Comments on: Lottery a False Hope

By: Lottery Results Florida Lotto Magic Business

Lottery Results Florida Lotto Magic Business — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 16:47:13 +0000

This was very informative

By: Willie

Willie — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 14:16:18 +0000

With higher education inflation in the double digits, I am guessing Georgian and Floridian
parents are delighted with their Hope Scholarship lotteries funded in part by Alabamians.
On my weekly trips to Biloxi casinos to aid their education system, I see more car tags from
Alabama and Louisiana than Mississippi, except for the huge employee parking lots. Sweet home
Alabama.

By: Reactionary

Reactionary — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 02:00:03 +0000

I wouldn’t mind a lottery and casino gambling noting that Alabama already has dog tracks.

I also wouldn’t mind getting rid of dog tracks – and not having lottery / casinos.

What I don’t like is the inconsistency of allowing one type of gambling industry over others. It’s almost like some powerful interests ‘gamed’ the system.

I do think that AL is losing lots of money to neighboring states that could stay here (industry jobs / taxes).

By: Flashpoint » Blog Archive » A fresh look at state run education lotteries

Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:19:34 +0000

[...] Alabama state representative Cam Ward has a post up at Doc’s Political Parlor outlining the paltry sum that education lotteries across the country actually contribute to education budgets. His data seems to come from a recent New York Times article. [...]

By: mr turnbow

mr turnbow — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 22:04:17 +0000

I live on the Tennessee and Alabama stateline and I can tell you first hand that a lot of the politicians who voted for the lottery in the legislature now regret it. You can also stop in at the gas stations at Ardmore and see low income blacks buying numerous lotto tickets every payday. Its a sad situation to say the least.

By: AJ in Foley

AJ in Foley — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:18:33 +0000

I guess that was my four cents…

By: AJ in Foley

AJ in Foley — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:18:03 +0000

I agree with the moral implications of government condoned gambling. However, I’ve always viewed a state lottery in this light…. Say there you won a 1-million dollar pot, to be paid out over 40 years. If you remove all capital gains tax (around 15% I think) you’d increase your income by about a whopping $25,000 per year. Not bad… if you have additional income.

Now if you told me that you were to have a state lottery that would say…. pay off my mortgage, and pay me $100,000 up front… I’d be interested. The total pay out would be less than $1,000,000, and the state would be killing two birds with one stone — helping to relieve overall liability for it’s citizens (albeit assuming liability upon itself), and generating 3-6% income for schools.

The truth is, I’ve voted against the state lottery, and will do so again. The problem is not morality, but accountability. The reason the education lottery does not perform is that the generated monies are earmarked for non-educational programs and legislative pet-projects, that qualify due to political sidestepping and legalease.

That’s my two cents.

By: Brian

Brian — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 21:15:52 +0000

A lottery is little more than a tax on stupidity. I find it ironic that many governments have chosen to pay for any portion of education on the backs of poor dolts who weren’t given a proper education by the state in the first place and understand next to nothing about probability.

By: Talking About the Lottery » Doc’s Political Parlor

Talking About the Lottery » Doc’s Political Parlor — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 19:59:23 +0000

[...] Rep. Cam Ward (R – Alabaster) is talking about a lottery with a new post last evening in the Political Parlor’s Posts from the Legislature. [...]

By: Gov2010

Gov2010 — Sun, 07 Oct 2007 23:08:21 +0000

I could not agree more. Since when did government get in the business of funding gambling operations?