Education and Lottery
October 9, 2007
Dear Russ,
With the Statewide shut down everyone has been afraid about closing Gambling because of how much money is given to education. This article in the NY Times shows we have no way of knowing how much of that money goes to our education and the funds do not increase our education dollars in the end:
"In some states, lottery dollars are pooled with other funds, making it impossible to determine how much the lottery benefits schools. That is the case in Michigan, Texas and Illinois.
Because legislators in these states decide school budgets well in advance of knowing what lottery revenue will be, lottery money is just another part of the overall budget. If the lottery dollars are below projections, the state makes up the shortfall with money from other sources, or in some cases, simply gives schools less money. If the lottery dollars exceed projections, the state uses some of the money for other programs."
The money doesn't help our schools. Our state still pays for the schools either way and the lottery does not effect that funding. All levels of Government in Michigan are basically supporting get-rich-quick schemes and casinos while excusing it as "education dollars."
Personally, I'm disgusted both by the facts but also by the broader implications on our officials in Government. They are telling us lies about the lotteries importance and we all have to ask ourselves: why? Where is their incentive to lie to us? If we can find that out then maybe we'll really see why the legislatures approved lower percentages to go to the State and bigger payouts for gamblers.
Sincerely,
Brian T E
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/07/business/...
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9 Comment(s)
Lottery money was to go for education in the state of Michigan. What a bad joke. Don't you get it "it's a racket "
--by on 10/9/07 Lives: Michigan
It always surprises me when people wonder where the money goes for the lottery. First of all, if 50% of gross lottery ticket sales (after operating costs) went to education as they are supposed to it wouldn't even be 5% of the state school budget. Secondly, it's a shell game. The state has never denied this. Any money the lottery makes for the schools is money the state doesn't have to put towards the schools. If everyone wants to know where all the lottery money goes look no further then the teachers benifits. They cost an estimated $1,600 per month, per teacher. This figure was released last week by the state. The main cause of this (and should be the target of everyones anger) is the teachers union, which OWNS the insurance company therefore deciding the rates paid by the state. In my opinion, and I know that this will ruffle a lot of peoples feathers on this site, is to privatize the school system. This will eventually happen everywhere anyways. Why not be the first to do it and get ahead of the game?
--by on 10/10/07 Lives: Detroit area
Looks like schools got trumped!
Here is the Ace in the story...
"In some states, lottery dollars are pooled with other funds, making it impossible to determine how much the lottery benefits schools. That is the case in Michigan, Texas and Illinois.
Because legislators in these states decide school budgets well in advance of knowing what lottery revenue will be, lottery money is just another part of the overall budget. If the lottery dollars are below projections, the state makes up the shortfall with money from other sources, or in some cases, simply gives schools less money. If the lottery dollars exceed projections, the state uses some of the money for other programs.
“Legislators merely substitute general revenue funds with lottery dollars so the schools don’t really gain any additional funding,� said O. Homer Erekson, dean of the business school at the University of Missouri in Kansas City, who co-wrote a national study on lottery money and school financing. "
Time to do away with Proposal A and let local communities fund their schools.
--by on 10/10/07 Lives: Michigan
Never mind the lottery, look what our "masters" in Washington DC are now force feeding us. House Speaker Democrat Nancy Pelosi today defended the Architect of the Capitol's refusal to permit use of the word "God" on official certificates enclosed with flags flown over the U.S. Capitol. These flags are given out to citizens that request them by their congressmen.
--by on 10/10/07 Lives: Michigan
4 billion dollars a year is paid by the state just for teachers retirement benefits. Does this answer anyones questions as to where all the money goes?
--by on 10/10/07 Lives: Dearborn
Pressed wood --
Get your facts straight before you spout off. Not all of the teachers unions partake in union owned insurance. In Dearborn the insurance is the same as anyone else out there gets. There is a choice of HMO, or PPO that's it. Neither of which are union owned.
As far as privatizing, why don't you try brushing up on a little piece of paper called the "Constitution of the United States." In this document it guarantees a FREE public education. It is to be separate from Private education that has to be paid for out of your own pocket. I'll never understand why all the putzes out there always want to blame the teachers for everything. GROW UP. If you want private education send your children to a private school and pay out the nose for it.
Why don't you try for once in your life to put the blame where it really belongs. On a government that wants to put higher and higher demands on public education but doesn't want to fund those changes... GO FIGURE.
On the brighter side, it's nice to see that word is finally getting out there that the lottery money that goes to education is a scam. People in education have known this for years but nobody ever wanted to listen because they just want to put the blame on the teachers. Is it really that surprising that our government has a habit of keeping us in the blind. Everything is on a need to know basis and they figure that we don't need to know.
--by on 10/10/07 Lives: Dearborn
I home school my kids, Why ? because Public schools are failing right and left.
Look at the falling scores of all three high schools in Dearborn. Politically correct garbage is fed the the students by so called "educators" who have been brain washed in liberal dogma in many of our colleges.
Now before you start your attacks on my comments, I understand that not all teachers are liberal clones and not everything that goes on in public school is bad.
But in my opinion ,a high percentage of what is passed off in public schools as "education", is sub standard.
Now ,is you ask me who is most to blame for the decline in Public education, My answer is the educational elite in our colleges and university colleges of education.
I pity the poor teachers that have to teach under the handicap of "professional" leaders, translation; people who have graduated with advance degrees in "education" but not in the subject area that most teachers have to work in.
--by on 10/11/07 Lives: Michigan
Old news for both the MI lottery & the author's personal disgust. BTE I too, have a passion for government & politics. Given the trajectory of your philosophies I predict an oncoming state of anomie followed by a terminal existential nihilism.
Political and governmental bodies of these United States are a cluster-f of dysfunction. It is impossible to find a policy that is not inherently flawed or corrupt. What's the point? It's like sausage, you may love eating it but, try watching watching it being made and then see how you feel.
The US government does seem miserable until you investigate the governments past and present of the rest of the world. Then, you will understand what it is about. Its just like a human being we have living inside of us from our first breath, two dogs - one evil and one good. The Vick level fight between these two is life long. Guess which one wins - the one you feed.
You have unique gifts of insight. Use them wisely.
--by on 10/16/07 Lives: Dearborn
Get it straight;
What part of the constitution do you think guarantees a FREE public education. Privatizing it doesn't mean it will cost the kid's families but only changes who would run it, the government known for ineficiency or a private contrator who can be fired for not doing a good job.
--by on 10/16/07 Lives: Dearborn