C.L.--Mississippi lottery loser? - USM Forum -- Message Board

Date: Jul 26, 2005

C.L.--Mississippi lottery loser?

Date: Jul 26, 2005

An interesting commentary, to be sure. I found a couple of interesting notes in it beyond the main point.

1) HOPE stands for Helping Outstanding PUPILS Educationally. Mr. Hampton has it as Helping Outstanding STUDENTS Educationally, which, I suppose, would be a HOSE scholarship. (This may have some appropriateness for Mississippi schools...as USM has certainly been HOSED repeatedly by those-who-shall-remain-unnamed.)

2) The "unholy alliance" between church and casino interests is nothing new. During prohibition (and even after in many dry counties of the southern states), it was the booze runners who were among the largest contributors to the churches...so long as the churches fought liquor-by-the-drink. If you make booze legal, the bootleggers are out of bidness. These unholy alliances are no surprise to me.

I'm reminded of an article in the HA a couple years ago in which a prominent churchwoman on the coast was quoted as saying something to the effect that they didn't know why God was blessing these gambling establishments, but they were happy to have the new roads, schools, boys/girls clubs, etc that the revenue was funding.

If the world threw a picnic, Mississippi would stay home...with Alabama to keep her company.

Date: Jul 26, 2005

While lotteries seem a sexy solution to some as a means to finance education, this column is written without regard for some pointed facts.

First, Mississippi has an extremely small population. In fact, there are SMSAs in some of the other states mentioned that have populations larger than the entire state of MS. This automatically means that, ignoring residents of other states who might play a Mississippi lottery, jackpots (and therefore interest in the lottery itself) will be rather meager.

Second, who will travel to Mississippi to play the Mississippi lottery? Tennessee residents have their own lottery, as do Louisiana residents. There are no Arkansas population centers within an hour of the Mississippi state line, and Mobile is the lone Alabama population center within a "short drive" from Mississippi's Eastern Border.

Third, to be successful, Mississippi would have to join the PowerBall group which would severely limit Mississippi's take from the lottery.

Fourth, the entire operation would have to be run by Mississippi politicians. Do you trust them to do it on the up-and-up?

Fifth, for everyone who harps on the evils of capitalism, just remember that a lottery is one of the better examples of a regressive tax. Many studies back this up. It's just a bad idea.

What I would like to see Mr. Hampton advocate is a tax increase. Tax all property (including automobiles) at a heftier rate with all proceeds going to education at an equitable funding formula split between k-12 and higher ed. Reform the higher ed funding to give even more funding to comprehensive universities. However, tax increases of this sort take guts. You have to look "conservatives" in the eye and say "Shut up and pay your share for a change," and you have to look "liberals" in the eye and say "No special programs." Unfortunately, there's a serious lack of that type of guts in this state.

Date: Jul 26, 2005

If your state is short of funds for roads and education, I suggest raising taxes for everyone across the board or in some equitable manner. Everyone would then share the expenses. Under the current system the poor are the ones who pay as they are typically the ones who participate in lotteries. Lotteries are the state's ways of making the poor even poorer. This is not a moral issue with me as I do purchase a lottery ticket from time to time (I am holding one now).

Date: Jul 26, 2005

Poor Research wrote:

just remember that a lottery is one of the better examples of a regressive tax . . . What I would like to see Mr. Hampton advocate is a tax increase.

Poor Research, our posts crossed in the mail but you said it better than I did. Keeping ethics, morality, and religion out of the discussion, lotteries are simply not a smart move from a financial or societal viewpoint.

Date: Jul 28, 2005

Texas has a state lottery; $.30 per lottery dollar goes to fund education. With metropolitan areas like Houston, which has a larger population than the entire state of Mississippi, you would think Texas would have a premier education system -- not. The fact is, the lottery money replaces tax funded education, it is not in addition to the taxes.

http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=1EA64E5C-0A82-4173-AE7D-8FD19ABD6DA6

For our Kinky fans out there, here is a site for you:

http://www.kinkyfriedman.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=000163

Date: Jul 28, 2005

Poor Research wrote:

Third, to be successful, Mississippi would have to join the PowerBall group which would severely limit Mississippi's take from the lottery.

Actually, Georgia has never joined the Powerball. There are other multi-state lotteries to join. Georgia is a member of Mega Millions and Lotto South. Since California joined MEga Millions in June, the starting jackpot is now $12 million.

You'd also be surprised at how many rural people cross state lines from Alabama to play the Georgia Lottery

http://www.georgialottery.com/

http://www.georgialottery.com/stc/education/index.jsp?focus=education

Date: Jul 29, 2005

lottery player wrote:

Poor Research wrote:
Third, to be successful, Mississippi would have to join the PowerBall group which would severely limit Mississippi's take from the lottery.

Actually, Georgia has never joined the Powerball. There are other multi-state lotteries to join. Georgia is a member of Mega Millions and Lotto South. Since California joined MEga Millions in June, the starting jackpot is now $12 million.
You'd also be surprised at how many rural people cross state lines from Alabama to play the Georgia Lottery
http://www.georgialottery.com/
http://www.georgialottery.com/stc/education/index.jsp?focus=education

No, I wouldn't be surprised by how many Alabamians cross into Georgia to play their lottery, nor would I be surprised at how many Alabamians travel to Florida to play theirs. However, you are ignoring the question: Will enough people play a Mississippi lottery to make it viable? I'm willing to bet that if every Mississippian played the MS lottery (which they won't) and all of Alabama's population within a 30-minute drive of the MS state line played the MS lottery (which they won't) and all of the Arkansas residents within a 30-minute drive of the MS state line played the MS lottery (which they won't), that even then the MS lottery wouldn't be a viable lottery on its own. There are just not enough people.

Now, then. You've chosen to ignore all of my other points: regressive tax, political manipulation, etc.