A Reader Views letter writer on today’s Opinion pages puts forth two of the most persistent notions in Kansas — that the Kansas Turnpike would one day be toll-free and that the Kansas Lottery would fund public schools.
Any thinking that the turnpike, built in 22 months and opened Oct. 25, 1956, would end up a freeway was put to rest by its initial lower-than-projected revenues. Over the years, more bonding has occurred to pay for improvements. No tax dollars support the turnpike.
Though 70 percent of Kansans in a 1985 survey favored using lottery money for public education, the law that passed the Legislature and won voters’ support the next year earmarked the revenue for statewide reappraisal, economic development and prison construction.
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7 Comments
Been a while, but I thought the Legislature was encouraging us to believe the education lie at the time.
Good point
http://www.bsos.umd.edu/econ/evans/wpapers/evans_zhang_earmark_lottery.pdf
Abstract
Of 38 states with lotteries, 16 earmark lottery profits for primary and secondary education. In this paper, we use a panel data set of states with lotteries to examine the impact of earmarking lottery revenues on state educational spending. We can reject the hypothesis that spending increases dollar for dollar with earmarked profits, but there is a high likelihood that earmarking increases school spending more than non-earmarking. We find that 50-70 cents out of an earmarked dollar finds its way to local school districts. In contrast, each dollar of lottery profits increases state revenues to schools by about 30 cents in states that deposit profits into the general fund. Of the lottery dollars that reach local school districts, we
find that at least 80% of it is spent on schools.
Usage of lottery money would be an excellent subject for Wichita EAGLE investigative reporters to shine a light on. Many people think those profits are used for the schools, which isn’t true. In the event, gambling casinos are actually opened under the direction of the Lottery Commission, what would happen to these profits?
The nebulous “economic development” use should be ended and let those activities request their funds from the state legislature so someone is keeping an eye on these expenditures.
“Investigative reporters?” At The Eagle.
The print organ for the Wichita Chamber of Commerce and Boosterism Club for Growth doesn’t do investigative stories.
That’s not their bag, man.
Now a long, weepy piece on some neighbor finding a hurt puppy: BANNER HEADLINE.
Rhonda, I commend you for bringing this to light. I’ve argued the falsity of these statements in the past until I’ve just given up.
On use of lottery money for education; just make education a part of economic development, which I contend is needed as an educated work force is needed for our economy which is growing ever more service oriented, and spend the eco-devo moneys that way. Better than some of the current uses that have been made, from some of the anecdotes I’ve heard.
The lottery should either be used for tax relif or to fund education.
Lottery profits should be used for education … not for the Governor’s personal travel and slush fund under the umbrella of “economic development.”
“The turnpike would not be a freeway because the initial lower than projected revenues.”
There’s no connection. The turnpike paid its bonds off in the specified 40 years. Right now the legislature is busy making liars out of the 1954 legislature.