[geetrue]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

The casinos are not good investments. The money generated never reaches the schools. The lottery was designed to generate monies for schools and such. If that is the case then the lottery is a failure because schools are in overcrowded and in disrepair. Teachers are being laid off. The casinos were sold under the same stupid premise....money for schools and other state projects. That is all well and good however the crime, drugs, prostitution that follows gambling is coming. This needs to be addressed.

You are forgiven for being from the east coast my friend.

Here on the west coast we have the CA lottery: http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/09-10/bil...sen_floor.html

ANALYSIS : The California State Lottery Act of 1984,

enacted by initiative, authorizes a California State

Lottery and provides for its operation and administration
by the California State Lottery Commission (Commission) and
the Director of the California State Lottery, with certain
limitations.

The Act requires that:

1. Not less than 84 percent of the total annual revenues
from the sale of state lottery tickets or shares be
returned to the public in the form of prizes and net
revenues to benefit public education, and that no more
than 16 percent of those revenues be used for expenses
of the lottery.

2. All unclaimed prize money revert to the benefit of
public education, and that all of the interest earned
upon funds held in the State Lottery Fund be allocated
to the benefit of public education.

3. Fifty percent of the total annual lottery revenues be
returned to the public in the form of prizes, and that
34 percent of those revenues be used to benefit public
education.

4. Beginning in the 1998-99 fiscal year, 50 percent of any
increase above the amount allocated to education for the
1997-98 fiscal year shall be allocated to school
districts and community college districts for the
purchase of instructional materials, as specified.

5. To the extent that expenses of the lottery are less than
16 percent of the total annual revenues, any surplus
funds be allocated to the benefit of public education.

The Lottery currently generates total sales revenue of
approximately $2.96 billion annually, with over $1 billion
allocated to the benefit of public education.

My biggest objection is that the poor get the get rich sydrome and the children go without. I know some states kick some money back to help the sick gambler, but it's not what they need. They need real counceling about all of their problems.

True, gambling is not the answer ...

How about marijuna? That will be on the November ballot in the state of California ...

If it passes watch how tough they get on any marijuana without a tax stamp ... Oh no, not the dreaded tax stamp.

Sin tax works