Incentive a needed boost or misuse of public funds?
County GOP calls for Lodi to cancel vaccine utility bill discount
“The more vaccinations administered, the closer we are to herd immunity, which the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) define as the point when COVID is no longer a serious threat to public health. There is a limited amount of resources available to provide incentives and those resources, and the expenditure on the hesitant, benefits those who have embraced the vaccine by allowing the economy to reopen and reducing community threat.”
LODI DEPUTY CITY MANAGER ANDREW KEYS
“Those who wish to utilize their civil liberties and decide for themselves what is best for them and their families are made to pay full price for services and necessities they cannot get elsewhere, while those who do the bidding of the City get preferential treatment in the form of discounts. This is the very definition of totalitarian government in action, attempting to force people to do something that goes against their conscience or their civil liberties.”
SJ COUNTY REPUBLICAN ASSEMBLY
The San Joaquin County Republican Assembly has called out the City of Lodi this week, demanding the city cancel a utility bill discount for vaccinated residents.
The political group issued a statement on Wednesday, calling the city’s vaccine incentive program a misuse of power.
“Lodi Electric is the only choice for most Lodians' electricity, sewer, water, etc.,” the assembly said in the statement. “There is no competitor to which Lodians may switch when treated this way. As such, Lodi Electric, under the direction of City Council, is using their monopoly power to punish those who do not do their bidding.”
The city on Tuesday announced that residents who receive their first COVID-19 vaccine dose on May 6 or afterward are eligible for a $25 credit on their utility bill.
To receive the credit, a resident must present a completed vaccine card and provide proof of residence. Multiple credits can be applied to one utility account if multiple residents in that location are vaccinated May 6 or later, the city said.
The program is funded through the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act.
“Those who wish to utilize their civil liberties and decide
for themselves what is best for them and their families are made to pay full price for services and necessities they cannot get elsewhere, while those who do the bidding of the City get preferential treatment in the form of discounts,” the assembly said. “This is the very definition of totalitarian government in action, attempting to force people to do something that goes against their conscience or their civil liberties.”
Lodi Deputy City Manager Andrew Keys said the incentive program is an allowed use under the Federal American Rescue Plan Act, and that it is not a mandate requiring residents to be vaccinated.
The city received $16.14 million in FARP funding last month, and the Lodi City Council agreed to allocate some $250,000 toward incentives — either through gift cards or bill credits — to test for COVID-19 or to get a vaccine.
“The City has other incentives for energy efficient light bulbs, water efficient showers, electric vehicles and even solar roofs,” Keys said. “The incentives however do not mandate that anyone buy an LED light bulb or other water or energy product. Vaccination decisions are an individual health choice and not a requirement by the City of Lodi. Additionally, there has been no planning or discussion on mandating vaccinations in the future at any level.”
Other government agencies are offering credits to those who get vaccinated, such as the IRS. The agency is offering businesses and tax-exempt organizations with less than 500 employees, as well as certain governmental employers, tax credits fro providing paid-time off for each employee receiving a vaccine.
According to US News, the State of West Virginia is offering a $100 savings bond for residents ages 16 to 35 who get vaccinated, while the State of Maryland is offering $100 payments to employees who get vaccinated.
In Detroit, residents are eligible for a $50 prepaid card when they help a neighbor get vaccinated, according to the media outlet.
In a letter to the NewsSentinel on Wednesday, resident Shirley Bohnet commended the city for offering the utility bill discount, but because she and her husband are senior citizens who received their vaccine doses in March, they were not eligible.
Bohnet said those who received vaccinations before May 6 should also be rewarded for helping to slow the spread of COVID19.
“Also, what about the people because of health reasons are not able to get the COVID vaccination?” Bohnet said. “That really isn’t fair to them either.”
Keys said the city was grateful to those who signed up for vaccinations as soon as they were eligible, but the incentive program is designed to increase vaccinations at a time when hesitancy is increasing and slowing vaccination efforts.
According to a U.S. Census Bureau survey conducted between April 14 and 26, 11.5% of adults 18 and older across the country are hesitant about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine. Of those, 50% said they were concerned about vaccine side effects, while 48% said they do not trust vaccines at all.
Political party affiliation also plays a part in vaccine hesitancy, according to www.morningconsult.com.
According to a survey conducted between April 13 and 19, the company found that 27% of Republicans are unwilling to receive a vaccine, and another 15% are uncertain about it. Of those registered as Independents, 21% are unwilling, while 17% are uncertain.
Only 10% of Democrats are unwilling to be vaccinated, and 11% are uncertain, according to the survey.
“The more vaccinations administered, the closer we are to herd immunity, which the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) define as the point when COVID is no longer a serious threat to public health,” Keys said. “There is a limited amount of resources available to provide incentives and those resources, and the expenditure on the hesitant benefits those who have embraced the vaccine by allowing the economy to reopen and reducing community threat.”