Posted on 03/24/2005 4:28:01 AM PST by TaxRelief
RALEIGH - House Speaker Jim Black said he wants lawmakers to vote on a state lottery in the next two weeks, and he virtually guaranteed Wednesday that the proposal would reach his chamber's floor.
A state numbers game, a regular winner in the Senate that typically dies in the House, could fail in a House committee -- in theory. But Black, D-Mecklenburg, said the education lottery plan he and Gov. Mike Easley are pushing would be heard by a special committee.
Black, a lottery supporter, will appoint the committee's members.
(snip) But those on both sides say the plan doesn't yet have the 60 or 61 votes needed to pass the House. Opponents killed a proposed lottery referendum, 69-50, the last time the House voted in 2002, and they say they're prepared to vote down a lottery directly this time. They've argued that state-sponsored gaming is immoral and preys upon poor residents who believe they have a shot at big winnings.
(Excerpt) Read more at charlotte.com ...
Fair and balanced, of course. < /extreme sarcasm >
I however oppose government owned and operated gambling.
If the legislature truly wants gambling revenue to fund schools (which invariably never happens), then they should do two things. Set aside a section of the mountains where legitimate casino operators can open resorts. And then do the same for an area of the coast.
And have all licensing fees and tax revenue from the casinos go for "education".
The amount of money raised from this over time will likely exceed the lottery. Maybe even in the short term. But the short term revenue gain from the lottery is likely to be substantial because initially far more people will play the lottery because its new. But as always happens in every state, the number of players quickly declines as the novelty expires.
On a related note, the indian casino out west is trying to open some poker rooms at the casino. And there is an attempt state wide to classify poker as a "game of skill" and no longer a "game of chance", clearing the way for legal poker rooms to open all over the state.
Aside from my selfish interest in this as a poker player, even if I wasn't I would support this.
Let's hear it for private enterprise!
As one who never fails to buy a lottery ticket every time I go into a lottery state, I do not want a lottery here. The legislature can't manage the money they have now. Why do we want to take a chance on giving them more? Of course they always say it's for education. Well, who could oppose that? </sarcasm> What they never say is that when the lotteries in other states started bringing money in, the normal education budgets were reduced by that amount. Our legislators have never shown themselves to have any more scruples than those from other states. All this supposes that a lottery would even make money. I wonder what the profitability of the lotteries of Virginia, South Carolina, and Tennessee would be without us. If we started one, we wouldn't have the boost of out-of-state gamblers. We're a day late, and a dollar short in that respect. The casino idea is a good one. That's something Virginia and the rest don't have. And I'd go from time to time.
That's nonsense. Much of the state is controlled by Basnight.
I still fondly remember that TV ad Fountain Odom ran, capturing Pittenger on video saying "I will not support a lottery, and I will not support a vote on a lottery". From then on I know Pittenger was my guy!
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