I've always heard the lottery described as "a tax on stupid people".

The sad thing is, there's really no harm in it, if you can afford it.

Which it is for sure. The problem is that more specifically it is a tax on people who are not smart with money. Well, often those people are people who don't make much money to begin with, hence the issue. The people who like to play it the most are the ones who can least afford it, and the ones who least understand the cost.

Coincidentally, North Carolina also has a state-run monopoly on its liquor sales, and NC average teacher salaries have declined by fifteen percent over the past decade.

If I were cynical, I might even say NC is deliberately cultivating stupid people as a resource.

reminds me of my idea for a national 50/50. could limit drawing to once a month so funds are substantial, there's always a winner, and the more tickets you buy, the better your odds.

50 % of the winnings go to the winner. The other 50% goes toward paying down the national debt (and nothing else). Unlike state lottery or other gambling winnings, this would get a special untaxed IRS exemption (without which it would be more like a 25/75 rather than a 50/50).

More from "MDB Communications" (the ad firm behind the D.C. Lottery commercials):




They won an "Addy" award for this btw. For whatever that's worth.

I gave this sift 2 votes up (in my mind) but also one vote down because it threw Tom Cruise under the bus for no reason. Joel Goodsen, Maverick, Ethan Hunt, Jerry Maguire, Les Grossman and Lestat de Lioncourt has nothing to do with this.

Up next : The pros of prohibition.

-scheherazade