Breaking the lottery promise
We were hard on Bev Perdue yesterday in our editorial knocking the governor's raid on lottery funds.
I actually think she's trying everything she can to balance the budget.
Still, we won't cut her any slack when it comes to the lottery.
We adamantly opposed creation of this lottery. I personally hate it. Government shouldn't promote gambling, and this lottery was passed through shady means.
But, the lottery is now a fact (although there's still a chance the state Supreme Court could overturn it in a case where a decision is pending). Since we do have the lottery, we're going to hold state leaders accountable for running it the way they said they would.
That means putting the profits to use as promised and as the lottery law stipulates: for public education.
NOT for other spending ... not even during a budget crisis.
The governor acted with constitutional authority to balance the budget, but not with moral authority.
Perdue personally has a special obligation, in my opinion, to see that lottery proceeds are used as promised because, as lieutenant governor, she cast the tie-breaking vote in the state Senate to pass the lottery bill.
It's no small irony now that she's in effect casting the only vote to violate the intent of the lottery law.
I've been impressed by Perdue's overall performance as governor so far. She's exceeding expectations.
But not on this.
I guess it goes to show. When it comes to the lottery, there's no such thing as integrity.
Comments (9)
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I don't think anyone should be surprised about this, Doug. It was clear from the start that the lottery fund would be open game for general expenditures.
Our state's government (and government in general) has an insatiable demand for money. No matter how much it gets, its never enough. So when the economy turns south, our leaders can't (or, more to the point, won't) tighten their belts and make do with less.
That pot of lottery money was just sitting there, waiting to be tapped. When integrity butts heads with political expediency, bet on expediency every time.
Posted on March 5, 2009 9:32 AM
Doug, you are partially right. When it comes to most politicians, there is no such thing as integrity!
Look at Easly and his corrupt use of his own plane, and the free use of a supporter's planes to the tune of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
How about the looting of the highway fund by the corrupt legislators?
How about the last speaker going to prison for corruption. It's never endning, here or in Washington.
We're overdue for a new revolution!
Posted on March 5, 2009 10:24 AM
Oh please. In every state in which they've been established, state-run lotteries have fallen short of their supporters' claims. Even in good times, the basic fungibility of money means that legislators can reduce education funding a little because they know the lottery revenues are there. As a result, education funding never quite rises by the amount contributed by the lottery. Some of us (me included) predicted that all along. Admittedly, Gov. Perdue's move is more blatant than what I've described here, but the difference is of degree, not kind. It's hard to see a bright line having been crossed when it's been crossed again and again in very subtle ways over the years.
Posted on March 5, 2009 11:16 AM
Sure, we warned about this, too. That doesn't mean we shouldn't fuss about it when it happens.
Posted on March 5, 2009 11:25 AM
Besides, the state's total shortfall is over $2 billion and I believe a fifth of the state's budget goes to K-12 education. That suggests that the shortfall in the K-12 education budget is $400-500 million. If so, then the governor can say she's using the $88 million for education. She's not spending it on roads but on schools! Misleading, you say? Maybe, but welcome to fungibility. This is no different than what's been happening all along.
Posted on March 5, 2009 11:25 AM
The lottery law specifies how lottery proceeds should be spent: preschool programs, college scholarships, school construction. Even if the governor uses the fungibility argument to claim it's all still going to education generally, it's not going specifically where intended. And, of course,, it was meant to add to rather than supplant other education spending.
Posted on March 5, 2009 11:41 AM
But, the lottery is now a fact (although there's still a chance the state Supreme Court could overturn it in a case where a decision is pending). *Doug
LOL! Doug! The chances of that happening is like Russ Limbaugh being appointed King of the Republican Party by the Democrat Obama White House...
Posted on March 5, 2009 12:46 PM
That you, Connie?
The Obama White House loves the idea of Rushbo as king of the GOP.
For the record, I don't think the NC Supreme Court will overturn the lottery. I predict a 3-3 deadlock, which will leave standing the appeals court's 2-1 decision that the lottery bill was not enacted illegally.
Posted on March 5, 2009 12:53 PM
Not much different than the Federal Government raiding social security for purposes other than those intended.
All politicians (IMHO) are dirty B's.
Posted on March 5, 2009 1:17 PM