Over the past few years I have written a number of articles in opposition to a state run lottery for North Carolina. I am not against it because I think it”s regressive, I think that all people rich and poor should be able to spend their money any way they want. I’m certainly not against because I think gambling is immoral. After all, I’m Catholic and if it weren’t for bingo the Catholic Church, outside of North Carolina, would hardly exist. No, I’m against it because its sole purpose would be to increase the size and scope of state government. The state has realized that it has gone about as far as the electorate will let it in raising new taxes, and so it needs to find other ways of transferring revenues from the private to the public sector.
But there is a way that Governor Easley could get me to change my mind and turn on my colleagues at the JLF. I will support a lottery if we are guaranteed that the state will limit its activities to only what it can fund from the lottery and other voluntary methods–maybe an annual telethon, or bake sales.
What do you say Governor, is it a deal?
