NAACP wants to get rid of the state lottery?

[Ronstang]

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:

I have known quite a few "working poor", people I have considered friends. The one common thing among them all was they continually made bad decisions and never placed the importance on education that they should have. You can try to shift the blame any way that makes you feel good but if YOU are in a bad position in life the only one to blame and the only one that has true control over the situation is YOU. Thinking any other way is what perpetuates the problem.

 

[MovingTarget]

I have known quite a few "working poor", people I have considered friends. The one common thing among them all was they continually made bad decisions and never placed the importance on education that they should have. You can try to shift the blame any way that makes you feel good but if YOU are in a bad position in life the only one to blame and the only one that has true control over the situation is YOU. Thinking any other way is what perpetuates the problem.

Ever been one yourself, or had family that are? You simply cannot attribute the plight of the poor to continually making bad decisions. I have known many poor people that do value education and hard work, moreso than many rich people. Good decisions, bad decisions, the deck can still be stacked against you. This isn't about shifting blame away from bad decisions, but acknowledging that attributing one's lot in life by default to bad decisions is ludicrous.

Even the brightest and industrious of most individuals can still end up without a pot to piss in so to speak depending solely on circumstance. If anything, hard work is becoming more decoupled from success if this latest economic downturn and overall trend is to be taken into account. There is still a strong correlation between hard work and success, but it isn't as strong as it used to be.

 

[Ronstang]

Yeah, I have been there and I have family that has been there too. I no longer have to worry about much of anything, and it was my own doing. I know exactly what I am talking about. Circumstance is merely a hurdle you either choose to sit behind and cry or get yourself up and jump over so you can make your life better. I know what I am talking about.

 

[Wreckem]

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.

Its not just the NAACP that wants to do away with the lottery the State GOP Party wants to do away with it as well.

Considering the lottery does pay $1billion to Texas education a year, and the fact that Texas was a couple billion short of baseline funding per year for this current budget cycle. Getting rid of the lottery would be stupid. But Texas Republicans in Austin are fairly stupid.

If they did away with the lottery, and growth stays the same, Texas would be around $3billion a year short of baseline funding for education for the 2013-2014 budget cycle.

But thats okay with the Texas Republicans. They support doing away with early childhood education, kindergarten, and critical thinking skills. So they might actually be stupid enough to kill the lottery. They keep killing bills to have a handful of casinos in Texas(5 IIRC). Tax revenue from the 5 would exceed $1billion/year.

 

[CPA]

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?

But, I'm sure that I've been told many times that there are more poor white people than black.

 

[CPA]

Its not just the NAACP that wants to do away with the lottery the State GOP Party wants to do away with it as well.

Considering the lottery does pay $1billion to Texas education a year, and the fact that Texas was a couple billion short of baseline funding per year for this current budget cycle. Getting rid of the lottery would be stupid. But Texas Republicans in Austin are fairly stupid.

If they did away with the lottery, and growth stays the same, Texas would be around $3billion a year short of baseline funding for education for the 2013-2014 budget cycle.

But thats okay with the Texas Republicans. They support doing away with early childhood education, kindergarten, and critical thinking skills. So they might actually be stupid enough to kill the lottery. They keep killing bills to have a handful of casinos in Texas(5 IIRC). Tax revenue from the 5 would exceed $1billion/year.

And that's the problem with any tax. Once you get used to it and it's "cause" you are bound to piss somebody off when you want to repeal it.

 

[Wreckem]

And that's the problem with any tax. Once you get used to it and it's "cause" you are bound to piss somebody off when you want to repeal it.

Texas' tax system has a structural deficit. They shouldnt be contemplating getting rid of certain taxes/revenue producing programs. They honestly need to start reforming the tax system, which would include higher taxes/more revenue producing programs. They aren't going to. The republicans will continue to decimate the state of Texas and the idiots of Texas will let them. Not to mention Gov. Good Hair is expected run for another term in 2014, and in all likelihood, the idiots will keep him in office for an unprecedented 14 years in office. No one ever learns.

I am so glad, I only have 11 more months in Texas. And that is coming from a life long Texan.