Welfare Lottery Ban? Poor Targeted in New Lottery Ban Proposals
It is another classic case of dipping into the people’s pockets.
A North Carolina politician is working to have legislation passed that would ban state residents on welfare or in bankruptcy from purchasing lottery tickets. Republican Rep. Paul “Skip” Stam wants vendors to be penalized if they sell tickets to customers who they believe are on welfare or in bankruptcy.
Convenience store clerks around the state are opposing the proposed ban as it puts them in the awkward position of policing customers by asking them personal financial questions. Stam said clerks should not complete a sale for lottery tickets in obvious instances where a patron pays for items with food stamps and then attempts to purchase lottery tickets.
Peace Street Market clerk, Aref Peroz told Raleigh-Durham’s ABC 11 News, “I don’t feel comfortable…asking financial things, so it is not my business.”
The North Carolina Education Lottery was established in 2005 as a way to fund school repairs, help reduce class sizes, and pay for college scholarships.
But, Stam believes the lottery system is a scam and it does more bad than good for low-income families.
“We’re giving them welfare to help them live, and yet by giving them a ticket, we’re taking away their money that is there to provide the barest of necessities,” he said.
The other side of the proposal would eliminate the world “Education” from the lottery for advertising purposes. Stam also argued that the usage of the word education should not be associated with the lottery because only a small percentage of proceeds actually go to education funding for the state.
“It’s just inappropriate to take what is a very important function of state government and use that as a selling point, when obviously the more educated you are, the less likely you are to play the lottery,” he contended.
The President of North Carolina’s NAACP is prepared to take on the legislature. “We didn’t agree with the lottery to begin with. Rather than Mr. Stam having a side argument, ask him to stop blocking poor people and working people. Asking to have a conversation about real wage,” Rev William Barber said.
