In Parts 1, 2, and 3 of our series on repealing the Arkansas Lottery, we looked at how little lottery revenue is really going to scholarships; how much economic damage the lottery is causing; and how much social dysfunction the lottery is contributing to. Today, we’re going to end our series by looking at one of the most compelling reasons of all: The fact that it puts the State in the gambling business.
In Parts 1 and 2 of our series on abolishing the Arkansas Lottery, we discussed how the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery is not really for scholarships and how economically destructive this state-run lottery really is. Today I want to look at another way the lottery is hurting Arkansas: Social destruction.
In Part 1 of our series about overturning the Arkansas Lottery, we examined how the “lottery for scholarships” we were all promised has really become more of a “lottery for profit,” with scholarships being almost an afterthought than the primary focus of the Arkansas Lottery. Today I want to examine another reason for abolishing the Arkansas Lottery: The economic harm it is causing our state.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve focused considerably on how poorly managed the Arkansas Lottery is. We’ve talked about the lack of accountability at the Lottery Commission; the Legislative Oversight Committee’s toothlessness in being able to provide any actually oversight; and even the Lottery Director’s move to award comp time to himself and some high-paid employees who do not qualify for it. However, even though there are more than enough problems with the Arkansas Lottery, I don’t want to lose focus of one very important fact: We shouldn’t have a lottery in Arkansas to begin with.
Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue came under fire yesterday from the Arkansas Lottery Commission for awarding compensatory time to high-salaried employees who aren’t eligible for overtime pay. Two commission members moved to relieve Mr. Passailaigue of his duties as lottery director, but the motion didn’t pass and Passailaigue kept his job.