Proposal to ban welfare recipients from playing lottery

Jan 26, 2013, 10:29 am (105 comments)

North Carolina Lottery

Another proposal would remove the word "Education" from N.C. Education Lottery

RALEIGH, N.C. — North Carolina lawmakers are drafting legislation that would ban people on welfare or those who are in bankruptcy from buying lottery tickets.

Rep. Paul "Skip" Stam, R-Wake is helping draft the legislation. Stam told ABC11 the vendor selling the lottery ticket would be penalized if they knew the person was on welfare or in bankruptcy.

That stipulation is not sitting well with some convenience store clerks that don't want to be left to enforce a new law.

"I don't feel comfortable for somebody ask why or your financial things, so it's not my business," Peace Street Market's clerk Aref Peroz said.

But Stam suggested that in obvious cases, such as when customers pay for groceries with food stamps, they shouldn't be allowed to buy lottery tickets at the same time.

Another proposal would remove the word "Education" from the N.C. Education Lottery for advertising purposes. Stam said the word "education" shouldn't be used to sell "something that is essentially a scam," especially because lottery proceeds account for a small percentage of state education funding.

Taking away the privilege of buying lottery tickets would affect more than 1.7 million North Carolinians who are currently on food stamps.

"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," Stam said.

But North Carolina's NAACP president said new lottery laws will not help those on government assistance.

"The NAACP, we didn't agree with the lottery to start with. Rather than Mr. Stam having a side argument, ask him to stop blocking labor rights for poor people and working people. Ask him to have a real conversation about real wage," Rev. William Barber said.

Thanks to truesee for the tip.

AP

Comments

Ronnie316

Don't these people have anything BETTER to do with their time? 

Don't they realize the welfare has become a socially acceptable lifestyle choice?

RedStang's avatarRedStang

You'll have to hide the Cadillac around the corner now. Give it a week until they realize their sales are off 90%.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by RedStang on Jan 26, 2013

You'll have to hide the Cadillac around the corner now. Give it a week until they realize their sales are off 90%.

Yeah, and no more buying groceries at the convenience story. What a hassle.

LottoPerro

I read about this one yesterday.  This is a horrible, HORRIBLE idea for North Carolina.  I'm completely dumbfounded that people actually approve of this.  This will be bad for North Carolina for a multitude of reasons:

1. North Carolina welfare recipients will simply travel to South Carolina, Virginia, or Tennessee to play.  If they win in one of those places, there is nothing stopping those commissions to giving them the money they rightfully won.

2. Imagine the lawsuits that North Carolina would get if someone won the big one but their ticket is invalid because they're on welfare.

3. This is just downright discrimination.  In no way that those that don't have it as good shouldn't be barred from playing the lottery.  They have dreams just like 98% of America does - being rich.

4. South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee will be completely ecstatic to see extra dollars coming their way.  Remember, part of the lottery proceeds is to fund education.  Money will be coming out of North Carolina's fund and into those three states' funds.

5. If someone wins in those states, the tax money goes to THEM and not North Carolina.  You lose, North Carolina.

I just hope the bill does not pass for North Carolina's sake.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by LottoPerro on Jan 26, 2013

I read about this one yesterday.  This is a horrible, HORRIBLE idea for North Carolina.  I'm completely dumbfounded that people actually approve of this.  This will be bad for North Carolina for a multitude of reasons:

1. North Carolina welfare recipients will simply travel to South Carolina, Virginia, or Tennessee to play.  If they win in one of those places, there is nothing stopping those commissions to giving them the money they rightfully won.

2. Imagine the lawsuits that North Carolina would get if someone won the big one but their ticket is invalid because they're on welfare.

3. This is just downright discrimination.  In no way that those that don't have it as good shouldn't be barred from playing the lottery.  They have dreams just like 98% of America does - being rich.

4. South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee will be completely ecstatic to see extra dollars coming their way.  Remember, part of the lottery proceeds is to fund education.  Money will be coming out of North Carolina's fund and into those three states' funds.

5. If someone wins in those states, the tax money goes to THEM and not North Carolina.  You lose, North Carolina.

I just hope the bill does not pass for North Carolina's sake.

I Agree! Too bad the poor are not a "protected class" like the Mexicans are.

JoeBigLotto's avatarJoeBigLotto

This will be a very big joke for America. first and foremost what makes any one think they can also stop their crack head girlfriends not on welfare from buying the ticket for them. And secondly by banning them from playing the govement is taking away an easy way to get their a.. off welfare and actually have them pay back taxes. Hello is anyone thinking here lol

jeffrey's avatarjeffrey

i just wanted foodstamps to get kfc and long john silver's. can't afford to eat out but now they take foodstamps. yum, sigh.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by jeffrey on Jan 26, 2013

i just wanted foodstamps to get kfc and long john silver's. can't afford to eat out but now they take foodstamps. yum, sigh.

Last time I checked they only take EBT cash credits, not EBT food credits. Too bad though. Perhaps if they served it cold?

KyMystikal's avatarKyMystikal

Lmao, this is so hilarious.  I guess the dream of winning the lottery and getting out if the projects will continue to be a dream?

LottoPerro

I need to rephrase one of my sentences above, just realized the mistake: In no way should those that don't have it as good be barred from playing the lottery.

KyMystikal's avatarKyMystikal

Quote: Originally posted by LottoPerro on Jan 26, 2013

I need to rephrase one of my sentences above, just realized the mistake: In no way should those that don't have it as good be barred from playing the lottery.

I understood what you meant

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by LottoPerro on Jan 26, 2013

I need to rephrase one of my sentences above, just realized the mistake: In no way should those that don't have it as good be barred from playing the lottery.

Right, they would never consider banning the criminally insane. Why would they ban the poor?

JAP69's avatarJAP69

Quote: Originally posted by Ronnie316 on Jan 26, 2013

Right, they would never consider banning the criminally insane. Why would they ban the poor?

"Why would they ban the poor?"

I seen where a government agency declared someone mentaly incompetent to take care of their own financial affairs when they were asked if they played the lottery.  The person replied he played like maybe 5 or ten dollars every 2 weeks on the lottery. The goernment agency declared him having a gambling problem and his financial affairs received from that agency was put into the hands of a guardian.

The government will do what they want when they want.

JoeBigLotto's avatarJoeBigLotto

The goverment and the state are the big beneficiaries in a lottery win so why should they be asking silly questions. And beside USA is suppose to be the number one land of the free but it seems like every second that freedom is taking away slowly like a woodpecker in the forest.

noise-gate

Simply put: It cannot be enforced. What is stopping someone from telling a person entering the store to pick up some tickets for them, is the law going to arrest these individuals?- Cannot be done.

megan81's avatarmegan81

In New Jersey, welfare recipients who win the lottery have to pay back TANF and Section 8 funds and any overpayments from other social welfare programs that were awarded to them... On another note, how are vendors going to "[know] the person was on welfare or in bankruptcy?"

megan81's avatarmegan81

Quote: Originally posted by JAP69 on Jan 26, 2013

"Why would they ban the poor?"

I seen where a government agency declared someone mentaly incompetent to take care of their own financial affairs when they were asked if they played the lottery.  The person replied he played like maybe 5 or ten dollars every 2 weeks on the lottery. The goernment agency declared him having a gambling problem and his financial affairs received from that agency was put into the hands of a guardian.

The government will do what they want when they want.

That's horrible!!!

wpb's avatarwpb

another stupid idea from our North Carolina lawmakers.

Ronnie316

It reminds me of the old question................

How much wood would a Woodchuck chuck, if a Woodchuck could chuck wood? And the guy who catches Woodchucks chucking wood on his property and keeps hollering, "You Woodchucks STOP chucking that wood" 

The government is "chucking wood"

GTR1946's avatarGTR1946

Laid off Oregon man wins $1 million 9:21 am -  An Oregon man who has been out of work since May won $1 million playing the Oregon Lottery. Need I say More LMAO ,Poor people have dreams to.

Ronnie316

Quote: Originally posted by GTR1946 on Jan 26, 2013

Laid off Oregon man wins $1 million 9:21 am -  An Oregon man who has been out of work since May won $1 million playing the Oregon Lottery. Need I say More LMAO ,Poor people have dreams to.

With so many people laid off work now, the odds of one of them winning want way up.

Ronnie316

Seriously.... Isn't it about a 50/50 chance?

lucky6025

Hi, I agree to let them pass that law,when there is a LAW passed,saying ALL POLITICIANS are banned from all Lottery purchases in ALL STATES until the State Budget is BALANCED.Seems All POLITICIANS have no problem running cities/states/towns into debt,then going to taxpayers to bail them out seems to me like WELFARE for POLITICIANS.

KY Floyd's avatarKY Floyd

Quote: Originally posted by GTR1946 on Jan 26, 2013

Laid off Oregon man wins $1 million 9:21 am -  An Oregon man who has been out of work since May won $1 million playing the Oregon Lottery. Need I say More LMAO ,Poor people have dreams to.

You should feel free to give them as much money as you want to, so that they can spend it on the lottery or anything else they desire.

mookyb75's avatarmookyb75

How foolish is this. N.C. is dictating where, when, and how a person spends their money. this is crazy.Smash

maringoman's avatarmaringoman

The system is broken. A girl I worked with actually confessed her wish to be layed off so she could collect. We also have sleazy doctors who will sign bogus disability forms that allow young men n women to collect foever. Obesity is a disability nowadays o_O. Meanwhile the Chinese are putting it in an average of 12 hours daily on their jobs. Its only a matter of time before they claim a portion of Idaho as its been rumoured.

Factorem's avatarFactorem

If this proposal passes and becomes law in NC it  faces being struck down for Federal Constitutional reasons.

JoeBigLotto's avatarJoeBigLotto

Quote: Originally posted by maringoman on Jan 26, 2013

The system is broken. A girl I worked with actually confessed her wish to be layed off so she could collect. We also have sleazy doctors who will sign bogus disability forms that allow young men n women to collect foever. Obesity is a disability nowadays o_O. Meanwhile the Chinese are putting it in an average of 12 hours daily on their jobs. Its only a matter of time before they claim a portion of Idaho as its been rumoured.

Well the chinese and the us government have become so tangled up in finance and commodities that no one is seeing this coming. Its like a marriage where divorce is going to be too expensive so what will happen in future is that the law makers will pass a law to make china another us state just like gays after being stubbornly gay for a long time got their right to marry what is next and too schwarzenegger was once governor of california and he is back in making movies now like he said "l Will Be Back" it seems like our reality is becoming a fantasy movie i need to get back in my ice cube hopefully in 100 yrs their will be less retards lol

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

I think lottery clerks should be legally allowed to smack food stamp schmucks upside the head when they try to play the lottery.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by mookyb75 on Jan 26, 2013

How foolish is this. N.C. is dictating where, when, and how a person spends their money. this is crazy.Smash

No, they're not telling them how they can spend their money.

They're telling them how they can spend the taxpayers' money.

And rightfully so.

PrisonerSix

I can't see how this is enforceable, since there's no way to tell if someone is on welfare or not unless they admit to it. I think it's just an elected official trying to score points with his constituents, regardless of if what he is going to do will be effective or make a difference.

Back in the 90s, I worked in a welfare office interviewing people trying to get benefits and I could tell some stories. Another law I remember being passed was we had to collect information on the absent parent(s) of the children in the household, and the state would go after them for child support to pay back welfare. That was a very popular law I'm sure but in reality, it made little difference. The office that handled this rarely ever had a problem finding absent parents, but many of them were either not working or working low wage jobs, on disability, or in jail. Because of all of the things mentioned, the state either couldn't collect anything or if they did, it was usually a low amount of money. I used to see child support orders for $10/week, or in one case, I saw $35/month. Usually they got a drop in the bucket if anything. 

I consider this proposal to something similar, it will be popular with voters, but will make no difference.

noise-gate

Has this state given it much thought that people on welfare & foodstamps are hoping to hit it big time so that they can sever the cord that gives them these benefits, in other words, we want off welfare.  They want to uplift themselves by taking a shot at the lottery.  Who is the state to say " if you on foodstamps  you not allowed to dream big,  that privlege belongs others, others who are not on welfare!"

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by noise-gate on Jan 26, 2013

Has this state given it much thought that people on welfare & foodstamps are hoping to hit it big time so that they can sever the cord that gives them these benefits, in other words, we want off welfare.  They want to uplift themselves by taking a shot at the lottery.  Who is the state to say " if you on foodstamps  you not allowed to dream big,  that privlege belongs others, others who are not on welfare!"

You're allowed to dream as big as you want but not with money we give you for food.

If you receive too much, give it back, it's for food, not gambling.

If you really want to dream big, get a job and dream big with your own money, not ours.

avon415

Rep=Paul Skip Stam R-For Wake"To me u and the reps have enough problems u make to much money now for doing nothing.it seems as if u don't have anything to do.but u do have time to worry about the lottery.well for me and my thoughs u should worry about u and your family.these people have just as much rights to play lotto as your and your rich a__s do.they may get lucky and hit so they can get off welfare and live a happy stupid life like you do.you do what u do best just sit on your butt and keep getting fat.oh u have a lot to learn about welfare floks they do like your cheap food stamps.

LuckyDrew's avatarLuckyDrew

this will never happen.  Not even in a milion years...the state that give  money to yhe people in meed of welfare. Those same exact people. Well at least som will  turn around and gives it right back to the state. By playing. lottery      do u think this law will actually pass......   I think not...   To much money will be at stake. It will never happen.

LottoPerro

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jan 26, 2013

No, they're not telling them how they can spend their money.

They're telling them how they can spend the taxpayers' money.

And rightfully so.

Si.  But they will simply take the money that they have (let's just put it that way) and put it in South Carolina, Virginia, or Tennessee's lottery fund, thus screwing over North Carolina.  The lottery's purpose is to fund education.  North Carolina will be livid if South Carolina, Virginia, and Tennessee is getting North Carolina's residents' money so they can either be entertained, chase a 1 in 176 million dream, or both.

MADDOG10's avatarMADDOG10

After reading the post, I said this is the most assinine thought process by any poitician that I've read about in four years.

Are they living on another planet. I would think it's big time discrimination. Just because the state administers welfare to recipients doesn't

mean that it owns them.

Even if there is something done towards this action, The poiliticians need to go out and police their own cluster instead of having the clerk be responsible for it, when the politicians weren't to begin with..

Whatever these politicians are being paid, it's way to much and they need to giveback or otherwise get a life....!

markp1950

Brought to you by the same people that want to put rape victims in jail..

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by Factorem on Jan 26, 2013

If this proposal passes and becomes law in NC it  faces being struck down for Federal Constitutional reasons.

I would hope so, in the case of when one is granted a Chapter 7 Bankruptcy!!!  In this case, the citizen's submitted/listed debts are discharged -- not 1 penny was spent by the government to pay back any creditors OR to give the bankruptcy recipient any future living money, housing money, medical/dental aid, employment aid, or food stamps -- the bankruptcy recipient paid for their bankruptcy status request to be CONSIDERED by the multiple county judicial employees though!

Thumbs Down No No Turkey

raursby's avatarraursby

NC is gone crazy, just like they bann sweepstakes and things..why in the hell do NC think they can tell somebody how to spend their money. this is crazy to even think about it

raursby's avatarraursby

Quote: Originally posted by rdgrnr on Jan 26, 2013

No, they're not telling them how they can spend their money.

They're telling them how they can spend the taxpayers' money.

And rightfully so.

Once anybody get a check or cash in they name no matter how they got it, its their money. If i work all week or get a ssi check, aint no way in hell it still the boss or the government money once its giving to me.

TheGameGrl's avatarTheGameGrl

to the poster who mentioned discrimination. Your right!

To the poster who mentioned that welfare folks not use there welfare money for gaming....beats using it to buy moonshine from the folks... Technically its plausible and conceivable for a person on welfare to have "cash". A person is allowed to make meager income and still receive reciprical funds thru the state to make ends meet. 

Maybe they are selling aluminum cans and getting money that way. Our babysitting a child on weekends. We cannot "assume" they are entirely without small ways of making ends meet.

As to govt telling a "citizen" its not okay for you if we "fund" your home, then we need to tell the politicians its NOT okay to fund their houses, their personal vacations, their staff treats...ad nausem :) Bottom line is, if a foreigner can stop thru in america, buy a ticket and claim a win, then we have no right to tell a natural citizen that there rights are less...fair is fair.

raursby's avatarraursby

after reading alot of these responses to,its a shame that all these people choose to judge and look down on people thats a lil less fortunate. same reason why America is in the jam its in. We all can judge the next person but wont throw them a bone to help make things better, everybody that gets money from the government is not doing it cause they want to im sure...sad world we living in

noise-gate

You assuming Ridge that these people are using money that they received " from the State" to play the game. That cannot be true in all cases. What if these folk decided to stand at street corners or outside a local store and panhandle a few extra bucks to play the lottery? One could hardly be suggesting that EVERY dollar in a welfare's pocket is from the State.Dreaming is Free- it is & can be done without State money. l have read of people wanting to buy alcohol with food stamps and some have gotten away with in the past, but not anymore and rightly so.

 There is no definitive way of knowing for certain whether the money these welfare recipients would be using is welfare crown.. no way, unless they using stamps to buy food and say " give me lottery tickets with the change".

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