I've heard lotteries called the "stupidity tax".

If your church won't take a tithe out of lottery money give it to me.  I will put it to very good use.

I think that the Oklahoma legislators will send the lottery to a vote of the people this year.  And I think that is sad.  We voted for our legislators to represent us and make decisions like this for us.  Shouldn't they have the backbone just to vote yes or no on a lottery and not go through the expense of a public vote?  We voted them into office to vote for us.  If we don't like how they vote, then we vote them out.  That's my idea anyway.

Kevin

[!--QuoteBegin--][/span][table border=\"0\" align=\"center\" width=\"95%\" cellpadding=\"3\" cellspacing=\"1\"][tr][td]Quote (kmv @ Feb. 15 2003,11:32)[/td][/tr][tr][td id=\"QUOTE\"][!--QuoteEBegin--]There's also an economic argument against a state lottery, at  least for me.[/quote]
The most interesting statistic I have seen shows how the budgets, and need, for social assistance increased after lotteries entered a state.  The assumption, is that people who can't afford tickets buy too many tickets then can't feed their family.

I think Spurly mentioned building a bridge.  I saw a great example of that this week.  A local church applied for and received a grant (from an electric co-op) to assist people with their heating a cooling needs.  This church has received $15000 to assist people in their community.  No strings attached.  I may be simplistic, but I think that is a terrific outreach and it didn't cost the church a dime   :thumbup:

Rubel Shelly argued (pre-Tennessee general election) that:

"The truth is that a lottery in Tennessee will make it more likely that we will have a state income tax sooner rather than later. Here’s why ... "

Here's why NOT:

States with no tax on earned income and no lottery (3, likely 2 in '03):
Alaska
(-) Tennessee (lottery likely in '03)(income tax on div. & int.)
Wyoming

States with no tax on earned income but operate a lottery (5, likely 6 in '03):
Florida
New Hampshire (income tax on div. & int.)
South Dakota
(+) Tennessee (lottery likely in '03)(income tax on div. & int.)
Texas
Washington

States with no lottery but levy tax on earned income (9):
Alabama
Arkansas
Hawaii
Nevada
Mississippi
North Carolina
North Dakota
Oklahoma
Utah

There are plenty of reasons to argue against a lottery pre-enactment and for close supervision if created (in fact, if Tennessee creates a lottery, to protect the vulnerable, lottery opponents should aggressively make the argument that it should be run by them), but attempting to suggest that those states with lotteries are likely to then create state income taxes (as if taxes are on the same ethical level as lotteries) is just sloppy thinking. If simple correlation between state income taxes on earned income and state-run lotteries "proves" anything, the better argument is that creating an income tax on earned income makes a state lottery less, not more, likely. The underlying concern facing state legislatures is adequate funding for programs demanded by the electorate along with the reluctance by the electorate actually to want to pay for them, not some inchoate desire to corrupt them.

- Bob Brandon

Spurly -

I wonder, does that SBC stand mean that a faithful member congregation would refuse to let a lottery-winning church member put a million dollars in the collection plate of a Sunday?

In case anyone is wondering, no I am not the winner of the Powerball jackpot.   :cry:   And though I live near him, I have never met the man who won.  A lady who used to go to church with us formerly managed the store where the ticket was bought, but that's the closest connection I can find.  I am currently online checking my geneology.  This is West Virginia; we have to be related somehow.   :pray:

btw, as far as I know the Church of God will accept the man's tithe.  Sorry, BH.   :doh: