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I have seen someone gamble away her retirement savings.
Now she just gets by on Soc. Sec.

She traveled on a plane to do much of the gambling.
She would have found a way to squander it regardless of where the money is going.
Let's keep the money in-state and do something useful with it.

Up here in Washington State, we have bingo, lotteries, horse racing and card room plus Indian casinos.

Washington historically has been a bluenosed sort of place when it comes to gambling. Up until the 80s, there was a limit on the amount of money charities could raise with card casinos and bingo.

The original state lottery was to fund education but I'm not at all sure where that money is going.

However, the Indian casinos are changing lives. I taught kids from the rez and they were dirt poor. Not eating enough dirt poor. Now life is much different.

I think gambling is dumb but, if someone wants to do it, I don't care.

In Florida, the lottery is a HUGE part of public school funding. So much so that if it were to be taken away now, there would be great plagues and cataclysms. However, I don't feel that the state has ever encouraged this kind of gambling, aside from a few commercials here and there. Why not put the money to some good use?

bloke wrote:

The Big Ben wrote:I think gambling is dumb but, if someone wants to do it, I don't care.

...but the question is this:

As a part of the corporate "state", do you want "the state" to encourage gambling, or would you prefer that people - if they are to encourage something "dumb" - do this as "individuals"?

You could probably look at it as thinking that if somebody *needs* to be in charge, at least "the people" control it.

Some people really, really like gambling. I don't get it but some think it is great fun to throw a few hundred dollars at the card table in an evening. My money comes to hard to go that easy. If Indians, many of whom lost land and money to ignorance, chicanery and greed can make a better life for themselves through gambling, fine with me.

GA passed a lottery years ago. The law is written in such a way that the proceeds can only be used for computers and IT in the classroom, Pre-kindergarten (free), and college books and tuition. I was and am opposed to this method of funding because I do not believe the state has any business running a gamling operation. Regulating yes, running no. This one law has however turned the corner on higher education in GA. Our colleges are in much better shape financially, there are a lot more kids in school, and all of our bright kids are not leaving the state. I didn't turn my nose up when it came to receiving the tuition money either. Both my kids went to college on lottery money and I never once bought a ticket, nor will I. Just because I don't agree with it is no reason to refuse free tuition.

PA has lotteries that supposedly support senior citizens. I do not know what they actually fund for the seniors.

Gov. Rendell has been pushing gambling (casinos and slots) to help pay for public school funding so that the property taxes can be lowered.. i doubt it will work, but what do i know.... If i can get some of my 10k that I pay in property taxes back i will not complain.

After each commercial for a casino there is a littel disclaimer for someone who may be having "problems" controlling his/her gambling.


Reminds me of the old joke. Every night when he went to bed Harry would pray to God to have him win the lottery. After many years, one night harry hears a voice from God "Harry, buy a ticket!"
ken k

bloke wrote: http://tinyurl.com/bzmgeh oooooooooooooooooooooooooo

That took forever!!!

Oh, and I agree completely.

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TubaCoopa wrote:In Florida, the lottery is a HUGE part of public school funding. So much so that if it were to be taken away now, there would be great plagues and cataclysms. However, I don't feel that the state has ever encouraged this kind of gambling, aside from a few commercials here and there. Why not put the money to some good use?

There used to be a fund in place for the same purpose of funding schools, specifically "add-on" programs (band, athletics, etc.) that went away when the lottery began. Ironically, this fund was larger than the lottery proceeds that followed it for many years.

Sadly the main beneficiaries of these funds are politicians, lobbyists, and companies like G-Tech.