NAACP wants to get rid of the state lottery?

[brainhulk]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/27/2162680/dallas-naacp-wants-to-shut-down.html

lol, do they want the state to wipe their asses too?

/facepalm

 

[Kadarin]

So... Since the NAACP is involved, this is an issue that affects race. Apparently, poor people who happen to be black (otherwise the NAACP would not give a crap) tend to be stupid and spend what little money they have on lottery tickets. Therefore, they want to get rid of the lottery.

Why not spend some time/effort/money in educating poor people (who happen to be black, otherwise the NAACP would not give a crap) that spending their rent money on the lottery is not such a good idea? Or is that expecting too much from their constituency?

 

[boomerang]

If they're too stupid to understand the ramifications of their lottery expenditures then ban them from buying tickets. Why penalize everybody?

 

[MovingTarget]

Lotteries are effectively a tax on the poor. They give out false hope.

But yeah, lets make this about race and ignore other things that prey upon the poor like cash advance/title loan/payday loan operations. Fail.

 

[alzan]

Poor people of all racial classes buy lottery tickets. Getting rid of the lottery won't automatically make people better educated about the best ways to spend what little money they have. Perhaps the NAACP should concentrate on increasing education; there are NAACP offices in every state and most major cities. Maybe they could have educational classes and/or campaigns of their own to teach people better ways of spending the money they do have.

Makes way too much sense I know.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

This is going to be fun to watch. The real issue is that the NAACP wants to free up that money so it is directed to them rather then the state via lottery sales.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

Lotteries are effectively a tax on the poor. They give out false hope.

But yeah, lets make this about race and ignore other things that prey upon the poor like cash advance/title loan/payday loan operations. Fail.

How so? Lottery tickets aren't mandatory to purchase by anyone, especially the poor.

 

[fskimospy]

This is going to be fun to watch. The real issue is that the NAACP wants to free up that money so it is directed to them rather then the state via lottery sales.

Wait, what?

 

[fskimospy]

http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/06/27/2162680/dallas-naacp-wants-to-shut-down.html

lol, do they want the state to wipe their asses too?

/facepalm

I do find it funny that you're basically arguing in favor of a government run gambling operation that exists to increase the amount of cash going to the government. When the NAACP wants to abolish this government department you are saying that they are asking to be nannied? The NAACP is arguing for smaller government here, shouldn't you be happy?

I've always thought the lottery was stupid but for entirely different reasons. Sure it affects poor people disproportionately, but the system is entirely voluntary. For me the reason to be rid of it is that there's no particularly good reason why the government should have a monopoly on gambling of a certain type.

 

[DucatiMonster696]

Wait, what?

Wait, whut? You don't see that a state lottery prevents them hitting up "poor people" for small donations when they encounter the fact that some of these people already spend this money on lottery tickets instead "digging down deep" to fund this state's chapter of the NAACP and its leadership.

 

[Subyman]

"People oftentimes make decisions not in their best interests," Wallace said. "We have to look out for those people."

And that's why these types of organizations scare me. They, somehow, know what is best for people, so they try to ban certain activities. Self righteous groups are very damaging to the nation.

 

[woolfe9999]

I do find it funny that you're basically arguing in favor of a government run gambling operation that exists to increase the amount of cash going to the government. When the NAACP wants to abolish this government department you are saying that they are asking to be nannied? The NAACP is arguing for smaller government here, shouldn't you be happy?

I've always thought the lottery was stupid but for entirely different reasons. Sure it affects poor people disproportionately, but the system is entirely voluntary. For me the reason to be rid of it is that there's no particularly good reason why the government should have a monopoly on gambling of a certain type.

My issue with it is actually that it disproportionately affects the poor. I don't have a moral problem with it because it is, as you say, voluntary. I get that they aren't being forced. However, its effect is regressive and IMO any regressive net effect is bad for the economy. Think of it like this. If the reality was the opposite - that most of the tickets were purchased by the wealthy - that money wouldn't be reducing their consumer spending and hence aggregate consumer demand. If the poor and middle class buy the tickets, it will. To give a fuller picture of the economic impact, I guess we'd have to know how the money is spent. Yet even if it's is spent on a safety net for the poor, it's more or less robbing Peter to pay Paul, meaning it's pointless.

It's also why I don't like sales taxes. They're regressive, and worse still in the case of sales taxes, they discourage consumer spending even further by raising prices.

- wolf

 

[DucatiMonster696]

My issue with it is actually that it disproportionately affects the poor. I don't have a moral problem with it because it is, as you say, voluntary. I get that they aren't being forced. However, its effect is regressive and IMO any regressive net effect is bad for the economy. Think of it like this. If the reality was the opposite - that most of the tickets were purchased by the wealthy - that money wouldn't be reducing their consumer spending and hence aggregate consumer demand. If the poor and middle class buy the tickets, it will. To give a fuller picture of the economic impact, I guess we'd have to know how the money is spent. Yet even if it's is spent on a safety net for the poor, it's more or less robbing Peter to pay Paul, meaning it's pointless.

It's also why I don't like sales taxes. They're regressive, and worse still in the case of sales taxes, they discourage consumer spending even further by raising prices.

- wolf

According to the article the state has generated about 20 billion dollars via the state lottery and 14 billion has made its way to schools in Texas. Removing this lottery is going to mean that other means of funding generation for schools would be required that could be far more intrusive and compulsory then a voluntary purchase of a state issued lottery ticket by the people of Texas.

 

[fskimospy]

Wait, whut? You don't see that a state lottery prevents them hitting up "poor people" for small donations when they encounter the fact that some of these people already spend this money on lottery tickets instead "digging down deep" to fund this state's chapter of the NAACP and its leadership.

You think that they are opposed to the lottery from a donations perspective? On what possible grounds?

Lol.

 

[woolfe9999]

According to the article the state has generated about 20 billion dollars via the state lottery and 14 billion has made its way to schools in Texas. Removing this lottery is going to mean that other means of funding generation for schools would be required that could be far more intrusive and compulsory then a voluntary purchase of a state issue lottery ticket by the people of Texas.

I agree, which is why I would not get rid of the state lottery without it being part of omnibus tax reform. I support low corporate taxes, no sales taxes, no lottery, higher progressive income taxes, higher capital gains (for capital gains exceeding a certain threshold), and expanded fees for government service (w/ poverty exemptions.) Reform the total system in a revenue neutral manner, and you can get rid of the lottery (and the even worse idea of sales taxes) as part of it.

 

[fskimospy]

My issue with it is actually that it disproportionately affects the poor. I don't have a moral problem with it because it is, as you say, voluntary. I get that they aren't being forced. However, its effect is regressive and IMO any regressive net effect is bad for the economy. Think of it like this. If the reality was the opposite - that most of the tickets were purchased by the wealthy - that money wouldn't be reducing their consumer spending and hence aggregate consumer demand. If the poor and middle class buy the tickets, it will. To give a fuller picture of the economic impact, I guess we'd have to know how the money is spent. Yet even if it's is spent on a safety net for the poor, it's more or less robbing Peter to pay Paul, meaning it's pointless.

It's also why I don't like sales taxes. They're regressive, and worse still in the case of sales taxes, they discourage consumer spending even further by raising prices.

- wolf

Oh, I also agree that it's a poor way for government to raise revenues as well.

 

[piasabird]

Gambling is inherently evil. No good comes from it. What about the gambling boats?

There was a reason why the government got rid of gambling. I dont see why people wanted to bring it back.

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

If they're too stupid to understand the ramifications of their lottery expenditures then ban them from buying tickets. Why penalize everybody?

If you take average intelegence and appply a standard deviation to that intelegence, there are those that are much less integent in society. Clearly someone of such high intelgence understand this. Some people just are not as smart as others. Call it laziness. Call it a bad childhood. People that are more intelegent usually are so because of forces outside of their control in their first 15 years of lie and even with their high intelegence they are to stupid to realize it or simply accept it.

Now, if governments role is to protect the stupid from themselves (seat belt laws, speed limits, DWI laws, curfews, fireworks laws, explosives laws, etc) why not ban lottery tickets?

If everyone had the drive, family support, natural ability and all that non sense, no one would buy lottery tickets and everyone including the jantior would have a PhD in Phsyics.

 

[Murloc]

you should fix your orthography and punctuation, I can barely understand what you wrote.

 

[Ronstang]

Limit welfare. Then they won't have as much money to spend on the lottery. Everybody wins!

 

[IHateMyJob2004]

you should fix your orthography and punctuation, I can barely understand what you wrote.

My point exactly. And I re-read what I wrote. It's got typos but why not get over your smugness and do a little comprehension on the message. Is this your way of dismissing a rational comment? Of, forget the letter k in that word ... dismiss it. That's what ignroant people do.

 

[Ronstang]

My issue with it is actually that it disproportionately affects the poor. I don't have a moral problem with it because it is, as you say, voluntary. I get that they aren't being forced. However, its effect is regressive and IMO any regressive net effect is bad for the economy. Think of it like this. If the reality was the opposite - that most of the tickets were purchased by the wealthy - that money wouldn't be reducing their consumer spending and hence aggregate consumer demand. If the poor and middle class buy the tickets, it will. To give a fuller picture of the economic impact, I guess we'd have to know how the money is spent. Yet even if it's is spent on a safety net for the poor, it's more or less robbing Peter to pay Paul, meaning it's pointless.

It's also why I don't like sales taxes. They're regressive, and worse still in the case of sales taxes, they discourage consumer spending even further by raising prices.

- wolf

You need to stop living in a dream land. EVERYTHING disproportionately affects the poor because they make poor decisions. There is no way to actually help the poor except through education so they can climb out of their hole. The problem is most poor don't value education that much. You can see this in any school in the bad parts of town. It really doesn't matter how hard the teachers try the students don't care and their parents are basically useless. It is not a money issue. It is one of culture. You will never solve the problems of the poor unless the poor decide they want to. People like you just want to throw other peoples' money at the problem so you can feel like you are doing something. Currently the poor are like caged animals being held down by all the entitlements. If they had no other choice but to provide for themselves, like the rest of us, they would rise to the occasion because they have no choice. Why do people like you constantly want to perpetuate modern day slavery?

 

[marvdmartian]

Just goes back to a "nanny state" way of thinking. "If our people lack the will power to use the money they have to buy necessities, and, instead, throw it away on the lottery.....then the ONLY solution is to ban the lottery!"

 

[MovingTarget]

You need to stop living in a dream land. EVERYTHING disproportionately affects the poor because they make poor decisions. There is no way to actually help the poor except through education so they can climb out of their hole. The problem is most poor don't value education that much. You can see this in any school in the bad parts of town. It really doesn't matter how hard the teachers try the students don't care and their parents are basically useless. It is not a money issue. It is one of culture. You will never solve the problems of the poor unless the poor decide they want to. People like you just want to throw other peoples' money at the problem so you can feel like you are doing something. Currently the poor are like caged animals being held down by all the entitlements. If they had no other choice but to provide for themselves, like the rest of us, they would rise to the occasion because they have no choice. Why do people like you constantly want to perpetuate modern day slavery?

If you seriously believe that about the vast majority of the poor, especially the working poor, you must be delusional. Yes, there are social ills associated with 'the poverty trap', but they are not what you think they are. :thumbsdown:

 

[Matt1970]

The Government and organizations like this knows what’s best for you and they know you cannot help yourselves with temptations like Lottery Tickets and 16oz Sodas everywhere you look. We will just have to lie back and enjoy it. Hell I think they should do more. We should all eat at large cafeterias so they can monitor our food intake. They should ban wheel spinners or whatever they are called as they serve no real purpose. They should also ban tabloid papers, chewing gum, amongst other non-food related items as it is keeping people from feeding their kids.