Taking “the hair of the dog that bit you” means curing a hangover with another drink in the morning. Nobody follows that principle as public policy, but current government practice regarding gambling and drug use subscribes to the same logic.
It started in Michigan with the state Lotto, back in the 1970's. The promised that all profits would go to schools. And they were faithful, all profits from lotteries went to the schools. What they didn't tell the people was that the amount of money that went to the schools, was subsequently taken back and put into the general fund, for other purposes. So there was a net zero sum of money gained for the school system, at the expense of the allowing of the gambling industry getting a foothold into Michigan. It is so bad that at one point, Michigan even had a daily lottery drawing where people could spend as little as 10-15 cents on a lottery ticket for a daily ticket, to win 20-50$. Now I wonder just who the lottery officials were targeting with that small change betting? Certainly not the middle class mother who was picking up groceries for the week. More like the poor who was taking back bottles to buy a 40 oz. but who had an extra bottle, and so they wanted them to spend that dime bottle return on a chance lottery win. I remember being pretty pissed at the lottery for doing that. Hit the people who least could afford to spend that few extra cents, on a get rich quick scheme, knowing that the money was better spent by putting it together with the savings of a week and buying a pack of bologna or cheap hotdogs and they would at least get some protein for a bit. Tar and feathers are too late. Street lamp posts just might be worth looking into. I am only joking of course. Violence is never an answer to anything.
The school my wife worked at here in Ga got a 5 million lottery funds endowment, and the budget from the state that year dropped 4.8 million as well for just that one year. Zero sum game, nothing added to the system, just watching the shells slide across the table trying to follow the pea.
It started in Michigan with the state Lotto, back in the 1970's. The promised that all profits would go to schools. And they were faithful, all profits from lotteries went to the schools. What they didn't tell the people was that the amount of money that went to the schools, was subsequently taken back and put into the general fund, for other purposes. So there was a net zero sum of money gained for the school system, at the expense of the allowing of the gambling industry getting a foothold into Michigan.
ReplyDeleteIt is so bad that at one point, Michigan even had a daily lottery drawing where people could spend as little as 10-15 cents on a lottery ticket for a daily ticket, to win 20-50$. Now I wonder just who the lottery officials were targeting with that small change betting? Certainly not the middle class mother who was picking up groceries for the week. More like the poor who was taking back bottles to buy a 40 oz. but who had an extra bottle, and so they wanted them to spend that dime bottle return on a chance lottery win. I remember being pretty pissed at the lottery for doing that. Hit the people who least could afford to spend that few extra cents, on a get rich quick scheme, knowing that the money was better spent by putting it together with the savings of a week and buying a pack of bologna or cheap hotdogs and they would at least get some protein for a bit.
Tar and feathers are too late. Street lamp posts just might be worth looking into. I am only joking of course. Violence is never an answer to anything.
"Violence is never an answer to anything." I believe that depends entirely on the question!
DeleteCalifornia did the exact same thing, at around the same time. Worked about as well...
ReplyDeleteThe morning after Hair of the dog is a 99% chance of a DUI at 7 am.
ReplyDeleteThe school my wife worked at here in Ga got a 5 million lottery funds endowment, and the budget from the state that year dropped 4.8 million as well for just that one year. Zero sum game, nothing added to the system, just watching the shells slide across the table trying to follow the pea.
ReplyDelete