Posted on 02/06/2005 5:48:16 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
Rational people view the lottery as a form of recreation and spend accordingly. Dumbasses of all hues and national origins view the lottery as a retirement plan and spend accordingly.
Winning the lottery is about as likely as getting struck by lightening, but it does give the dumbasses better odds of some return on their investment than they could expect from the crap they blew their money on before the lottery came along.
I've looked at a million systems that claim to win the lottery at some level. Some work a little but most don't. What's worse is nearly every winner I notice, at least in NY hit the jackpot using quick picks. Which proves the only ones getting rich are those selling the systems.
The lottery is the poor man's stock market.
I've been saying for a while that if you have the reciepts from any convienence store and look at how many lottery tickets were sold, you can tell a lot about the community.
The lottery sort of equalizes things, what the rich paying about 90% of the other taxes...
This has been known for years. Many religious groups have clearly pointed out the facts. However, those in favor consistently lie about the findings.
Hey Ann, where is all that lotto money that was supposed to go to education....
Why are your two pals at those companies getting such a big cut...
The Lottery:
A VOLUNTARY tax on the STUPID!
(My father gave me that phrase 35 years ago. Thanks, Dad!)
To be perfectly frank, I too do buy lottery tickets. I spend a grand total of $10. per month. I consider it money spent on MAYBE more beer. If not, my liver thanks me.
The lottery is a tax on those who never studied math.
Gotta get those welfare bucks back somehow, bud. I never saw a rich person buy a lottery ticket, but I guess it happens.
But rich people spend the money that they make, not the money that someone gives to them. That is the sticking point.
Who in the world would spend almost $80 a month on lottery tickets, period? Only "the poor", who have their rent subsidized, get food stamps, have Madicaid, and have their children on free school lunches. Middle class people could not afford to throw money away like that because they are paying the taxes that make all these freebies possible so the poor can play the lottery. What a deal for government!
Are you suggesting that the rich achieved their wealth through playing the lottery or abstaining from it? Either way, you are way off base. The wealthy in this country inherit it, marry it, illegally obtain it, or work their butts off for it. Buying lottery tickets isn't going to make or break anyone. If someone wins who couldn't handle their finances before a lottery win, they will eventually end up in the same boat they were in before the win.
I'm stunned by ALL of the numbers. I average about $6/YEAR! (in lottery purchases, not income, LOL)
One telling number: A person who earns less than $20,000 a year spend more on the lottery each month — $76.50 — than someone who earns $50,000 to $59,000 — $39.24 per month.
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CRAP! How much does your lotto cost?
In the UK it costs 1 pound ($1.80) and about a quarter of the money goes back into the community througha funding project that pays for arts, and swimmming polls and other things.
Since we started the lotto about a decade ago over 16 billion pounds has been given away in grants.
I spend £3.50 a week on it but would never pay 76.50 a month!
Rather then spending eighty bucks a month on lotto tickets they put it in a savings account or invest it. That is almost a thousand dollars a year.
In ten years that is a nice down payment on a house.
That is how the wealthy become wealthy. They build wealth. While hard work does help good money management will almost guarantee wealth. Throwing money away on the lotto when you have little is plain stupid and the reason these poor will remain poor.
People who earn less usually do for a reason.
I am "upper" middle class, have never received any type of public assistance, and I work very hard for my money. I spend around 80 a month on the lotto. It's fun. I enjoy it. I also go to movies, eat at great restaurants, and take vacations. Arguably, any hobby or action performed for entertainment purposes can be described as wasteful. If the poor are putting money given to them by the government back into the government--good, better that than alcohol or drugs. As far as the middle class "paying the taxes that make all these freebies possible", the highest taxed are the wealthiest--the middle class is not enormously burdened. It just feels like they are because they don't make anywhere close to the millions and billions that some do. The wealthiest 5% in this country pay about 50% of the taxes.
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