The
way things are going, the payments for December also may not be made.
YET
SOMEHOW I expect the factual tidbit that will most offend people relates to the
Illinois Lottery – in that officials said they have to scale back even further
the level to which they can actually pay out prizes to lottery game winners.
The
lack of a budget in place means the Department of the Lottery doesn’t have
access to the funds that would be used to pay prizes to lottery winners.
Until
this week, the lottery took the stance that any prize of more than $25,000
could not be paid. Winners received official documents confirming the state
owed them the money, and that they would be paid once Gov. Bruce Rauner and the
General Assembly’s leaders could put aside their partisan hang-ups and approve
a budget.
But
now, officials are saying the state’s finances are so tight that they cannot
pay out anything more than $600. Which means that just about anyone who wins
anything more than a token prize from one of those chintzy scratch-off games
will not get anything.
NOW
I HAVE written before that I don’t terribly sympathize with the lottery winners
– some of whom seem to act as though they believe they are the ultimate victims
in the ongoing political dispute over state government finances.
Nobody
forces anyone to play the lottery. If they have to wait a bit, it’s not the
biggest loss – particularly if the delay results in them getting interest
payments on top of their prizes.
They
may wind up being even bigger winners than they have any right to deserve to
be.
But
I have read countless Internet commentary complaining about the lottery prizes.
Heck, I have received my own share of statements (all anonymous, of course)
telling me how misguided I am – only in more-harsh terms than that.
IF
THERE IS something that ought to be done, perhaps the Illinois lottery games
themselves ought to be put on hold until such a time that the partisan politics
are put aside and a budget is passed.
Although
I don’t know who in their right mind would want to play lottery games where it
is uncertain the prizes would be paid. That really is the equivalent of money
being thrown into the toilet.
Because
if it weren’t for the fact that the state is being so open about its lack of
access to funds (the money does exist, taxes and fees to the state are still
being collected), one could say that the Illinois lottery is a criminal racket.
How
else could one describe something that takes your money with the promise of a
huge payoff – then refuses to follow through on it?
TO
BE HONEST, even the numbers racket operators of old had more honor than that.
They made their fortunes off of large numbers of nickel bets, yet had the honesty
to pay off the winners from among those whose dreams the night before resulted
in some combination of numbers from a dream book.
Yet
they were the “criminals,” while the modern-day lottery raises money for
schools and “the children” – or at least so claims the official rhetoric.
Now
I go so over the top in my rhetoric because I don’t expect the state lottery to
shut down. THAT would be considered the ultimate offense by too many people –
who would probably then file a lawsuit demanding the right to have a lottery so
they can dream of winning their fortunes without having to work for them.
A
concept that bothers me just as much as how the lack of those pension payments
will cause even more problems for the state in the long-term – and not just
because it gives the partisans of former Gov. Pat Quinn a reason to gloat
because HE never missed pension payments during his time in office.
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