Texas Gov. Rick Perry expects the three-member panel that oversees the Texas lottery to "get that agency straightened out" during next week's closed-door meeting on whether to replace the top executives, the governor's spokesman said Thursday.
"The governor is obviously concerned when any branch of the state government doesn't level with the taxpayers of Texas," deputy press secretary Robert Black said. "Honesty is important to the public trust."
Black said Perry was troubled by reports that lottery executives had inflated the value of the advertised jackpot during the June 8 drawing. But he said the governor would not weigh in publicly on whether Executive Director Reagan Greer or other top managers should be dismissed.
"Suffice it to say that the governor has faith that his appointees to the Lottery Commission will take the appropriate actions to not only get that agency straightened out but to make sure that the public's confidence is restored," Black said.
Greer has taken responsibility for approving the inflated jackpot advertisement for the June 8 drawing — and for at least three others — even though it was clear that ticket sales would not support the jackpot amounts.
The oversight panel plans to meet Monday to discuss privately whether Greer should be disciplined or dismissed and whether at least five other top executives should be reassigned.
Since word of the jackpot inflation leaked out last month, one of the top lottery officials who signed off on the matter has been dismissed. Lee Deviney, the former lottery financial administration director, said he was let go after notifying his supervisors that he had had second thoughts on the recommendation.
At a legislative hearing last week, several lottery officials testified that Deviney's dismissal was unrelated to the jackpot flap, but their testimony was greeted with skepticism. Deviney said in an interview that he was never given a reason for his firing but that he suspected it was related to the jackpot controversy.
Since last week's hearing, several former Lottery Commission employees have contacted some of the lawmakers involved, saying that they, too, were let go without being given a reason. Greer, meanwhile, has asked the state auditor's office to conduct an independent analysis of the lottery's handling of employee dismissals since November.
State Rep. Corbin Van Arsdale, R-Tomball, said he is troubled by both the jackpot controversy and the circumstances of Deviney's dismissal. He sent a letter to the head of the lottery oversight panel asking for a closer examination of the agency's operations.
If we can clean house, and that's a big if, Texas could be better for the process. I wonder how many other states have the same problems?
Orangeman
I hope that the Texas governor will make Texas Lotto jackpots not get inflated again and go in tenths of millions of dollars in the Estimated Grand Prize such as 4.5, 6.5, etc. I wish that they go back to a 6 number out of 54 game instead of 5 out of 44 plus a bonus ball out of 44.
Greer resigned at 4:15 pm as of Friday July 8, 2005. There was just to much pressure I would assume. He probably saved himself from getting terminated.
Brad
Maybe some of the others can now get reassigned to other jobs.
And also maybe now we can get a 6/49 no bonus ball Texas Lotto as we should if they want to sell more tickets.
We can also use a pick 4 game.
Greer resigned at 4:15 pm as of Friday July 8, 2005. There was just to much pressure I would assume. He probably saved himself from getting terminated.
Brad
Whew. That would have been fairly rough. I'd be surprise if, even in Texas they terminate people for just screwing up on something of this sort. More likely they'd just have fired him, put him out on the street, same as they'd do with someone who was convicted of homicide, most times.
You don't stand much chance of getting terminated for just being a liar, a cheat and a betrayer of public trust. In fact, those traits will almost certainly assure you a successful career in government.
Jack
TX is good at terminating peoples' lives by execution.
Good.
Jack
Even though I've never lived there, I like the state of Texas, and I like how its residents are so fiercely proud of their state.
Even though I've never lived there, I like the state of Texas, and I like how its residents are so fiercely proud of their state.
I'm as proud of my home state (Florida), as any Texan is of Texas.
But back to the lottery, I think they need to revamp Lotto Texas to, well, an actual Pick 6 Lotto game and not a Powerball game. Any format would be an improvement, 6/49, 6/50, 6/54, whatever.
Texas would also serve to benefit from a pick 4 game, and a 2+0 prize for Texas Two Step ($2 maybe?). Cash Five needs no changes as it's great as it is now. And Texas is probably the best place to play Mega Millions with it's exclusive Megaplier.
Lotto TX should go back to 6/54.
Lotto TX should go back to 6/54.
They'd do better to go back to 1954. They had a Ford factory, thriving oil-patch, Chance Vought Aircraft Plant near Fort Worth, Mooney arse-end-forward tail airplanes manufactured at Kerrville.... used to be a place that didn't need a lottery.
Jack
No state had a lottery in 1954.
You make my point for me, CO.
J
I wasn't around then either.