Don’t Bet on It
Out of the clear blue, with no warning or whispers at all, the Texas House took the first step to do away with the state lottery today.
In an outcome that left many House members stunned, a bill to continue the Texas Lottery Commission failed on Tuesday, potentially abolishing scratch-off tickets, charity bingo and other popular games of chance and blowing a new hole in the state budget.
The House voted 65-81 on House Bill 2197 which would have continued the functions of the Texas Lottery Commission. The vote reflected a growing sentiment among House members that the lottery unfairly preys on the state’s low-income residents.
This, however, means that we’ll now have a $2.2 billion hole in the Texas budget.
I understand that the lottery preys on the poor and is a tax on people who are bad at math. But, last year $963 million was transferred to the Foundation School Account. Another $8.1 million was transferred to the Texas Veterans Commission.
So, we’re still hurting the least powerful among us. And if you think Rick Perry is going to ask the super rich or corporations to make up that loss, you’re doing drugs. Lotsa drugs.
By the way, they will also do away with VFW Bingo night and bingo at Catholic churches. This will not be good news to small towns with VFW halls. I suspect we’ll start betting on dominoes.
Never mind. http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2013/04/house-votes-against-continuing-state-lottery.html/
When the payoffs get right, this bill will go away.
1Just a FYI, I recall in Mass. they tried to get rid of Bingo by making a law against it and the Churches had BEANO nights instead. I’m just sayin…..
2Hmm, is it the lotto they are after…or is it some bible thumping types trying to drive the sin of gambling out of Texas. The same parties that vehemently oppose casinos in Texas.
3If they’re concerned about the poor then start providing health care, inspecting work sites, and quit filling the for profit prisons with people convicted of minor offenses. This whole thing smells of the Southern Baptist Church.
4The Texas Tribune is reporting that they reversed the vote and we’ll still have lotto. It’s worth looking at the article in the Tribune to see the 8, that’s right, 8 posts by the resident troll Matthew Cowan.
5This is a no brainer. Most state Lotteries benefit those in need. Casinos supports their rich owners.
This is Rick Perry’s Texas. Why let the state run a profitable enterprise that benefits the poor when private industry & his political pals can take those same profits for themselves?
6The Texas legis reversed themselves after lunch http://www.kvue.com/news/politics/House-wont-reauthorize-Texas-Lottery-Commission-204336761.html
7Well, that was fast.
8What a surprising turn of events—NOT! You have to look at who has the Lottery contracts to figure out where the real money goes. Just sayin’.
9There’s a lesson in this. Don’t hold important votes so early in the day, before the male House members have gotten out of bed with their Austin wives and had some coffee to dose their hangovers.
10Well, last night on the 10 News here in Cowtown, they interviewed our State Rep, Susan King, about her vote on this. She said she voted to get rid of the lottery on the first vote, then voted against it on the second vote. Reason: Schools need the money. Well, DUH… if you want to get rid of the lottery, fine with me, I never buy a ticket, I can do math…. but another $2.2BILLION out of the state’s coffers for education would have a devastating effect. To her defense, however, she voted against the Republican machine in the last session of the legislature when they were ripping the school budgets to shreds. Her first elected office was to the Abilene School Board… and while I enjoy referring to her as Susan King, the Ding A Ling, for a Republican, she’s tolerable (on most days). And she’s responsive. If I email or call her to rattle her cage on an issue, like women’s health, Planned Parenthood, Vaginal Probes, etc… I get a letter in the mail. Then she probably votes like a damned Republican cog in the wheel. But she does get back to you in an envelope, with real paper. Guess it has to do with her “doctor’s wife” training…. maven of Cowtown Society… doing the proper thing, and all.
11I hope they don’t do away with the lottery.
I was planning on someday buying a ticket, and winning the thing.
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