Are vaccinations incentives effective?
Tommy Williams  Last week the stock market did a bit of a head fake responding to language from the Federal Reserve regarding inflation. The mere mention of a potential  of 1% rise in interest rates  not to take place until late next year or the next provoked a typical overreaction. The market fell about 2% in a couple of days. This week reality settled in, Chairman Jerome Powell spoke, and things seem to have stabilized. I think we can all agree that, though the Pandemic remains Public Enemy Number One, extraordinary progress has been made. Packed airports, full baseball stadiums, maskless gatherings, etc. Were getting a glimpse of the new normal. Not so fast, though. We finally surpassed the 600,000-death mark recently and the Delta Variant of COVID-19 could cause a very disappointing setback. The fact is the country is now only 45.6% vaccinated (Louisiana is one of the laggards at 33.7%). A multitude of efforts to escalate the vaccination rate would be amusing if it were not so critical. On the subject of incentives, times have changed. Seems bribery is more commonplace now than when I was a child in the 50s/60s. Kids today might get paid to make up their bed, take out the trash, mow the yard, etc. My recollection is all it took when I was a child was Mother suggesting that it might be a good idea to have that done before Daddy gets home.  So, now the range of incentives to get a vaccination is fascinating. According to the CDC, 66 major corporations have offered employees everything ranging from paid time off to a $500 bonus. Others have offered free childcare and paid Uber/Lyft rides to a vaccination site. Countless retailers offer 5-10% discounts on their consumer goods. Some states offer a lottery opportunity to win a million dollars. At least one state offers one free marijuana joint. Some Major League Baseball teams offer free tickets to a game. According to Sports Illustrated, the NCAA has an attractive female doctor making the rounds to inspire college football players to get their shots. Some, like Ohio State, Notre Dame and Navy have 90% of their players vaccinated. Others, like Clemson, Charlotte and Ole Miss are below the 20% rate. Go figure. Countless celebrities are making public pitches in hopes they can influence their fan base. What a bizarre time this has been  and continues! Another notable sign of the times was reported by Prudentials Pulse of the American Worker Survey. In March of this year, they talked to 1046 full-time American workers. 42% of them said they would quit their jobs if their employer did not allow them to continue to work from home permanently and they would seek new employment with a company that does. The Pandemic has left its mark on our society in very profound ways  some good, some bad depending upon our very diverse points of view! With all the counterintuitive consequences, we must be reminded that there are good things all around us. NBC news reported recently that, during the week ending Friday 6/18/21 there were 2,231 COVID deaths in the U.S. That is down 90% from the 23,180 deaths recorded during the week ending Friday 1/15/21. Thats huge. The market remains near all-time highs and most people who want a job can get one. Well, HIS Markit reported this week that the average car on the road in the USA at the end of 2020 was 12.8 years old. Thats up from 10.2 years as of the end of 2005. More good news. Of course, no one told Merle Haggard about the pending pandemic induced chip shortage that would cut off the flow of new cars. No, but I think he was right. The best days are still yet to come. The opinions voiced in this material are for general information only and are not intended to provide specific advice or recommendations for any individual. 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