Thursday, September 01, 2005
A lottery, and gas prices
Well, it finally happened! North Carolina has finally got a lottery. Well, the state senate finally voted to allow a lottery at any rate. I suppose it'll take a while before I can actually buy a ticket at our local convenience store. Here's an excerpt from our local paper
"State Sen. Jim Jacumin, R-Burke/Caldwell, voted against the lottery Tuesday, calling it a tax break for the rich and a tax against the poor.
"Poor people are bearing the brunt of the lottery," Jacumin said. "Whether we accept it or not, we have a responsibility to the poor and we didn't accept it very well."
He said by voting in a lottery, proponents are asking the poor to finance the school system in the state.
"Our vote today just made 200,000 to 240,000 people compulsive gamblers," Jacumin said, quoting statistics used to argue against a lottery."
That's kind of a defeatest attitude ain't it? Figuring on his constituents to just go spend all their money on lottery tickets. Can't see how that will be possible, not if they own a car! No one will have any money for lottery tickets, not even the poor and desperate. North Carolina, is I believe, the last state on the eastern seaboard to get a lottery. Up til now, we've been driving to neighbouring states to get tickets. Of course, with the price of gas, we can't do that anymore!
Also in today's paper is an article about the rising cost at the pumps, and line-ups as fear mongers and conspiracy theorists spread rumours that the price will be up to $6 per gallon by the day after tomorrow. Anyone who has more than one vehicle, and any legal container, has been going and filling them up. Now stations are empty of regular and mid-grade fuel, leaving only the more expensive, and for most cars unnecessary, high-grade fuel. I filled up yesterday, because my tank was nearly empty. It cost me $32.11, which is about a $12 hike from what it used to cost me, when I first moved here last October.
Yeah, yeah, I hear my Canadian friends and family sayin' "quitcher bitchin!", and I totally understand that it is much worse in Canada and the UK and Europe. However here where our minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, and most people make less than $10 per hour, filling up a tank of gas is a heartattack inducing endevour. I'd rather be home in Canada with my old job (that I hated) making over $50k per year, and paying $5 a gallon. At least at home if I have a heartattack, I know I won't have to sell my house to pay the hospital bills!
And to anyone wondering what they can do for our suffering neighbours in Lousiana, Alabama etc...monetary donations, if you can spare it, can be made through the Red Cross. At the moment, they still do not have the means to transport donated food or supplies, so they really could use some money. They'll need it, so they can get the refugees out of there, and into the AstroDome in Houston. Blood donations are also needed, to supply the wounded. Not sure if any blood donations made in Canada would be sent south, but if you're able, its always a good idea to donate when you can.
My prayers go out to them. I'm very sad that I never got to see New Orleans. Now its gone. ¶ 3:06 PM
"State Sen. Jim Jacumin, R-Burke/Caldwell, voted against the lottery Tuesday, calling it a tax break for the rich and a tax against the poor.
"Poor people are bearing the brunt of the lottery," Jacumin said. "Whether we accept it or not, we have a responsibility to the poor and we didn't accept it very well."
He said by voting in a lottery, proponents are asking the poor to finance the school system in the state.
"Our vote today just made 200,000 to 240,000 people compulsive gamblers," Jacumin said, quoting statistics used to argue against a lottery."
That's kind of a defeatest attitude ain't it? Figuring on his constituents to just go spend all their money on lottery tickets. Can't see how that will be possible, not if they own a car! No one will have any money for lottery tickets, not even the poor and desperate. North Carolina, is I believe, the last state on the eastern seaboard to get a lottery. Up til now, we've been driving to neighbouring states to get tickets. Of course, with the price of gas, we can't do that anymore!
Also in today's paper is an article about the rising cost at the pumps, and line-ups as fear mongers and conspiracy theorists spread rumours that the price will be up to $6 per gallon by the day after tomorrow. Anyone who has more than one vehicle, and any legal container, has been going and filling them up. Now stations are empty of regular and mid-grade fuel, leaving only the more expensive, and for most cars unnecessary, high-grade fuel. I filled up yesterday, because my tank was nearly empty. It cost me $32.11, which is about a $12 hike from what it used to cost me, when I first moved here last October.
Yeah, yeah, I hear my Canadian friends and family sayin' "quitcher bitchin!", and I totally understand that it is much worse in Canada and the UK and Europe. However here where our minimum wage is $5.15 per hour, and most people make less than $10 per hour, filling up a tank of gas is a heartattack inducing endevour. I'd rather be home in Canada with my old job (that I hated) making over $50k per year, and paying $5 a gallon. At least at home if I have a heartattack, I know I won't have to sell my house to pay the hospital bills!
And to anyone wondering what they can do for our suffering neighbours in Lousiana, Alabama etc...monetary donations, if you can spare it, can be made through the Red Cross. At the moment, they still do not have the means to transport donated food or supplies, so they really could use some money. They'll need it, so they can get the refugees out of there, and into the AstroDome in Houston. Blood donations are also needed, to supply the wounded. Not sure if any blood donations made in Canada would be sent south, but if you're able, its always a good idea to donate when you can.
My prayers go out to them. I'm very sad that I never got to see New Orleans. Now its gone. ¶ 3:06 PM
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Talk about yer co-inky dinky. There were four of us talking today about winning the lottery in order to be able to drive to work every day. I was telling "the girls" about North Carolina not having any Lottery and that you would have to drive out of state to buy a ticket. What with the price of gas being what it has become we figured y'all wouldn't be getting real rich real quick.
Must be psychic. :)
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Must be psychic. :)
# posted by 
: 8:09 PM
: 8:09 PMSubscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
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