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.
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.
The current MM is not "six numbers from 1 to 52".
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
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
I am a Democrat who doesn't hate the lottery, although I have gripes against the one where I live.
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).
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.
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
You know the dead voters of King County favor an income tax don't you?
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
True Jack
Vote Liberterian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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.
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.
True Jack
Vote Liberterian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I agree whole heartedly with Jack. And with you hsvscubaski. Libertarians rock! -Bonnie
True Jack
Vote Liberterian!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I quit voting when I began trying to not know the name of the person who's president of this country several years ago, (I haven't succeeded, but I have managed a couple of terms of not knowing who's VP) which is a tough job of work.
I went through a few years of being a Libertarian during the last phases of trying to find a niche in the political system where I'd find candidates I'd like to help get into office with the sub-microscopic influence of my vote. Once I'd had a close look at them I decided I'd be happier just not knowing, not voting.
Nowadays I try to let this country run itself on whatever degree of autopilot it needs to do without my help. I'm just a passenger doing his best not to look at the scenery.
Jack
In 1980 the top income tax bracket was ....70%, today it is 35% which is still to high.
You also have to add in 7.6% FICA so your at 42% and if your in a state that has
a state income tax you could be close or over 50%...Isn't that enough!
I know taxes are needed to keep society civilized but like I said before
"The Higher they raise taxes now the lower your lifestyle will be when you
retire ....if you can retire.
If you win $100 million cash in Mega Millions you will pay 25% Federal right away
so you will be down to $75 million and you will owe about another $10 million on top of that which will bring your $100 million dollar win down to about $65 million.
And if you live in a state with an income tax you get to pay more!
Incase you haven't noticed ....Im not a big fan of taxes.
Mike
All multistate lottery should be banned. It involves millions of $ and is a breeding ground for government corruption. I should know, I have been a victim of this corruption for five years. I’ve learned that politicians and government employees are the real ones we need to be protected from. It started when I left a lottery ticket, that two days later became a winning lottery ticket worth $46 Million, over Allen Oliver’s house who works for the city of Jersey City. One of his relatives Jack Oliver was once an advisor to a President and he used his government connections, including judges and lottery officials, to claim the ticket under a deceased person’s name, Melvin Milligan. I became enemy of the state. A warrant was put out for my paramour’s arrest claiming he owed a $1,000 fine from 1991, who happen to have been Ted Mills, former lead singer of group Blue Magic, and he became a pawn in their circle to use against me, and someone often enters my home, my car and the place I use as an office, apparently using a locksmith tool to enter (watch “Enemy of the State,” “Cradle to the Grave” or “Big Mamma’s House” and you’ll see the tool). Subsequently, several other winning tickets were stolen from me. One was cashed in Delaware, stolen out of my home, for the May 12, 2001 drawing worth $100,000, by 2 Essex County NJ residents, the December 24, 2002 ticket that I purchased in NY was allowed to lapse after NY lottery officials failed to convince me that the ticket stolen out of my home wasn’t the winning ticket, and the December 3, 2004 winning ticket, stolen out of my office drawer, was cashed in by a group calling themselves the Hackensack Resource Associates, LLC. The divisions of the state, the court system, DYFS, housing depart, and various police departs., are used to attack me and my children. The court system is used to exhibit their power to threaten my arrest and the arrest of my children, threaten to take my grandchildren, and to take my home away and obtain fraudulent judgments. They let me know that the state court system and judges are involved and I had no chance challenging any of the tickets in state court. The first ticket below is a copy of the front of fraudulent winning ticket given to me by the NJ Lottery representing the June 9, 2000 top prize winning ticket. The only copy I had of the back along with a copy of the front, was stolen. As you’ll see where I have circled where someone changed the numbers, which on the real ticket was 067, to 666, probably to represent the evil they felt when they were made to make up the phony ticket. Because I had signed the back of ticket they superimposed the front of the ticket onto a new back so that the new back could be resigned. The second ticket below is the fraudulent front and back of the winning ticket given to me by the NJ Lottery representing the December 3, 2004 top prize winning ticket. The real ticket was signed by me on the front and back, and only had one set of numbers, SET A. If you look you can see where they overlaid that set of numbers over another ticket which had 5 sets of numbers to make up the phony ticket. Then they superimposed that onto a new back with a different series of numbers than was being used at the store. The second back represents the series of numbers starting with 235 used at the store when I purchased the winning ticket on Nov. 17, 2004 for 8 draws. I went back after my winning ticket was stolen from a drawer in my office and purchased another ticket from the same store on Dec. 8, 2004 and they were still using the same series of numbers. However, this shed light for me on how they made up the fraudulent 1st ticket. Color copiers make it easy. I also have fraudulent computer printouts made up by NJ Lottery that they sent me. I don’t know what’s going to happen especially since they are still invading my privacy although I have filed a case in federal court and I am praying that the corruption doesn’t extend to federal court. On 5-21-05 I almost caught someone in my office with NJ License Plates RGC35J and they stole a letter written to me by Jamie Gilmartin from the NJ lottery in 2003 with regards to the June 9, 2000 ticket. Moreover, more recently, on 06-16-05 a strange man drove by my house with NJ license Plates PCZ35V, and took a picture of my daughter using his camera phone. Also, in the past they have left dead animals in front of my house and a picture of John Gotti. I hope there are still some honest people left in government even when it involves millions of dollars. However I’m mindful of Ephesians 6:12 and I thank GOD that faced with all this evil I have now read the entire BIBLE. BE CAREFUL TAKING YOUR WINNING LOTTERY TICKETS AROUND GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES IN NJ, IT’S A GREAT MOTIVATOR OF EVIL AND THE SOME OF NJ OFFICIALS INCLUDING JUDGES SEEM MORE THAN WILLING TO HELP THEM STEAL YOUR WINNINGS. ALL MULTISTATE LOTTERY SHOULD BE BANNED PREVENT FUTURE VICTIMS LIKE ME. Moreover, I AM LOOKING FOR ATTORNEYS WHO ARE NOT AFRAID TO HELP WITH MY FEDERAL CASE.
The site wouldn't let me download the images but I have them. However, they are constantly trying to steal them. Apparently that's the way the state works.
That is an interesting perspective, but a quick search of your past posts reveals that you hold some very extreme positions on conspiracies, etc.
All multistate lottery should be banned. It involves millions of $ and is a breeding ground for government corruption. I should know, I have been a victim of this corruption for five years. I’ve learned that politicians and government employees are the real ones we need to be protected from. It started when I left a lottery ticket, that two days later became a winning lottery ticket worth $46 Million, over Allen Oliver’s house who works for the city of Jersey City. One of his relatives Jack Oliver was once an advisor to a President and he used his government connections, including judges and lottery officials, to claim the ticket under a deceased person’s name, Melvin Milligan. I became enemy of the state. A warrant was put out for my paramour’s arrest claiming he owed a $1,000 fine from 1991, who happen to have been Ted Mills, former lead singer of group Blue Magic, and he became a pawn in their circle to use against me, and someone often enters my home, my car and the place I use as an office, apparently using a locksmith tool to enter (watch “Enemy of the State,” “Cradle to the Grave” or “Big Mamma’s House” and you’ll see the tool). Subsequently, several other winning tickets were stolen from me.
I like weird posts. I do my best to make plenty of them. Didn't realize I was swilling at a trough someone a lot better at it than me already staked a claim on.
Jack
Life would be less entertaining without non-violent crazy people.
Life would be less entertaining without non-violent crazy people.
Maybe this guy knows where Jimmy Hoffa has been hiding the last 30 years.
The love of money make people do a lot of bad things. People have done a lot more for a lot less money. I challenge you to investigate and then come back and tell me I'm weird or crazy. The reason people in power do evil things is because they expect that the victim won't be believed. But, what I'm experiencing is real and it could happen to you. My Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuit is also real. This law would have been unnecessary if these kind of things didn't happen.
Something sure motivated Ted Mills to come and ride by my house yesterday.
I have three degrees, B.S., M.B.A., and a J.D., and I wouldn't be wasting my time making up something like this if it weren't real, especially not giving names.
Ephesians 6:12 indicated "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
I guess it's had for some people to believe the evil in this world unless it's happening to them personally. I sure have learned a lot. More than I care to know. BUT I DARE YOU TO INVESTIGATE AND THEN COME BACK AND TELL ME I'M WIERD OR CRAZY.
jacaesar,
I would be happy to take up your dare; do you want to PM me some info about your case? Sounds interesting.
To get back on topic, I had previously posted even before California made a choice between Powerball and MegaMillions, there would be problems. I believe I had said that it is a state law that all payouts must be pari-mutuel, and neither of the multi-state lotteries have any provisions for this. There are also strict provisions on how receipts will be expended, and a multi-state lottery cannot meet those provisions. The Democrats are using these codes and others in an attempt to forestall any participation by California and Californians in a multi-state lottery.
But of course it's political. The Dems don't want anything proposed by a Republican governor to succeed, and participation in MegaMillions will provide additional revenue to the state - if they eventually do.
I just got back from the store and the clerk that works there showed me the new Mega Millions bet slips here in Seattle.
Odds of winning the jackpot 1:175,711,536 so here we go to the $500 million or more jackpot.
Time for some excitement.$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Mike
The love of money make people do a lot of bad things. People have done a lot more for a lot less money. I challenge you to investigate and then come back and tell me I'm weird or crazy. The reason people in power do evil things is because they expect that the victim won't be believed. But, what I'm experiencing is real and it could happen to you. My Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) lawsuit is also real. This law would have been unnecessary if these kind of things didn't happen.
Something sure motivated Ted Mills to come and ride by my house yesterday.
I have three degrees, B.S., M.B.A., and a J.D., and I wouldn't be wasting my time making up something like this if it weren't real, especially not giving names.
Ephesians 6:12 indicated "we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities,against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
I guess it's had for some people to believe the evil in this world unless it's happening to them personally. I sure have learned a lot. More than I care to know. BUT I DARE YOU TO INVESTIGATE AND THEN COME BACK AND TELL ME I'M WIERD OR CRAZY.
I don't know of a lot of MBA/JDs posting on LP.
But I don't think the other posters were saying you were weird or crazy. They were saying I was both weird and crazy. Which I don't mind them doing.
I might have hinted that your post was weird, but not crazy. It was a salute, a bow, me tipping my hat to you for what I considered a job worthy of an MBA/JD.
But I'm almost certain I'm the only one who recognized your post as weird, me being a sort of dilletantte on such matters.
Anyway I agree with a lot of what you said in your post. Some of it, anyway. Particularly the part where you said the love of money makes people do a lot of bad things. I've heard of that happening a time or two.
Jack
money can bring good things too....