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The Lottery: Morality and Political Life

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The Lottery: Morality and Political Life THE TEXAS A Journal of Free Voices S EFebruaryR 8, 1985VE OneR Dollar THE LOTTERY: MORALITY AND POLITICAL LIFE TATE SENATOR Hector C Uribe tells the story of Benjamin Franklin's pro- posal to the Continental Congress for a lottery to raise funds for the American Revolutionary Army. It seems that, after making his proposal, Franklin, being a Quaker from a Quaker colony, abstained from voting on the proposition. After it was passed unanimously by all those voting, however, Franklin informed the Congress that his religion did not prevent him from printing the lottery tickets. Franklin's printing company was then awarded the contract for lottery tickets. Such is political life. It comes, then, as no great surprise to find House Speaker Gib Lewis — no bleeding heart, he — saying last fall that he opposed the idea of a state lottery after seeing poor people waiting in line in New York City to buy lottery tickets they could not afford. And on the other side of the issue you find leaders in the fight against poverty, such as Senator Uribe, D-Brownsville, and state Representatives Larry Evans and Ron Wilson, both Houston Democrats, introducing bills calling for a state lottery. What gives? Have the leaders of each side undergone conversion io experiences? Where's the money nucc behind the rhetoric? to An k r (Continued on Page 2) Ma • PAGE TWO LOTTERY (Continued from Cover) HAT YOU have running throughout the political rhetoric of the lottery issue is a Puritanism of convenience. The rhetoric is loaded with the kind 11 1 . 11 ,1 , W 1 111 1 11111111111 I 11 111111111 'I 111 of selective moralizing that is the cornerstone of our political 1 Itt=--- 111 11111f Nil 1111 WHIP 1I I life, playing to public sentiment while masking the special interests behind the scenes. Not that there aren't legitimate moral concerns and consistent moral positions being taken on the issue. The Baptist Christian Life Commission, for one, is consistent. It opposes TEXAS pari-mutuel gambling and a state lottery and has supported The Texas Observer Publishing Co.. 1985 social measures such as increased funding for Aid to Families Ronnie Dugger, Publisher with Dependent Children. Weston Ware of the Commission February 8, 1985 believes that the funding of state programs by means of a Vol. 77, No. 3 lottery is "government by jackpot. Lotteries are not just Incorporating the State Observer and the East Texas Democrat, harmless games," says Ware, "they are institutions that which in turn incorporated the Austin Forum-Advocate. attempt to collect revenue from the citizenship as a regressive EDITOR Geoffrey Rips tax. It is not entirely voluntary in its appeal to the poor as ASSOCIATE EDITOR Dave Denison the only opportunity to break out of a cycle of poverty. The EDITOR AT LARGE Ronnie Dugger state becomes a peddler of unrealistic dreams. It turns the CALENDAR EDITOR Chula Sims EDITORIAL INTERNS: Terri Langford, Roger Williams state government into merchandising hucksters perpetrating WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT: Al Watkins a swindle on our own people. LAYOUT AND DESIGN: Alicia Daniel EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD: Frances Barton, Austin,; Elroy Bode, Kerr- ville; Chandler Davidson. Houston; Bob Eckhardt, Washington, D.C.; Sissy Farenthold, Houston; Rupert() Garcia. Austin; John Kenneth Galbraith, Cam- Ct. it's much easier to devise a scheme bridge, Mass.; Lawrence Goodwyn. Durham, N.C.; George Hendrick, Urbana, Ill.; Molly Ivins, Dallas; Larry L. King, Washington, D.C.; Maury Maverick, for a legal gambling corporation than to Jr., San Antonio; Willie Morris. Oxford, Miss.; Kaye Northcott, Austin; James Presley, Texarkana. Tx.; Susan Reid. Austin; A. R. (Babe) Schwartz, Galveston; face up to the huge lobbies which pro- Fred Schmidt, Tehachapi, Cal., Robert Sherrill, Tallahassee, Fla. CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Warren Burnett. Nina Butts, Jo Clifton, Craig tect and maintain the tax loopholes . ." Clifford, John Henry Faulk, Ed Garcia, Bill Helmer, Jack Hopper, Amy Johnson, Laurence Jolidon, Mary Lenz, Matt Lyon, Rick Piltz, Susan Raleigh, John Wright Patman Schwartz, Michael Ventura, Lawrence Walsh. CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Alan Pogue, Russell Lee, Scott Van "What is unfortunate," says Ware, "in the case of horse Osdol, Alicia Daniel. racing and the lottery, is that people are proposing it in CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS: Mark Antonuccio, Eric Avery, Tom Ballenger, Jeff Danziger, Beth Epstein. Dan Hubig, Pat Johnson, Kevin Kreneek, Carlos response to the deficit. We agree that the state has a financial Lowry, Miles Mathis, Joe McDermott, Ben Sargent, Dan Thibodeau. problem. We don't agree that a lottery or pari-mutuel betting A journal of free voices is a just or fair answer to that problem. It is bad public policy We will serve no group or party but will hew hard to the truth as we find for the state to base its financial survival on a weakness people it and the right as we see it. We are dedicated to the whole truth, to human values above all interests, to the rights of humankind as the foundation of have and abuse that weakness in terms of marketing public democracy: we will take orders from none but our own conscience, and never dreams and hopes. The lottery is more morally reprehensible will we overlook or misrepresent the truth to serve the interests of the power- than horse racing partly because the track cannot be marketed ful or cater to the ignoble in the human spirit. in the same way as the lottery dream." Writers'are responsible for their own work, but not for anything they have not themselves written, and in publishing them we do not necessarily imply Ware likes to quote Wright Patman on the subject of that we agree with them because this is a journal of free voices. government-run gambling: "Gambling," Patman said, "is Managing Publisher Cliff Olofson actually the most regressive form of taxation that can be Advertising & Development Director Dana Loy devised. It is designed to pick the pockets of the poor .. Subscription Manager Alicia Daniel while the rich continue to enjoy low tax rates. Obviously it's Circulation Assistant Stefan Wanstrom much easier to devise a scheme for a legal gambling Consultant Frances Barton corporation than to face up to the huge lobbies which protect Editorial and Business Office and maintain the tax loopholes for the corporations and the 600 West 7th Street; Austin, Texas 78701 wealthy." (512). 477-0746 But opposing state-sanctioned gambling is actually the The Texas Observer (ISSN 0040-4519) is published biweekly except for a three-week inter- furthest thing from the minds of most of the opponents of val between issues in January and July (25 issues per year) by the Texas Observer Publishing Co.. 600 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. (512) 477-0746. Second class postage paid the lottery, the religious organizations aside. It turns out that at Austin, Texas. most of the political opposition to the idea of a state lottery Subscription rates, including 5 1/8% sales tax: one year $23, two years $42, three years $59. One year rate for full-time students, $15. Back issues $2 prepaid. Airmail, foreign, group, is being run by advocates of pari-mutuel betting, Gib Lewis and bulk rates on request. Microfilm editions available from University Microfilms Intl.. 300 included. Not many tears shed among that crowd for the poor N. Zeeb Road. Ann Arbor, Michigan 48106. Copyright 1985 by Texas Observer Publishing Company. All rights reserved. Material may lured to the track by a $2 bet. not be reproduced without permission. "Why this sudden outcry of the people who had no concern POSTMASTER: Send form 3579 to: 600 West 7th Street, Austin, Texas 78701. for the poor until now?" Rep. Evans asked. "That's not their 2 FEBRUARY 8, 1985 general concern. They've agreed to sign off on a horse-racing In a year of fading revenues, why hasn't the lottery generated bill and think two [gambling] bills are too onerous a burden much support? "It's a bill in search of a lobby," Uribe says. to carry with the electorate. People are sophisticated enough "Pirandello, where are you?" he adds. Evans thinks the to know how to spend their money for their own good." Last absence of a lottery lobby is part of the problem. Says Wilson: fall Evans responded to an interviewer's question about the "Some elected officials listen more to lobbyists than to exploitation of the poor by saying, "They're poor, not dumb." constituents." Over the last three years, millions of dollars have been In California and Arizona, Bally Corporation, owners of pumped into a campaign by the horse-racing industry to casinos and makers of video games and lottery machines, spent legalize pari-mutuel betting in Texas. The industry, which fell hundreds of thousands of dollars in successful efforts lobbying just short of winning in the 1983 Legislature, has spread its for state lotteries. In most lottery states, Bally holds the lottery money throughout state government to insure victory this year. machine contract. Another lottery machine company, G-Tech, Recipients include Lewis, Governor Mark White (to the tune was begun with investments from the Bass brothers of Fort of $10,000), and most legislators, including Uribe, Evans, Worth. While there are rumors of some activity by both these and Wilson, all of whom support pari-mutuel betting to varying corporations in the state legislature, they have not, to date, degrees. On January 26, the Texas Thoroughbred Breeders' been a visible presence around the Capitol or on campaign Association met in Austin, and to aid in their lobbying efforts contribution lists. they flew in former President Gerald Ford, who said the horse- "What I envision," says Uribe, "is that around April, when breeding industry had "not been allowed to grow to its proper Bullock says you have a $1.8 to $2 billion deficit, the business potential." lobby will look for alternative revenue.
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