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Monday, January 28, 2013

North Carolina Proposal Would Ban Welfare Recipients From Buying Lottery Tickets

North Carolina lawmakers have drafted legislation that would ban welfare recipients and people in bankruptcy from buying lottery tickets in the state, according to several news reports. 

The bill draft would punish vendors for selling lottery tickets to someone who they know is on welfare or in bankruptcy, according to ABC 11 in Raleigh. The lawmakers behind it believe it's counterproductive for the government to accept money from welfare recipients who are struggling to get by. 

"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," state House Majority Leader Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam (R), who is helping draft the bill, told ABC 11. Stam added that the lottery "is essentially a scam," the news outlet reported. Stam also said that some of the North Carolina lottery advertising is "just fraudulent," according to the Raleigh News & Observer.

17 comments:

Anonymous said...

You mean finally someone is starting to get it. Now they just need to include alcohol, cigarettes and other non essential items. Add to that a drug test to collect the hand outs and just maybe we will get back to the takers becoming do-ers again. As said before on this great forum. "If i have to pass a drug test to earn it then a drug test should have to be passed to get it."

Anonymous said...

Well now, when will Maryland get it? Or maybe it just makes too much sense...

Queensgirl52 said...

With respect to punishing the merchants: How are they supposed to know if someone is bankrupt? How are they supposed to know someone is on welfare if the person buys with cash?

Anonymous said...

Well i am for this... Plus Florida already has it to where you get drug tested for welfare... I am for that to...

I actually for anything that stops these losers from taking MY MONEY for free and do nothing while I work hard and put up with a lot of crap for the little money I make...


Anonymous said...

WOOHOOO!!!!!!!!! Finally!!!!! Let all the states do it!!!

Anonymous said...

To all the liberals this is what conservatives call wastfull spending.

Sand Box John said...

@ Queensgirl52

For those on welfare, persons uses EBT card to purchase food. Same person uses cash to purchase lottery ticket / scrach offs.

Frankly I think it is a bad idea to ban welfare recipients and those in bankruptcy from buying lottery ticket / scrach offs because the lottery is the best and only way to tax those don't pay taxes.

Anonymous said...

Hurray!!! Don't use MY tax money to buy YOUR lottery tickets. I hope it passes and other states take notice.

Anonymous said...

it's about time.

Anonymous said...

Good.

Anonymous said...

now to make food stamps purchased for protein, fruits and vegetables only!!

Anonymous said...

Great idea,but unenforceable.

Queensgirl52 said...

Sand Box John: Yours is the only scenario in which the merchant can legitimately be held responsible, unless we're talking about a mom and pop store in a small town where everyone knows everyone else's business. If I go the Royal Farms on my corner with $10 and buy lottery tickets, there's no way anyone could know if I'm bankrupt or on public assistance. The idea behind the law isn't a bad one, but the merchant liability provision has to be thought through a whole lot more carefully.

Anonymous said...

Some will cross the state line

Anonymous said...

Unenforceable laws will clog up Congress from robbing us of our rights. Boner or Benefit?

Daddio said...

Better yet, let's propose the opposite:

IF a welfare recipient happens to win the lottery the following should apply:

1) First: Any assistance received during their lifetime will be deducted from any winnings.

2) Said recipient will no longer be eligible for any further assistance.

3) Any large payouts will have to be taken as an annuity to ensure they don't blow all the money at once.

Anonymous said...

>>>With respect to punishing the merchants: How are they supposed to know if someone is bankrupt? How are they supposed to know someone is on welfare if the person buys with cash?<<<

Simple. If a winner is determined to be a welfare recipient, he/she forfeits any winnings. It would be self-enforcing and the merchant need not be involved. These things are not difficult.