Remember the sound bytes, played and repeated over and over again during the passage of the lottery? Repeatedly it was claimed that the lottery proceeds would not be used to REPLACE spending on education? Oops, that sure didn't last long.

Members of the House and Senate are competing to see who can spend the lottery proceeds faster -- before the money is even collected. They've proposed expanding the utterly useless "More at Four" program (it has ZERO measurable educational benefits); give money to the "Job Development Investment Grant Program," pay off bonds for school construction (that's normally done by the counties); and various other uses.

The problem with believing the current crop of legislators in Raleigh is that so few of them seem to tell the truth -- even when they claim "things have changed" from last year to this one. I will be surprised if the "income" from the lottery isn't dumped into the general fund within 2 years.

Posted by: Ogre at 11:02 AM | Comments (2) | Add Comment
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Judge Henry Hight ruled today that the North Carolina Constitution is not the controlling authority that determines law in the state, but instead the Democrat members of the House of Representatives are permitted to make laws and do as they please, no matter what the North Carolina Constitution says.

It is likely the ruling will be appealed, but it is not known when it will be appealed, or if the appeals court will hear the case before the lottery tickets actually go one sale.

Unfortunately, no one even contests that the Constitution was violated -- it's just that no one cares.

The North Carolina Constitution clearly states that any law that raises money for the state is to be voted upon on three separate days. The lottery was not. The only way the judge can claim that the Constitution was not violated is to claim that the lottery isn't bringing any revenue into the state of North Carolina.

So much for any rule of law in NC.

Posted by: Ogre at 05:54 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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Ah yes, the lottery topic again. As you may or may not know, North Carolina is trying very hard to join the state-sponsored gambling monopoly. As with just about every other state-sponsored gambling monopoly created, it is being sold as "for the children." We are told over and over again that the money will only be used for education, and that the "new" money will not replace current expenditures.

If you believe that, I've got a great deal on some oceanfront property in Montana for you.

South Carolina is already bemoaning the "loss" of education funding that will happen when North Carolina's gambling enterprise starts up. If all the lottery money is "extra" money to be spent on education, why the problems?

Because SC, like every other government that's addicted to gambling programs, cannot stand ANY decrease in any spending program, EVER. That's why they are already talking about the SC legislature having to increase funding to education to make up for the "shortfall" that's going to happen when NC residents stop playing the SC lottery.

But it's for the children, so just give the state the money you earn and shut up.

Posted by: Ogre at 02:03 PM | No Comments | Add Comment
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