Bloomberg launches $17M contest ... to bypass policy making in Washington under Trump

06/25/17

Entrepreneur and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg (I) plans to launch a $17 million contest to incentivize U.S. cities to bypass policy making in Washington under the Trump administration, according to The Associated Press.

Thirty-five cities will win $100,000, while four other cities will get $1 million. The grand prize is $5 million for one city. The contest, which will be publicly unveiled on Monday, is aimed at pushing mayors across the country to tackle issues on their own, without federal help.

Bloomberg’s incentive comes as many leaders of U.S. cities find themselves concerned about policies put forth by the Trump administration, in particular concerning climate change. Cities across the U.S. pledged to meet the goals set by the Paris climate accord after President Trump announced his intention to pull the U.S. out of the nearly 200-nation deal earlier this year.

The projects involved in the contest would likely focus on issues important to Bloomberg, such as climate change, opioids and gun control.

http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/339421-bloomberg-launches-17m-contest-as-incentives-for-us-cities-to