State Lotteries and Freedom

gitmo

[gitmo]

North Carolina is once again debating the issue of a state lottery. This time it is the only way we are going to balance our budget. The money will all go to the school kids. Yeah, right.

Here is my question: Does it make sense for states to reserve the exclusive right to conduct gambling businesses? If gambling is wicked, then no one should be allowed to run a gambling business. And if gambling is an OK thing, then why is private business excluded from gambling, but states are allowed a monopoly? Where did states get the authority to even do such a thing?

Finally, does a state lottery really boost the education budget, or does the money always get shuffled around and spent on pet projects?

[45Auto]

The idiots in California authorized a lottery about ten years ago to raise money for the schools.Its nothing but a scam. The school system is falling apart and in my local district a few years ago, the morons authorized a parcel tax to raise $65 million in order to repair old school bulidings. Every year its the same thing: "we need MORE money for the government shcools." The state lottery fund is now self-perpetuating since the winners are paid out over a 20 year period. What's happening with all that money is anyone's guess. It sure as hell is NOT going to the schools, at least not very much of it. My bet is that the whole thing is run by the mafia, which makes the state government the partners of criminals - oh, you say that's what they have always been?

On the other hand, some have said that the lottery is a way of making the poor pay their fair share of taxes!

[45Auto]

The government and organized crime are one and the same thing; the government makes a lot of money from "sin", like the alcohol and tobacco taxes. They run the income tax system which is really the old mob "protection racket". So why not take over the old "numbers racket" and just call it the "state lottery". The next thing will be state-run brothels - oh, maybe like Nevada? Never mind, the transformation is complete.

[gundog]

Finally, does a state lottery really boost the education budget, or does the money always get shuffled around and spent on pet projects?

In Oregon, it is the latter; I suspect that the answer depends on the type of administration your State has. Gov. Kitzhaber fritters away any money he can get his grubby liberal hands on and then starts ranting about "the children".

That being said, I think lotteries are, as Rush says, an excellent way of taxing the poor for the inordinate amount of government services that they receive.

[Arkinsaw]

It all sucks, but I would rather voluntary funding of pet projects than forcible wallet yanking taxation and believe you me its a choice between one or the other. If I want to set my money on fire its nobody's business but mine. If people want to play the lottery or bingo or give all their money to me then more power to them since it is, after all, their money......at least till the government gets hold of it. I don't feel the need to babysit anybody's paycheck.

[Inspector Harry Callahan]

Your post is almost word-for-word what happened here in Virginia. The lotto profits were supposed to go, in large part, to the schools. Just a couple of years ago in my local district, there was a HUGE tax levy earmarked for the county schools. They raised everything. Personal property, tool and machine, land taxes. Everything went up.

And get this... It is all supposed to go back to pre-levy rates as soon as the money is collected. LOL!! They must have written that into the legislation for it's comedic effect.

Lotto is such a scam.

[Jim Noble]

The lottery is a tax on people who are bad at math.

[gitmo]

It all sucks, but I would rather voluntary funding of pet projects than forcible wallet yanking taxation and believe you me its a choice between one or the other.

Why can't we reduce spending? Just once, to see if it's possible? I know, it's a rhetorical question. But dang it, it works!

[woofer]

Finally, does a state lottery really boost the education budget, or does the money always get shuffled around and spent on pet projects?

In Oregon, it is the latter

As it is in every state other than Iowa.

For every cent earned from the lotteries and sent to the Education Budget/Account, an equal amount is removed from that account and put back into the general fund.

I've watched it happen in Illinois, Missouri and Minnesota.

In Iowa, the state's earnings from the lottery goes to a special fund set up to attract or incubate business in the state. There is no exchange from this fund to the general fund.

For proof, think back to your state's campaign to legalize the lottery. Remember all those statements about how the proceeds from the lottery were gonna abate the tax burden to support education? Seen your tax bill come down any since then?