The next Democratic candidate for President should propose a National Lottery

[Mr.WeRP]

Offer to make 15,000 Americans, chosen at random but restricted to Americans whose net worth is less than $1 million, to win $10 million, tax free. This will be funded by the top 10 billionaires in the US whose net wealth adds up to over 1.58 Trillion. These billionaires, along with all other billionaires, will face a Billionaire tax where the gov’t seizes all but $999 million of their wealth.

We need to send a message to the billionaires and this will certainly send a clear message.

[Ocelot II]

1. How will this fix anything for the millions of people who didn't win the lottery?

15,000 people got rich and some billionaires got less rich? Apart from being unconstitutionally confiscatory, I don't see how this idea does a damn bit of good for the country.

[Mr.WeRP]

2. It will help get a Dem presidential candidate elected

And will stimulate the economy from the bottom up.

Each year after, the funds from excessive wealth will feed the coffers under a tax plan that will make it so there is no such thing as a billionaire. They should not exist in modern society and at this point it will be easier to implement this than undo Citizens United and the bribery SCOTUS has legalized.

Seriously worried that folks here would not see this as obvious.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

3. The plan has nothing obvious or practical or useful. It would not help Democrats be elected. . . . nt

[Ocelot II]

6. So the handful of $10M winners will stimulate the economy how?

Last edited Mon Jun 30, 2025, 03:37 PM - Edit history (1)

What if they invest their money in hedge funds or transfer it to offshore accounts or spend it all on hookers and blow? Even if they started legit businesses, that isn't nearly enough money to significantly affect the economy. The solution isn't eliminating billionaires, it's taxing them at much higher marginal tax rates. I wouldn't be inspired to vote for a candidate who came up with something like this because (1) it would never pass any Congress; (2) if it did, it would be vetoed by the current sitting president; and (3) it would be struck down as unconstitutional by this or any other SCOTUS. Amendment XVI states: The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, from whatever source derived, without apportionment among the several States, and without regard to any census or enumeration. But there is no authority for Congress to levy a tax on assets. Furthermore, a tax not intended as a revenue source but as confiscatory (taking more than the government's property interest) has been held unconstitutional, Tyler v. Hennepin County.

[purple_haze]

12. "It will help get a Dem presidential candidate elected"

You serious Clark?

[DBoon]

4. like the 1979 movie Americathon?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Americathon

meant as a political satire

[Wounded Bear]

5. Lotteries are very regressive policies...

financed on the backs of the poor, rewards thinly distributed to a lucky few.

Count me out.

[flvegan]

7. So take money from billionaires to create a bunch of millionaires?

What's the "clear" message here again?

[RubyRose]

9. So just take ownership of companies away from

The people that created them? How is the government going to convert millions of shares of Microsoft, Amazon, etc. into cash to pay off winners?

[SSJVegeta]

10. Or you can just tax billionaires out of existance, fund achools and libraries, make college ans healthcare free

[thatdemguy]

11. My response is show me 1 billionaire with 19 million in cash

There will be none, as all their money is invested, so it will pull 150 billion out the stock market over night. Good way to cause a crash.

And lets be honest like most lottery winners they would be broke in a few years, or dead. Most people, and by most I mean probably half of the working and lower class dont know how to handle money.

The country would probably be better off if we actually spent some time teaching people how to handle money, avoid debt etc.

[purple_haze]

13. amazing post

from a realist. Bravo.

[GoodRaisin]

14. We don't need gimmicks.

Let’s just work on getting enough democrats elected and then tax the living hell out of them.

[maspaha]

15. No! No more gambling! Lotteries cost those who can afford it least

TAX THE WEALTHY!