If $285.9 million is "negligible," they can send it to me

[jmowreader]

They're talking once again about this being "the year" North Carolina gets a lottery referendum down to the electorate.

Today's socialist newspaper (which I bought for the always-excellent Motorsports pull-out they inserted today) has a huge front-page story on this. A gentleman from the North Carolina Family Policy Council says states "typically overestimate the revenue a lottery generates. After prizes and administrative costs are paid, the education part is often negligible when compared with the state's overall education budget."

In 2004, the South Carolina Education Lottery brought in $953 million in gross revenue. Thirty percent of it, or $285.9 million, went to education. 57 percent went to prizes, and the other 13 percent to administration.

Okay, you EvilDUers, if you were the state superintendent of public instruction in South Carolina and someone handed you an envelope containing $285.9 million over and above your tax-funded budget, would you consider it a negligible sum?

And like I said, if the department of education really can't use three hundred million dollars, they can send it straight to me and I will think of a good use for it. (Really. I won't spend it all on alcohol, cigars and router bits.)

[KG]

1. wouldn't it be great if states just gave education every penny it needed

instead of resorting gimmicks like lotteries?

[hfojvt]

2. it is not a very good return

on a $953 million tax on poor people. In terms of the "free lunch picture" - that $953 million could be much better spent.

[jmowreader]

3. It's a better return than the one NC gives

NC is the only state on the eastern seaboard that has no lottery.

Remember the numbers: 57 percent to prizes, 13 percent to administration, 30 percent to education. Administration includes such minor items as printing and distributing the tickets, commissions to the sales agents, advertising...therefore, it's not as bad as it could be. They might be able to tweak one or two percent of "fat" out of the admin costs, but I don't think they want to fuck with the prize pool--if people don't win every so often, they stop playing.

[hfojvt]

4. it still ends up being a re-distribution

from people who need money, to people who have not earned money.