Pineapple Lottery

I wasn't fully listen in to the radio ad but it seems that Andy Anderson if and when he is elected governor would try to setup a Pineapply Lottery to help pay for school system.

Comments

Helen, I saw an ad on TV about Andy Anderson's "pineapple lottery" and was about to post on this, too. Anderson and his camp keep claiming that he's going to use the proceeds from the lottery to fund education, but they're not quite particular about how much money we're looking at should a lottery actually be implemented. And judging from the tone of the radio ads he's been putting out lately, they're also putting out a direct challenge to Linda Lingle to explain herself, as well.

Speaking of the governor's race... Remember when we suspected a couple of months ago that there may be "something going down" with regards to the staff in the Jeremy Harris campaign? Judging from the details on the Michael Amii case, maybe this was the "something" we were looking for, n'est-ce pas?

This is another instance where I wish we'd bother to look at examples of similar situations elsewhere. In this case, I reference the California Lottery, promoted as a solution for that state's educational budget woes.

If we were to implement a similar system here, I can predict exactly what will happen, namely:

1. The funds won't ever be anywhere near the amounts they promise, and it will take forever for the schools to receive teh money.

2. "Administrative" costs will skyrocket, and soon you'll hear about lottery officials, politicians, school administrators, and the like diverting funds to other, dubious locations. eventually a scandal will break out over the person actually embezzeling it.

3. State and possibly federal funding for schools will decrease. Why? They don't need the government money anymore- the lottery's paying for it! of course, this is not the case (see #1).

4. Ultimately, those supporting the lottery financially wil be, by and large, the ones whose children need the money most. Lotteries are a "stupid tax"- a cheap dream sold to poor people, and costs add up quickly when you have a limited income.

As for the argument that lotteries open the state up to alternative forms of gambling, I don't buy that, since many states with lotteries don't have casinos or other gaming venues.

Personally I think gambling should be approved here- only for the island of Kaho`olawe, between 8am-8pm, with 80% of the profits going to Hawaiians and Hawaiian causes (although I wouldn't want OHA anywhere near it; I'd choose a team from the phone book), with all risks of losses to be borne by the gaming companies; and allowing first preference for employment to be those on Moloka`i, then Lana`i, then Maui. No resorts or overnight lodging is permitted on Kaho`olawe- no one is allowed on the island between midnight and 6am, with the possible exception of law enforcement.

If only the world would just listen to me.. :)

In a satirical spirit, until the Navy finishes the cleanup over there, isn't it a gamble just to walk on Kaho'olawe?

While I'm pretty much on the fence when it comes to legalized gambling (ie. am withholding all opinion on the matter until I finally make that inevitable pilgrimage trip to Las Vegas to try my luck with the one-armed bandits) I'm actually with Lisa on this one. From what I've seen of many state-sanctioned lotteries (The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes being another fine example in the same vein as California) it always leads to the inevitable accusations of mismanagement and questionable accounting.

And, yes, it is possible to also have an illegal lottery where none of the proceeds go to charity, if there are any proceeds to report at all. Ladies and gentlemen, straight from the Philippines, I present the game of jueteng.

Well, I'm in a minority here. I wish we did have a state lottery.

When I lived in NYC I played every week. Only a dollar, since I figured if it was in the cards, I'd win. I only did win once, with so many sharing the prize it was about forty dollars.

But I enjoyed that feeling that maybe, just maybe, I'd end up rich at the end of each week.

If the goal of the lottery was to raise funds to fix the schools then one of the things that legislature passed a couple of years ago which took effect this past tax year was on the tax return a taxpayer can allocate $2 from their tax refund to go to the school system special repair fund.

While it was a simple check mark on the tax form the catch is it only worked if you was due a refund from the state in the first place.

And the amount was to small, assuming if all the taxpayers had refunds coming and had check the box, they would raise maybe 1 to 2 million dollars. The schools repair bill is way over that figure.

I actually checked that box, reducing my whopping $22 refund to $20. Not that that would buy a dropperful of paint or anything..

I couldn't check it. I had to pay the state a whopping $5 which was the lowest I ever paid the state in the last 10 years or so (I used to get refunds before).

I wouldn't mind paying the extra $2.

Maybe what the state should do is have a special fund tax form. Check here if you want $5 to go to the schools, another check box for $5 to the UH, yet another check box for $5 to the Department of Transportation, etc.

Helen, people have been suggesting that for years at the Federal level. "All my tax money for social programs, but not a dime for (pick one...defense, foreign aid, etc.)". No chance. One big pot from which to dole out pork is safer for the pols, and to be fair, a helluva lot easier to administer.

Agree with Lisa. Proof: lottery in my current home state Illinois. "Help the schools" my *** !

I am on the side of not approving any form of gambling in Hawaii unless the state decides to eliminate all of our state income taxes and the general excise tax. Of course as we know this will never happen, since some current state officials see gambling as just an additional revenue stream coming into Hawaii.

Nowhere in his ads is Andy Anderson mentioning the elimination of income or GET to get his gambling proposal off the ground.

I agree with most of the posters on the points of why a lottery is a bad idea, and mention another one here.

1. Every state special fund, whether it be earmarked for education, transportation or hurricane insurance, has in some point in time, been raided by the legislature and governor to bail the state's budget out of one hole or another.

This year the$29 million in interest from the hurricane fund was raided to balance the budget.

Sadly the state never considered more cuts to unncessary programs or wasteful spending (i.e. keeping unhired employee positions on the books in order to retain that payroll fund), and instead raids funds or increases fees (taxes) on user services. New fees (taxes) have also been implemented this year (bottle bill).

In the long scope of things, a lottery or any form of gambling is not a good idea for Hawaii. We are one of only 2 states with no forms of gambling approved, and I think it should stay that way unless the state wants to eliminate the GE and income taxes and shift the burden of all taxes to the gamblers.

I must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed this morning, because I'm listening to the radio right now and I just heard another one of Andy's "Message To Linda Lingle" radio ads.

What bugs me is not that he uses the Pineapple Lottery to egg Mme. Linda into a debate over education (or any debate, for that matter) but that he's basically using the same script from the TV ads. But, again, it's just something that bugs me.

Must... get... caffeine...

Lotteries in the USA have been around since the early 1960's. During this time, there have been a couple of small snafus and no skimming or diversion of funds or credible hints of corruption. Lotteries even those in the developing world are run with reasonable integrity and for the most part, free of controversy. To draw comparisons between a posssible lottery in HI and those in such places as the Philippines, is absurd. Lotteries and the funds they generate and where these funds go, are victims of the legislation enabling them. Two recent addition, GA and SC dedicate 100% of their returns (a guaranteed 30% of revenue) to education in the forms of scholarships, i.e. the money goes to a face not a pot. Similar lottery legislation will voted on in TN this Nov and will very likely pass with a large plurality.

Lotteries in the USA have been around since the early 1960's. During this time, there have been a couple of small snafus and no skimming or diversion of funds or credible hints of corruption. Lotteries even those in the developing world are run with reasonable integrity and for the most part, free of controversy. To draw comparisons between a posssible lottery in HI and those in such places as the Philippines, is absurd. Lotteries and the funds they generate and where these funds go, are victims of the legislation enabling them. Two recent addition, GA and SC dedicate 100% of their returns (a guaranteed 30% of revenue) to education in the forms of scholarships, i.e. the money goes to a face not a pot. Similar lottery legislation will voted on in TN this Nov and will very likely pass with a large plurality.

Yeah, but Andy Anderson still lost the freaking primary.

Personally I think Hawaii should have a lottery. I come from a state that had a lottery. The funds from the lottery helped pay for my college tuition and did improve school funds. With the proper monitoring the lottery would benefit Hawaii. People here are so oppose to a lottery, but every year many Hawaiians go to Las Vegas and spend there money there. I bet it helps there economy huh. Hawaii schools are so far behind in education and the condition of some of the classrooms are horrible. I would never let my child go to public schools in Hawaii. The teacher pay compared to on the mainland is not adequate. Why not give the opportunity to provide more jobs and better schools. The money from tourism can only help so much. Hawaii is a beautiful place to retire but not to raise a family. The cost of living is high and the pay is not good. Why not have a lottery. I guess you Hawaiians like living in proverty and because of your narrow views on gambling or education you let your children suffer. Fix the problem and have a lottery.

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