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YOU CAN'T WIN

NC Lawmaker Proposes Barring People on Public Assistance From Buying Lottery Tickets

He says selling tickets to residents on food stamps, welfare takes away money they need

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by Lisa Fine

Staff Writer t +

Image: AP

People on public assistance in North Carolina would be denied a chance to win the lottery jackpot, under a bill being drafted by state lawmakers, the News & Observer reports.

"We're giving them welfare to help them live, and yet by selling them a ticket, we're taking away their money that is there to provide them the barest of necessities," said Rep. Paul Stam, R-Wake, who is working on the bill.

Stam says he knows the measure would be challenging to enforce. But in obvious cases like when people use food stamps to buy groceries, they shouldn't be allowed to buy lottery tickets at the same time, he said.

Via the News & Observer
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Should people on public assistance be allowed to buy lottery tickets?

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198 Comments (view in Forum)

  • martydotcom
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    A totally inane question. Are we going to implant a chip to scan those receiving assistance? Do you think enforcement may be a bit of a problem?

    Suppose a person receiving assistance buys a lottery ticket from money collected while panhandling - He wins $5000.00. Question: should the state have a claim to recoup monies paid to the recipient
  • Jack-Black
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    @martydotcom I like that Idea. If you recieved welfare/food stamps and you win "big" you should be required to pay back at least a portion of what was recieved from the tax paying citzens.
  • NTBFW
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    @Jack-Black I just saw something on twitter that made sense. It pertains to public assistance in general. Liberals love to give a man a fish( in trade for freedom) conservatives teach a man to fish so he can feed him self.

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  • Envirominer
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    You can add cigarettes & alcohol to the list. I see them get around the restrictions by purchasing the "approved" items with their state debit card (welfare) and then tell the cashier to ring up the non approved goods only to pay with a large wad of cash. IMO they should all be subject to random drug tests to get the check as well. I have to pass regular randoms to make the money, they should have to pass them to take the money!
  • marine1
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    You folks need to understand, goverment only penalizes those of us who contribute to society or have material value to loose. Dead weight is dead weight or in some cases the deciding vote.
  • frigginhell
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    A cop with 2 kids qualifies for public assistance where I live. Does that mean a cop isn't allowed to play the lottery either? It's not that he doesn't have a job that actually serves the community and risks his life for that community, it's just that doesn't seem to be enough in this country to justify paying them a decent wage. So now, we lump everyone togather in one big group. You get foodstamps you're all deadbeats no lotto for you. The schools will thank you as the number of tickets decrease and the money they receive from them diminishes as well as a result. Not sure who the lawmaker is who wrote this but as it is stated it is a poorly thought out mess. Then again, it's North Carolina, I'm not all that suprised.
  • frigginhell
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    @frigginhell Another point I'd like to make, does this extend to politicians? They live off of tax payer dollars. I don't see the need to be paying for their tickets either. How about Boeing employees? That company would have ceased to exist long ago without government sponsored corporate welfare along with the entire airline industry. Let's not just stop at the people on stamps. Let's be fair and equitable about it.

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  • John_Matrix
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    Yeah we should. They're living off the grace of others. They want luxury items then they can earn the money to pay for them themselves. Although they apparently can right now, beggars can't be choosers.
  • marine1
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    yes we should and we should also insure that the kids are getting the proper home care and hygiene. It's not suppose to be a hand out, it is suppose to be a hand up.
  • jamie91
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    @marine1 excellent idea, and where are we getting the tax dollars to police how poor people parent? Just because someone is on assistance does not mean they are worse or better parents than those not on assistance.
  • marine1
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    @jamie91 My wife is a pre-school teacher and their stats are pretty telling. My question is, why doesn't anyone pay attention, the kids are the one loosing out and 10 to 15 years later, i start dealing with them if not sooner. I should say use to ,retired now, out of that rat race.

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  • OhWiseOne
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    I think this is an idea that deserves consideration. If someone pays no federal taxes, then they shouldn't be allowed to vote in federal elections. They can only get that right to vote back when they get off of public assistance.

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  • Jack-Black
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    I dont think that people on public assistance should buy tickets, but I think it would be too hard to enforce preventing it. One good advantage to allowing it. It is a way to get the welfare money back from some of moochers that didn't really deserve anyway.
  • woodtick57
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    Well, if the welfare/foodstamps/etc. are all on debit cards now, it might be easier to say what they can and can't be used to purchase...heavy fines for store operators that violate that...
  • Jack-Black
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    @woodtick57 But that does not stop a moocher from going to an ATM machine to retrieve cash and then going to purchase a lotto ticket. Like I said it would be too hard to regulate. It is a bad idea. Let the moocher buy all the tickets they want. At least some of the money given will come back. At least in the great state of South Carolina it will go to help pay for college tuition. However, If they win big they should have to pay back a portion of the monies recieved.

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  • Fishbone345
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    Stolen money? How do you figure? Most of them are being paid by people who overlook their illegal status so they can pay a lower wage. Take your anger out on those responsible.
  • Thunderchicken
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    I can't see barring them completely. I can see not allowing EBT cards to be used for anything but essentials or in anyplace that doesn't sell essentials. IIRC I've seen news stories of EBT cards being used at casinos and resorts.
  • Realthinker
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    What the poor need is a good education in money managament. We got this in the nineth grade. That has been replaced with instructions for wearing a condom. Truth is, playing the lottery is a waste of money, regardless of income level. That is what the poor need to know.
  • Fishbone345
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    @Thunderchicken A lot of people do apparently. some of these Lotteries have several million dollars in them by the time the numbers are drawn, sometimes hundreds of millions. The idea that all of that money came from the poor is ridiculous.
  • Realthinker
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    @Fishbone345 We all know the rich aren't buying them. Yes, it all comes from the poor and the middle class. We haven't bought a lottery ticket in years.
  • Dan_Tien
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    "Stam says he knows the measure would be challenging to enforce." It wouldn't be challenging, it would be impossible. Are we going to trust that retailers will follow the law, overlook the chance to make money from lottery sales and refuse to sell tickets to someone that they know is on assistance? It's another useless law, but it gets the lawmaker's name in the news, doesn't it?
  • Republican5001
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    I'd prefer denying them the winnings instead of the opportunity to purchase. Take the winnings and give to the local or state governments of where they reside.

    Once they are off the entitlements, then alls fair in love and war.
  • Fishbone345
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    Finally. Someone who see's that legislation is pointless with one trivial solution like denying them winnings. Thank you!
    I like your idea of giving the winnings to the governments where they reside as well. Well said sir, well said. I'd vote you up more if I could.
  • Waynestew
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    @Republican5001 We must not be taking about Millions of $. Because NO ONE recieves that much from welfare over a whole life-time. But besides all this I don't see how the law would ever be imposable.
  • Republican5001
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    @Waynestew Sure they do. 99 weeks of unemployment? Wica, food stamps, EBT. etc etc etc....

    Take their winnings, pay back their debt to soceity and take the additional for the inconvience to all.

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  • Fishbone345
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    @woodtick57 "i wouldn't say it is silly to ban assistance money going to what we all know is a waste"
    I would. Any excessive legislation is a waste. I love how Big Government is the enemy right up until people agree with the Government, then its just fine.
    How hard is it to deny them the winnings? Problem solved. We all know the chance of winning is miniscule at best, if they want to throw their money away, let em. They will eventually learn that it was a mistake.
  • scotta
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    The also be banned from buying cigarettes and booze to. I strongly agree with this decision. I feel if they want to purches these items the need a job. Flipping burgers burgers is not beneath anybody who wants to be self supporting. If they want only hand outs then cut everything off except basic Staples food soap shampoo laundry detergent.
  • PNWest
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    @woodtick57 Good question. 1) it is unenforceable. 2) People should have the right to spend the money on what they choose. They can't but lottery tickets with EBT cards. Only with whatever cash they can scrounge up. 3) I don't like the idea of denying people a dream.

    When I got my first full time job it was a crappy job and we were in a recession. I was lucky to have any job but frustrated that I couldn't find anything better. They drew the weekly lottery numbers every Tue night. Every Wed morning on the way to work I would buy a lottery ticket. Of course I knew what the odds were. I wasn't gambling - I was buying entertainment. For 6 1/2 days until the next drawing I had the fantasy that my life was going to change when my numbers came up. Pretty good entertainment value for $1 even in those days. I never won anything but the minimal amount of money it costs for the dream was worth it to me.
  • Thunderchicken
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    @PNWest

    I don't know about it being unenforceable. With my company credit card, when I make a oddball purchase, I used to get a phone call before I was out of the store.(Needing a three foot long wire brush in a hurry on a Sunday? Buy a shotgun cleaning kit. Oh and Kotexes make nice oil clean up pads too.) After I explained a few of those, I think the auditors just gave up.
  • Arumizy
    !
    These people are taking money from my pocket, i say limit what they can buy with it to just essential foods, hygiene products and clothing. I say make it a federal offense to spend welfare or EBT money at strip clubs , casino's resorts etc that results in immediate removal from help programs.
  • joshinAZ
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    NO MORE CASH ADVANCES! No more EBT card either, go back to actual FOOD STAMPS. Remember back in the day, when people were embarrassed to use them?
  • AtheistStand
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    Welfare people should not buy lottery tickets.....

    ok well how about....also....

    Rich people should not get government subsidies.

    Hummmm.....thats a thinker. Damn that might just work out!

    The rich try to muddy the water with false finger pointing so that we dont catch their rich schemes that they constantly have going on.....like this little dirty story:

    Big Pharma Buys Off The Senate-(ole Mitch gettin his handout!)

    http://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/big...
  • mtkopf
    !
    Have you read Tom Coburn's "the subsidies of the rich and famous"? It outlines all the govt handouts that the wealthy get in this country.
    I don't see the same uproar from the right about being able to write off interest payments from yachts, or the govt giving $6k in tax credits for buying a golf cart. Yet, ppl feel the need to bitch about the poorest in our society getting money to feed themselves. How hypocritical!
    Btw, Coburn is a Republican Senator from Oklahoma.
  • cleverusername
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    LMAO...you just solved the debt crisis.... because no money would be spent by the government anytime anywhere any place. Literally zero dollars spent.
  • Fishbone345
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    Well, I don't want my taxes going to anyone that makes products for the government and then marks them up 200% because they know the money will be there. So, I guess we both have our burdens to bear.
    Personally, I don't think there should be an Income Tax at all, so there's that...
  • RobertJHarsh
    !
    While were banning people on welfare from buying lottery tickets, we can also drug test them, make it illegal so they cannot buy booze (no booze list?) and make it illegal for the banks to cash out the EBT cards into cash.
  • mwr
    !
    let them play and when if they win hand them a bill for all the free money they got from the state. Anything left is theirs to keep.
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