Texas Lottery, Whenever the great state of
Texas has its finances in a stalemate, produced
the game looked like manna from heaven
delivered in response to the prayers of the
Legislature.
State legislators do not call the game, mind you.
It ’s “game” – as if the government coffers in a
way to expand when families gather to play the
Wii and Pictionary.
These semantic games – do what has always
been uncomfortable a little easier to swallow – will
play again in Austin in early January that
proposals to extend “game” to go before the
82nd Texas Legislature. With the state set a $ 22
billion – or more – loss of revenue to the budget
for the next two years, industry lobbyists while
pushing video lottery terminals at casinos hope to
pick up votes as easily as Monopoly players pick
up $ 200 each time they pass Go.
And that’s not to love a plan that would generate
new revenue without raising taxes?
Many, if you’re a Texas public school trustee.
They were the losers in the state-sponsored
gambling from state Senator Jane Nelson has
introduced a bill in 1997 that lottery proceeds for
education K-12.
In 1991, when the state needs to close a nearly 5
billion budget deficit, the leadership at the state
capital was united about allowing voters to decide
whether Texas should have a lottery. They are
confident that the answer is “yes.”
The legislators were far less unified. After a
proposal to place the issue before voters have not
by 10 votes in the regular session, Governor Ann
Richards has called a special session and went on
television to tell Texans that lawmakers were
faced with a choice between a lottery and a huge
tax bill. The Legislature has acquiesced to the
pressure Richards ’s prime-time by approving a
state lottery and budget paid for 30 tax increases
– but nobody wants to talk.
When the Texas Lottery began in 1992, the
product went into the general fund of the state.
Nelson came in 1997 with a bill to allocate lottery
money for education. This was the beginning of
the game bait and switch on the Legislature.
Designated funds allow legislators to reduce
general fund support for education by the same
level of new lottery money put into it. In addition,
the unpredictable nature of “play” product means
there is no way of accurately forecasting annual
sales.
Beginning in fiscal 2010, a portion of lottery
proceeds was sent to the Fund for assistance to
veterans.
“Lottery for Education” sounds good. The use of
children as an excuse for state sanctioned-game?
Not so much. But expect to be among the tactics
that lobbyists in 2011.
In the 2007 session, for example, “game”
lobbyists tried to sweeten the pot by devoting a
portion of gaming revenues to fund the proposed
scholarships for graduates of Texas more than
200,000 each year of high school.
The proposal has not yet.
Nobody should expect Governor Rick Perry to
make an appearance on TV like Richards. It has
never been interested in the expansion of
gambling “footprint” in the state. Good for him.
We run the risk of being redundant, but then
again no one in this state always indicates an
expansion of gambling as one of the fast “fixed”
when it faces a budget crunch Texas. This type of
financing has never been the salvation for the
ailing finances.
And please spare us the argument of separation
with Texans buckets of dollars into this type of
activity across the lines of the state. That is their
business. It does not make a bit tastier for the
State Government to promote the behavior.
Source: http://usspost.com/texas-lottery-25219/
Texas has its finances in a stalemate, produced
the game looked like manna from heaven
delivered in response to the prayers of the
Legislature.
State legislators do not call the game, mind you.
It ’s “game” – as if the government coffers in a
way to expand when families gather to play the
Wii and Pictionary.
These semantic games – do what has always
been uncomfortable a little easier to swallow – will
play again in Austin in early January that
proposals to extend “game” to go before the
82nd Texas Legislature. With the state set a $ 22
billion – or more – loss of revenue to the budget
for the next two years, industry lobbyists while
pushing video lottery terminals at casinos hope to
pick up votes as easily as Monopoly players pick
up $ 200 each time they pass Go.
And that’s not to love a plan that would generate
new revenue without raising taxes?
Many, if you’re a Texas public school trustee.
They were the losers in the state-sponsored
gambling from state Senator Jane Nelson has
introduced a bill in 1997 that lottery proceeds for
education K-12.
In 1991, when the state needs to close a nearly 5
billion budget deficit, the leadership at the state
capital was united about allowing voters to decide
whether Texas should have a lottery. They are
confident that the answer is “yes.”
The legislators were far less unified. After a
proposal to place the issue before voters have not
by 10 votes in the regular session, Governor Ann
Richards has called a special session and went on
television to tell Texans that lawmakers were
faced with a choice between a lottery and a huge
tax bill. The Legislature has acquiesced to the
pressure Richards ’s prime-time by approving a
state lottery and budget paid for 30 tax increases
– but nobody wants to talk.
When the Texas Lottery began in 1992, the
product went into the general fund of the state.
Nelson came in 1997 with a bill to allocate lottery
money for education. This was the beginning of
the game bait and switch on the Legislature.
Designated funds allow legislators to reduce
general fund support for education by the same
level of new lottery money put into it. In addition,
the unpredictable nature of “play” product means
there is no way of accurately forecasting annual
sales.
Beginning in fiscal 2010, a portion of lottery
proceeds was sent to the Fund for assistance to
veterans.
“Lottery for Education” sounds good. The use of
children as an excuse for state sanctioned-game?
Not so much. But expect to be among the tactics
that lobbyists in 2011.
In the 2007 session, for example, “game”
lobbyists tried to sweeten the pot by devoting a
portion of gaming revenues to fund the proposed
scholarships for graduates of Texas more than
200,000 each year of high school.
The proposal has not yet.
Nobody should expect Governor Rick Perry to
make an appearance on TV like Richards. It has
never been interested in the expansion of
gambling “footprint” in the state. Good for him.
We run the risk of being redundant, but then
again no one in this state always indicates an
expansion of gambling as one of the fast “fixed”
when it faces a budget crunch Texas. This type of
financing has never been the salvation for the
ailing finances.
And please spare us the argument of separation
with Texans buckets of dollars into this type of
activity across the lines of the state. That is their
business. It does not make a bit tastier for the
State Government to promote the behavior.
Source: http://usspost.com/texas-lottery-25219/
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