling $2,644.97 for violating the rules that govern judicial campaigning. The court's majority opinion, which adopted a negligence standard for the ruling, stated that judicial candidates are held to a higher standard than politicians in other offices who may similarly mislead the public. At a time when the American public is being inundated with misinformation, disinformation and propaganda, it's good to see someone holding candidates running for office accountable for not telling the truth. Elections should be decided based on who has the best ideas and plan, not who can best smear their opponent with false information. Let's hope this sends a message to other office seekers about the importance of truth and integrity in campaigning.

Burrow on track for Week 1 start

Cincinnati Bengals fans got some good news this week when the doctor who operated on Joe Burrow's left knee last December declared "all systems go" for the franchise quarterback for the team's Week 1 matchup with the Minnesota Vikings. Because of the severity of Burrow's injury, which included a torn MCL and ACL, in Week 11 of last season, some feared he wouldn't be ready for the start of the 2021 season. But ESPN's Adam Schefter reported that Dr. Neal ElAttrache of Kerlan-Jobe in Los Angeles said Burrow is "on track for full go for start of the season." The Bengals' hope for any success this year is heavily dependent on Burrow's health. Here's hoping for a continued speedy recovery and that Burrow not only starts the season healthy, but finishes the same.

TQL Stadium opens with fanfare

FC Cincinnati wasn't able to fill TQL Stadium to capacity (26,000 seats) for the venue's debut due to COVID-19 restrictions, but that didn't stop thousands of fans from pouring into Over-the-Rhine and the West End to celebrate the inaugural match at the much-anticipated stadium. It's been a long and controversial journey for Cincinnati's professional soccer franchise to get to this point, but the stadium opening was surely a gratifying moment for FC Cincinnati controlling owner Carl Lindner III and Team President Jeff Berding and the team's throng of supporters.

Thumbs down

 Jan. 6 commission should be supported

It's no surprise that most of our local delegation to Congress voted against a bill that would create a commission to investigate the U.S. Capitol attacks that occurred on Jan. 6. But that doesn't make it any less disappointing. The Jan. 6 insurrection was a day of infamy for the United States and a tragedy our government should do everything in its power to insure is never repeated. Creating false equivalencies with Black Lives Matter protests or other events to avoid dealing with the U.S. Capitol riots might serve political interests, but it doesn't serve Americans. Immediately after the attack, which left five people dead including a Capitol police officer, almost everyone agreed this was a horrifying and shameful episode in the history of our country, and that such violent extremism could not go unanswered. To block or reject efforts to get to the bottom of what happened so our nation can better protect itself from enemies foreign and domestic is the worst kind of politics, and our local representatives – Steve Chabot, Brad Wenstrup, Warren Davidson, Rob Portman, Thomas Massie, Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul – are playing blatant partisan politics by not supporting it. They seem to possess a willingness to tow the party line and give a free pass to those who represent their opinions rather than doing what is in the best interest of our nation.