01-06-2011, 05:06 AM
Lotteries are a form of voluntary taxation, usually being disproportionately paid into by the less educated, lower income segment of the population. States which have started lotteries dedicated to education or some other worthy sounding endeavor have found their politicians all too willing to raid the lottery income stream for less attractive purposes. They don't always get their way, but sometimes they do. In my former state of Georgia, the lottery income is statutorily limited to college scholarships for kids with 'B' or better averages and kindergarten programs. Due to stagnating growth in the Georgia Lottery and budget cuts that resulted in huge increases in college tuition and fees, they are now having to decide whether to cut the scholarship payments or raise the grade point average required to get them.
Steering this back to Hawaii, I would add that given the almost legendary propensity for gambling among Hawaii residents, a lottery could have a lot of negative consequences. Although lotteries are relatively benign in terms of crime, opening the door to legalized gambling of any sort could be a Pandora's Box of compulsive behavior. On the other hand, there is a huge amount of legal gambling money leaving the state on those planes to Vegas and a whole lot of illegal gambling going on right now. It's really complicated.
Steering this back to Hawaii, I would add that given the almost legendary propensity for gambling among Hawaii residents, a lottery could have a lot of negative consequences. Although lotteries are relatively benign in terms of crime, opening the door to legalized gambling of any sort could be a Pandora's Box of compulsive behavior. On the other hand, there is a huge amount of legal gambling money leaving the state on those planes to Vegas and a whole lot of illegal gambling going on right now. It's really complicated.