Ross: Looks like Ohio heard my vaccine lottery idea - MyNorthwest.com

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Sometimes, when you spend years writing commentaries like this – which I've been doing since 1993 – you wonder if anyone's listening. I figure I've solved each of the world's problems at least three times, and yet here we are.

But sometimes you break through.

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I shall now quote from myself from my commentary on May 3, in which I proposed a slam dunk stunt to get more people to seek out the vaccine:

I believe that even people who don't trust anything the government does do trust one thing the government does.

That's why I'm going to suggest that the job of getting people to want to get vaccinated be turned over to Washington's Lottery. It's time to use the Department of Imagination instead of the Department of Fear, and I think it could be really easy to do.

That was 10 days ago.

The Washington Lottery ignored my idea, but apparently the mighty KIRO-FM transmitter that stands astride Tiger Mountain is so powerful that the signal was received loud and clear at the Ohio governor's mansion.

"Ohio residents might be able to win one million dollars — Governor Mike De Wine announced Wednesday that vaccinated residents would be placed in a lottery," CBS reported on Wednesday. "A winner will be announced once a week for five weeks starting May 26."

Ohio's million-dollar idea: Lottery prizes for vaccinations

This is what I've been talking about!

Kentucky is doing it too, giving away coupons for a free Cash Ball game ticket.

Maine isn't doing a lottery, but it is giving away free fishing licenses and LL Bean gift cards, which is so very Maine-ish.

So, there's still time, Washington Lottery, for what I call the Million-Dollar Big Shot Sweepstakes!

And I've got the slogan: "Be A Big Shot. Because you win – even if you don't."

Clever and true.

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