The Real Lottery Scandal

The Opinion Journal ^ | Oct. 26, 2005 | HOLMAN W. JENKINS JR.

[libstripper]

Unless a U.S. senator on the Judiciary Committee abdicates to his silliest staff member, next month's hearings on Harriet Miers won't feature an inquisition into her tenure as chairman of the Texas Lottery Commission. That's too bad. Her story might not support the preoccupations of certain bloggers who insist the lottery episode is the Rosetta Stone of all Bush "scandals." But it does throw a useful light on America's rush to embrace state-sponsored gambling.

[libstripper]

This is a worthwhile article about the general operation and concept of state lotteries. One of the most interesting points it makes is that they are a way to redistribute the tax burden downward, since people who are better off buy a lot fewer tickets than do people on welfare. Helps the real taxpayers to recover welfare payments, at least through lower tax rates.

[Jaded]

My favorite line... unless you think a lottery ticket itself is a tax on stupidity, in which case the tax is 100%.

[Little_shoe]

I think of the lottery as a STUPIDITY TAX....

[GSlob]

"I think of the lottery as a STUPIDITY TAX...."
Well, one could use it for having fun, but that takes discipline: in the late 80s there was a $100+ million jackpot in Pennsylvania, and the lines to newsstands were so long that one had difficulty buying a paper. So three postdocs and one grad student [me] bought one ticket. For the whole week till the drawing we were addressing one another "my fellow millionaires". One of us did not have a quarter and wanted to chip in thirty cents - so everybody ganged up on him: "your greed is despicable!"; "disgusting!" and so on. I'd say we got more fun than twenty five cents' worth.

[libstripper]

I favor state lotteries because they are stupidity taxes, tend to reduce my taxes, and enable productive people to recycle at least a small amount of welfare benfits we shouldn't have to pay anyway. Personally, I absolutely will not buy any of the tickets.

[Tijeras_Slim]

OK, so I buy an occasional ticket for big jackpots. My boss tells me that it's a tax on people who can't do math. I say "The odds are 146,000,000 to 1 - which are infinitely better than me making one tenth as much working for you."

[Pessimist]

"I favor state lotteries because they are stupidity taxes.."

As a practical matter, I agree with you. But OTOH, I hate to see the gvt involved in anything they don't naturally belong in.

[FerdieMurphy]

...I hate to see the gvt involved in anything they don't naturally belong in.

Which, as we know, is practically everything the government is involved in today.

What I have noted in respect to lotteries is that once each is established it creates a gigantic bureaucracy which saps most of the money the saps contribute.

[Fierce Allegiance]

I would spend more at the casino, if I went, so I consider a $2 ticket cheap entertainment, especially if I buy it Thursday morning and wrestle it back into the visor every time I light a smoke between then and Monday morning.

[GSWarrior]

It's a voluntary tax on the poor.

[Tijeras_Slim]

I figure $1 for a bookmark that allows you to fantisize about crushing your enemies for acouple days ain't too bad.

[mysterio]

Did you win? Finish the story!

[Joe 6-pack]

"I think of the lottery as a STUPIDITY TAX...."

For the most part you are right, but it differs slightly from a tax in that it's voluntary. I think of it more as a Walter Mitty Permit Fee.

I have to admit to buying a single powerball ticket anytime the jackpot exceeds $200M. While I'm holding that ticket and there is a (supremely remote) possibility that the money will be mine, I have a lot of fun spending it in my mind. That thinnest cobweb strand of chance linking me directly to that cash, ephemeral though it may be, is well worth the dollar invested in it....

[GSlob]

Nope. Regrettably, we did not win, but at least we got a few smiles for our quarters. And everyone could get out of the lottery as much. I doubt that it is possible to get more out of it.