Texas House Republicans vote to eliminate the lottery....NOT

[CJ7]

a liberal was Governor when the lotto went public ..

Thanks again Gov Ann, RIP.

[TheDaliLama]

Just for the sake of discussion...

The chances of getting hit by lightning are greater than winning the lotto.

One could make a legitimate arguement that the lotto hurts the poor because it preys on their wishes and aspirations. It can be a disease for some people just like gambling. I've seen many people who could not afford it spend way too much of their money hoping for a dream that will never come true.

[Jackie S]

The Lottery..............A tax on the poor and the stupid.

[Jewish Lawyer]

Originally Posted by Randy4Candy

Actually, they can now have it both ways. A vote to abolish the Lottery Commission in favor of stricter morals duly recorded and part of the record AND a vote to save Texas from "financial ruin," also duly recorded.

Unfortunately, most of the native sons and daughters of tejas can't tell the difference and won't be able to remember it by the time the next election rolls around.

True, and you can no longer call them rigid, uncompromising, and unwilling to admit when they were wrong, and make it right. They might be a tad smarter than you think, eh?

[Whirlaway]

One of the few government taxes that is 100% voluntary...........I am in total support of the lottery, and other similar voluntary gifting to the government !

[CJ7]

Originally Posted by Whirlaway

One of the few government taxes that is 100% voluntary...........I am in total support of the lottery, and other similar voluntary gifting to the government !

indeed.


regardless of the odds, or their social stature, sooner or later someone wins

[Jackie S]

Originally Posted by CJ7

indeed.


regardless of the odds, or their social stature, sooner or later someone wins

Can't argue with that.

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by satexasguy

You liberals can't make up your minds can you? First liberals chastised the implementation of the lottery saying that it unfairly hurt the poor because the poor spent their money on a system that has very poor odds of ever winning. Liberals cried that the poor were spending money on false hopes and could better use the money on feeding their children.

Now when a republican suggests doing away with what the liberals have been bitching about, the liberals have a problem with it.

Fucking hypocrits.

I'd like to see where Texas Liberals opposed the lottery. Please provide something other than your own weak bullshit to this discussion. Both Democratic candidates for Governor campaigned on implementing the lottery in 1990.

where were you? Killing ants on the sidewalk with a magnifying glass?

Put up or shut up, dipshit!

[Randy4Candy]

Originally Posted by Jewish Lawyer

True, and you can no longer call them rigid, uncompromising, and unwilling to admit when they were wrong, and make it right. They might be a tad smarter than you think, eh?

Nope, they're not (that smart, that is). Their methods are that transparent - just not to the locally born. Besides, it's the tejas legislature we're talking about not Congress, so my term for them is, "dumbasses."

[satexasguy]

AssupUrHead, since you are too fucking lazy to do any research, here is one article from back in 1998 discussing the inclusion of Powerball into the Texas Lottery. There is one part of the article about a democrat (who not surprisingly changes his mind):

"My favorite justification for approving the lottery in Texas came from a one-time Democratic state legislator from Beaumont, Al Price, who used to oppose the lottery, but reversed himself on the belief that it would keep money in Texas that otherwise would subsidize the casino gambling industry in neighboring Louisiana. Price had it right when he opposed the lottery, saying it preyed on people who could least afford to spend money on it. That principle no longer mattered, apparently, when he saw that money going across the Sabine River piling up in the riverboat casinos in Lake Charles." The full article is here: http://amarillo.com/stories/122798/opi_kanelis.shtml


Or how about a more recent article about the NAACP (which is a Democrat leaning organization) in Dallas wanting to shut down the lotto because the poor are wasting their money on it: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/n...ery-shut-down/

Now go back to sucking the shit out of your asshole you fucking moron.

[Yssup Rider]

Originally Posted by satexasguy

AssupUrHead, since you are too fucking lazy to do any research, here is one article from back in 1998 discussing the inclusion of Powerball into the Texas Lottery. There is one part of the article about a democrat (who not surprisingly changes his mind):

"My favorite justification for approving the lottery in Texas came from a one-time Democratic state legislator from Beaumont, Al Price, who used to oppose the lottery, but reversed himself on the belief that it would keep money in Texas that otherwise would subsidize the casino gambling industry in neighboring Louisiana. Price had it right when he opposed the lottery, saying it preyed on people who could least afford to spend money on it. That principle no longer mattered, apparently, when he saw that money going across the Sabine River piling up in the riverboat casinos in Lake Charles." The full article is here: http://amarillo.com/stories/122798/opi_kanelis.shtml


Or how about a more recent article about the NAACP (which is a Democrat leaning organization) in Dallas wanting to shut down the lotto because the poor are wasting their money on it: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/06/27/n...ery-shut-down/

Now go back to sucking the shit out of your asshole you fucking moron.

The lottery debate took place in the 1980s and early 90s, douchebag. It was passed into law while Ann Richards was government. You honestly believe that an editorial from Amarillo written almost a decade after it was passed corroborates your generalization that liberals opposed the implementation of the lottery? In other words, you aren't proving your point, you're trying to revise it. Your statement was bullshit and we ALL know it.

You're a fool. And this proves it.

[Randy4Candy]

Hmmm, what has happened to all of the righty-tighty thumpings about "personal choice?" Are they proposing a "nanny state" whereby the poor, who obviously can't make decisions for themselves, are saved from financial ruin (like they have finances to ruin)? I guess it all depends upon who's ox is being gored.

[Sidewinder]

State lotteries are a highly regressive and totally optional tax on stupidity. Anyone who doesn't want to be taxed for being stupid can opt out: just don't buy a ticket.

I always found it amusing that it was the Democrats who enacted the Texas Lottery. The Republicans SCREAMED about how it would disproportionately hit the poor. The Democrats pooh-pooh'ed that idea. Not long afterwards, the study results came back, showing that the Lottery *WAS* in fact slamming the poor, just as the Republicans had predicted.

The Democrats went to a great deal of trouble to say that the lottery money would be dedicated for education, so they could get it passed. Once it was passed and running, the money went straight into the general funds. When reminded of the education promises, the Democrats claimed "We never said any such thing!"

(I was living in Texas when all that went down.)

You are invited to observe that the Lottery Commission spends a LOT of money advertising the lotteries and all the different "games".

Many years ago, Nevada looked at establishing a state lottery. They abandoned it when they figured out that the "house rakeoff" would have to be in double digits to break even, and hence the lottery would not stand a chance against the casino games, whose house rake was in very low single digits (and is limited by law to that range). Nevada already makes a tidy sum off of taxes on the casinos; a lottery would have been a serious money-loser.

[Guest040616]

Originally Posted by Sidewinder

The Democrats went to a great deal of trouble to say that the lottery money would be dedicated for education, so they could get it passed. Once it was passed and running, the money went straight into the general funds.

Uhh, we have had Republican control of the Texas Governor's Mansion since shortly after the lottery was first signed into law. The Texas Legislature meets for 140 days every two years and the Governor always has the ability to call a Special Session at any time that he/she desires. If you do the math, we are in the 10th consecutive Texas Legislative Session with a Republican occupying the Governor's Mansion.

I suspect if Texas Republicans had an intense desire to apply lottery money exclusively toward Education, they would have done so during the last 10 legislative sessions. I am not aware of any bill being introduced during the 2011 & 2013 legislative sessions that would divert any additional lottery money toward Education. It certainly would have been a great time to do so, since the Republican Party has held a very strong majority in both the House and Senate while also occupying the Governor's Mansion.

Obviously, applying additional Texas lottery money toward education is not very high on the Republican Party's agenda.

[satexasguy]

Originally Posted by Yssup Rider

The lottery debate took place in the 1980s and early 90s, douchebag. It was passed into law while Ann Richards was government. You honestly believe that an editorial from Amarillo written almost a decade after it was passed corroborates your generalization that liberals opposed the implementation of the lottery? In other words, you aren't proving your point, you're trying to revise it. Your statement was bullshit and we ALL know it.

You're a fool. And this proves it.

I guess you didn't read the part about the NAACP either you dip shit. If you want, I will go back to the when the legislation was being debated and find articles from that time frame since you are such a fucking moron.