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Why doesn't Utah have a Lottery?

franklin said:
I'll take you seriously right after you carry this line of reasoning into an anti-social security and anti-healthcare rant. You're full of **** until you do.
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I don't see how the 2 are related to legalized gambling.

Social Security: I have paid into it for 20+ years. Of course I expect it to be there when I am supposed to reap the benefits. And I appreciate the fact that old people have something to fall back on so they aren't starving in the streets when they are too old to work.

Health Care: This is a vital service that everyone will need at some point in their life. It's already socialized, and has been since day 1. Right now it's "socialized" by the private sector. Most people have it "socialized" within the company that they work for. Everyone pays into the same plan. The cost has been skyrocketing for years, decades even. And it's not surprising since the people providing the service are only in it to make as much money as they possibly can. If the government wants to turn it into a non profit, and provide it for us, I'm all for it. Give everyone in this nation the same heath care that congress gets. Cut the defense spending. Lets spend less on killing others, and more on health care for Americans.

Gambling: If I take $5.00 and buy a lotto ticket at the 7-11 down the street, what business is it of yours? Especially if I am already taking that $5.00 and buying the same lotto ticket in Idaho right now anyway?
 
colton said:
As long as we have the current level of social programs (welfare, medicaid, food stamps, bankruptcy laws, etc), it certainly the business of any taxpayer if people get addicted and unable to function as productive members of society.
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Wait, how does becoming addicted to gambling make anyone unable to function as productive members of society? Are you saying it's possible that I get fired from my job for playing the lottery? Or I will quit my job after buying a lottery ticket?

Anyone who quits his job because he bought a lottery ticket was probably not a productive member of society anyway.
 
SaltyDawg said:
Wait, how does becoming addicted to gambling make anyone unable to function as productive members of society? Are you saying it's possible that I get fired from my job for playing the lottery? Or I will quit my job after buying a lottery ticket?

Anyone who quits his job because he bought a lottery ticket was probably not a productive member of society anyway.
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Read my post again. I'm separating my objections to the lottery from my objections to gambling. (By gambling, I'm thinking of casino games/slot machines/etc.) The parts you were quote were with regards to the latter.
 
colton said:
Read my post again. I'm separating my objections to the lottery from my objections to gambling. (By gambling, I'm thinking of casino games/slot machines/etc.) The parts you were quote were with regards to the latter.
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Oh, okay. It makes more sense now, lol.

So I have a couple of points about that then...

#1: So why are you against a lottery then?

#2: I'm not entirely convinced that legalized gambling will lead to a lot of currently productive members of society becoming unproductive members. For one thing, gambling isn't free. You pretty much have to maintain a steady income in order to partake. And also, as has been pointed out, legalized gambling is already only 1.5 hours away for the majority of this state's population. There are even buses that will take you out there and back, which actually pay you for the trouble. You pay them like $10 for the round trip bus ticket, and they give you $15 or so in casino chips plus a few free drinks and a meal. I believe these buses leave SLC every day, twice per day, with multiple pick up and drop off points around the valley. So it's not like it's hard to get out there or anything.
 
colton said:
As long as we have the current level of social programs (welfare, medicaid, food stamps, bankruptcy laws, etc), it certainly the business of any taxpayer if people get addicted and unable to function as productive members of society.
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Does this mean that we need to outlaw alcohol since being a drunk can limit your ability to function as a productive member of society? At some point you have to let people make their own decisions and let them live with the consequences.
 
Hantlers said:
Does this mean that we need to outlaw alcohol since being a drunk can limit your ability to function as a productive member of society? At some point you have to let people make their own decisions and let them live with the consequences.
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What about TVs? Lots of people sit at home and watch TV instead of going to work. And what about guns? Plenty of people use them to steal instead of going to work.

Seriously, there are countless things that can be used to blow off work. Where do we draw the line and just let people live the life they choose for themselves?
 
colton said:
See my posts from earlier in the thread.
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Your post from earlier in the thread just basically said it's a stupid way to raise money.

I'm saying screw the raising money. A lottery should be legal because people enjoy playing it. It ALSO raises money, so it can actually do some good. But it should be legal because people want to play, and they are currently buying their tickets in Idaho/Arizona/Colorado right now anyway. So I don't really understand how it being a stupid way to raise money is grounds for keeping it illegal.

If I am correct in assuming the only reason you want to keep it illegal is because it's a stupid way to raise money. If not, please correct me.
 
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