> Actually, the lottery is worse more than is obvious at first blush.  
> Consider this:
> 
> In our state (USA-Georgia), the lottery proceeds go to 
> college scholarships for students with B or higher grade 
> averages regardless of income/wealth.
> More lower income/wealth people tend to buy lottery tickets.
> More upper income/wealth people tend to go to college.
> 
> So, lower income/wealth people tend to be paying for upper 
> income/wealth people to go to college.
> 
> But wait, I'm not done...
> 
> With more people being able to afford to go to college 
> because of the lottery, the cost of college has gone way up 
> for everyone  (the immutable law of supply and demand).  And 
> since part of the colleges costs is borne by the taxpayer, 
> our taxes are going up.
> 
> So the lottery is really a "lose-lose" proposition for "poor" 
> people and taxpayers!!
> 
> This is one example of the "Law of Unintended Consequences".

> It's more like "Take from the poor (with their active 
> participation) and give to the wealthy."

Not in my opinion. Very strongly.

Funding college tuition from lottery profit is "take from the stupid and
give to the smart."

And I do not judge the stupid for being stupid; quite often, they have had
no choice in the matter.

Nor am I saying that everyone who plays the lottery is stupid. That is a
different argument. 

And I am not happy about having to say this. I wish it were not the truth
(as I see it).

But: If you fail to make it fun for the stupid to loose their money, then
they will retain it and spend it in ways that influence the market stupidly.
Sadly, it is bad for everyone in the long run to NOT separate the fool from
his money.

After all, it is also a sad fact that "who has money, runs the show." If the
stupid have money, they decide what products will be made, and by whom. The
opiate of the masses should be chosen well, and they will not.

I don't like it, but it seems that there is no choice.

On another level, I despise the removal of personal responsibility that I
see so often in this country and at the same time, the interference of
others in the wishes and desires of each "free" man and woman.

If I want to gamble, drink, shoot up drugs, smoke, eat worms and even die,
who are you to tell me I can't? As long as I do not harm others, it ain't no
bodies business if I do.

Now, given that there are people who will gamble, drink, etc... it is the
right, nay, the responsibility of others, especially our leaders, to service
those vices in a way that does some good for the students if it is the
choice of the consumers to do bad to themselves.

Of course, the best possible thing is to provide education at a lower
tuition cost in the hope of turning some of the stupid into the smart. And
that is exactly what the lottery funding of the educational system does.

In a perfect world, from behind rose colored glasses, everyone would get an
education, free of charge, that mandates a solid understanding of
statistics, probabilities and critical thinking. This is also, sadly, not
the reality of the situation. Some people are simply... Well, let us just go
on and say it: too stupid to learn. And even if they were, our school system
does not really attempt it. 

Most religions tell the faithful not to gamble, (drink, smoke, etc...) but
that may be as much cutting out the competition as helping the flock keep
their wool. And the church may do some good with its cut of the stupid tax,
but how many Jimmy Stuarts and Sistine Chapels do we really need?

No, the funding of education from the lottery is the best answer I can see
in a sad world.




Sorry if this approaches politics... If anyone complains, I'll send myself a
stern letter and... Whatever...

---
James.
 

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