Posted on 07/03/2006 4:14:19 PM PDT by randita
Lottery fans buck edict in addition to the odds
Monday, July 03, 2006
BY LAURA JOHNSTON AND CLAIRE HEININGER Star-Ledger Staff
Betty Mitchell is a devoted lottery player. Her daily routine includes buying Pick-3, Pick-4 and instant-win tickets. It takes more than a governor's order shutting down the state Lottery to keep her away.
Mitchell plunked down $3 yesterday for a Tic Tac Toe scratch-off game at Another 24 Hours convenience store in Morristown.
While New Jersey Lottery machines went dark at 8 p.m. Saturday when Gov. Jon Corzine ordered sales halted as part of a phased shutdown of government, fans could still find stores peddling the state's 40 instant-win games.
It turns out, however, Mitchell's purchase defied the governor's order as well.
"Our agents have been instructed to not sell instant tickets," said Tom Vincz, spokesman for the state Treasury. "The instructions have been pretty clear. We will reinforce that message."
After learning that three of five Lottery sales locations randomly visited yesterday were still selling the scratch-off games, Vincz acknowledged that "enforcement is an issue" since the tickets are not date-stamped when sold.
"If agents do cash the tickets, they would pay that out at their own financial risk," Vincz said, explaining that all winning tickets must be validated by state Lottery terminals, which are currently turned off.
Frank Horwitz, 34, directed his frustration toward Corzine when he discovered he couldn't check the 20-some Lottery tickets he bought Saturday for the Pick-3, Pick-4, and Cash 5 because the terminal at Bob's Sweet Shop in Bloomfield was shut down.
"What is this guy trying to prove?" Horwitz said of Corzine. "This is going to hurt a lot of people. I think he stinks. I think we should vote him out."
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
Looks like the inability to buy and sell lottery tickets, of all things, is driving some people to their senses.
Liberals never cut bureaucracy they threaten to shut down the things people like... notice the lottery, casinos, race tracks and stuff actually MAKE money for the state.
A few years ago here in Virginia, when a transporation measure lost at the ballot box, Gov. Mark Warner threw a temper tantrum and punished the voters by closing a bunch of DMVs.
The audacity of the S.O.B.! As if the DMV was a service to the people which they were selfishly witholding funding from, instead of what it really is... a way to part citizens with their money.
Corzine shut down the lottery to punish the very voters who are stupid enough to wish the state would continue robbing them blind.
Just desserts, if you ask me. All of the dunces who voted for the P.O.S. Corzine are getting just what they deserve....SCREWED !! Hope the fools enjoy it!
Will be a huge boon for lottery sales in neighboring states.
Unscrewed, more like, if only they'd know it.
Amen.
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