Democrats trying to ruin Calif. Mega Millions lottery participation

Jun 17, 2005, 11:09 am (30 comments)

Mega Millions

Democrat lawmakers in California will convene an emergency hearing on what their attorneys call Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's illegal linking of California with the multi-state Mega Millions lottery game.

Republicans say this is the latest Democrat obstruction, as the Governor continues his bid to rescue California from its fiscal and electoral problems.

National and state anti-gambling groups said they would delay filing a lawsuit against Schwarzenegger's deficit-easing entrance into Mega Millions lotto until they see the outcome of Tuesdays legislative hearing, which will be officially announced today.

State lottery officials said they are proceeding with plans to begin selling the $1 Mega Millions tickets Wednesday for a chance to win perhaps $400 million jackpots, despite a Legislative Counsel's Office opinion they do not have the authority under the 1984 voter-approved Lottery Act.

Schwarzeneggers office referred queries about the hearing to the state lottery.

Lottery Acting Director Chon Gutierrez cited a state Attorney Generals Office informal advice letter that anti-gambling groups lawyers said was weak by comparison with the formal opinion issued by lawmakers' attorneys.

But Gutierrez said the lottery has done everything right and has been very deliberate and cautious every step of the way.

Sen. Dean Florez, a Bakersfield Democrat whose Senate Governmental Organization Committee oversees the lottery, is calling the hearing.

Asked if the hearing was tied to the November special election and ongoing budget battle with Schwarzenegger, Florez said, "Everything gets tangled up in the politics of the building."

 

"The informational hearing is a much more official shot across the bow of the administration and Lottery Commission (the governor appoints) that you ought not proceed without getting legislative approval," said Fred Jones, an attorney for the California Coalition Against Legalized Gambling.

If that doesnt work, he said, both the California group and the separate National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling are pondering lawsuits to test the differing legal opinions and the parameters of the Lottery Act.

Furthermore, Jones said, "Just because they may start ticket sales the following day (after the hearing), if the (Democrat-dominated) Legislature is convinced that theyre going beyond their statutory authority, there's nothing stopping the lawmakers from weighing heavily into this issue."

"They can cause quite a bit of headache to the administration over the budget and other matters," Jones said.

Lawmakers already have invited Schwarzenegger to seek a two-thirds vote of the Legislature to amend the Lottery Act, though the governor has not responded.

As always, the voters have the final voice on whether they want their lawmakers to continue instituting legal roadblocks and using obstruction tactics to slow the progress made by the popular governor.

In Mega Millions, players pick six numbers from 1 to 52 to match those drawn twice weekly. Bets are currently pooled from the states of New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio, Maryland, Georgia, Illinois, New Jersey, Virginia and Washington.

Tri-Valley Herald

Comments

mrmst's avatarmrmst

Sounds like the democrats want to block Arnold's shot at increasing revenues without rasing taxes - then in the next election for govenor point and say he didn't do what he promised.

CASH Only

The current MM is not "six numbers from 1 to 52".

Rip Snorter

National and state anti-gambling groups said they would delay filing a lawsuit against Schwarzenegger's deficit-easing entrance into Mega Millions lotto until they see the outcome of Tuesdays legislative hearing, which will be officially announced today.

Just goes to show there are National and state anti-gambling groups full of memers to add to the bag of folks a person wouldn't wish to know on a personal basis. 

Evidently there are groups of people in the world who know one another, but who think there's something in gambling laws that would require them to gamble.  Otherwise, why would they have opinions strong enough to cause them to be identified as 'anti-gambling' groups.

Hmmmm.  Or maybe they believe they're wise enough to know whether you and I should be allowed to gamble with the bucks that come into our lives?

Nahhhh.  Nobody could be that arrogant.

Jack

atlasshrugged's avataratlasshrugged

I can't say that I am surprized about this. Democrats have always hated the lottery. Yeah I know, Zell Miller was the guy who brought the lottery to GA and he's a democrat. But in my humble opinion he's a DINO. Anyway, this is just one more way for them to take choices away from individuals. What I do with my money is my business. And if I end up in the gutter because of a gambling addiction, it's nobody's fault but mine. Freedom = responsibility. They know that any time someone wins the lottery, that person no longer needs them or their social programs. In the infamous words of Eric Cartman from Southpark, "Democrats p*** me off!" -Bonnie

CASH Only

I am a Democrat who doesn't hate the lottery, although I have gripes against the one where I live.

Todd's avatarTodd

The current MM is not "six numbers from 1 to 52".

Yes it is, what game are you playing (5/52+1/52 is often referred to as "6 numbers from 1 to 52" by plain-speaking people).

dvdiva's avatardvdiva

I would laugh if the heavily Democrat CA would be screwed out of getting a large jackpot by the people they voted for. Nothing like alienating your voters like stopping sales in something most of them want. Odds are they will sue anyway and try for an injuction. Predictable nonsence at its worse.

MPJO

Can someone explain why Democrats just want to keep raising taxes?

Is it genetic or don't they have anything else to do?

Raising taxes is just code for we want to take more of your money and spend it on who knows what.

It's your money,you earned it so you do what you want with it instead of someone else trying to raise taxes....(take your money)

The higher they raise taxes today,the lower your lifestyle will be when you retire...if you can retire.

Here in Washington state they wanted to raise the gasoline tax 14.5 cents a gallon and finally ended up being 9.5 cents a gallon.

They also wanted to put a tax on households of $4 dollars a month just for owning your own house and also $2 per employee per month.

Thank God that both of those last tax proposals were shot down.

Our lovely Governor Christine "What's in your Wallet"? Gregoire has not found a tax yet that she didn't want to raise.

At least we don't have a state income tax.

Mike

 

dvdiva's avatardvdiva

You know the dead voters of King County favor an income tax don't you?

Rip Snorter

Can someone explain why Democrats just want to keep raising taxes?

Is it genetic or don't they have anything else to do?

Raising taxes is just code for we want to take more of your money and spend it on who knows what.

It's your money,you earned it so you do what you want with it instead of someone else trying to raise taxes....(take your money)

The higher they raise taxes today,the lower your lifestyle will be when you retire...if you can retire.

Here in Washington state they wanted to raise the gasoline tax 14.5 cents a gallon and finally ended up being 9.5 cents a gallon.

They also wanted to put a tax on households of $4 dollars a month just for owning your own house and also $2 per employee per month.

Thank God that both of those last tax proposals were shot down.

Our lovely Governor Christine "What's in your Wallet"? Gregoire has not found a tax yet that she didn't want to raise.

At least we don't have a state income tax.

Mike

 

Bad news.  It isn't Democrats, per se.  It's Democrats and Republicans.  Taxes have increased steadily for the past 50 years, no matter who was in the White House, no matter which party controlled Congress.

There's not enough difference between those two parties, except lofty rhetoric, to fill a bucket of spit.

Jack

hsvscubaski

True Jack

Vote Liberterian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Todd's avatarTodd

Can someone explain why Democrats just want to keep raising taxes?

Is it genetic or don't they have anything else to do?

Raising taxes is just code for we want to take more of your money and spend it on who knows what.

It's your money,you earned it so you do what you want with it instead of someone else trying to raise taxes....(take your money)

The higher they raise taxes today,the lower your lifestyle will be when you retire...if you can retire.

Here in Washington state they wanted to raise the gasoline tax 14.5 cents a gallon and finally ended up being 9.5 cents a gallon.

They also wanted to put a tax on households of $4 dollars a month just for owning your own house and also $2 per employee per month.

Thank God that both of those last tax proposals were shot down.

Our lovely Governor Christine "What's in your Wallet"? Gregoire has not found a tax yet that she didn't want to raise.

At least we don't have a state income tax.

Mike

 

The reason is that raising taxes is one way out of several to redistribute income and control your money.  Giving back the peoples' money is in a sense giving up a some of their power, and that is something they are loathe to do.

goldrush

California should restore it's subscription service. Up to a few years ago customers could play the CA state lottery by mail, but it was scraped. I think the Democrats had something to do with it. They hate anyone having money, unless it's movie stars.

atlasshrugged's avataratlasshrugged

True Jack

Vote Liberterian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I agree whole heartedly with Jack. And with you hsvscubaski. Libertarians rock! -Bonnie

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