Arkansas Lottery director hires core management staff

Comment #10

soothsayer — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 20:01:54 GMT

As a South Carolinian I say good riddance Ernie . We have seen his handiwork here and are still waiting for some semblence of integrity to return. Our hearts go out to all Arkansans

Comment #9

Todd — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 13:38:49 GMT

Hey Mike, I've seen some hints in some of the reports from Arkansas that they will be going with real ball drawings, but nothing concrete yet. I sure hope they don't try something like blaming the mess they created with these salaries for going with computerized draws. That would be a disaster.

Unfortunately, after seeing how the Tennessee director suddenly switched over to computerized drawings, the days when we could trust them to do the right thing are over. We all need to be vigilant on t... [ More ]

Comment #8

LOTTOMIKE — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 03:13:56 GMT

i will say this and mark my words on it.if arkansas does start off with ball draws i'll be watching very closely to see that it stays that way.if and when they drop hints that they are going RNG i'll bombard the media in arkansas with all the data plus trouble that RNG caused once it was implemented here in tennessee.i'll make sure the newspapers,media and lottey players know the fraud RNG is.

Comment #7

itsmyhouse — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:02:19 GMT

The message they're sending is, Hurry up and approve these people at these ridiculous salaries...we're literally the ONLY people available who have experience with a lottery start-up and every day we delay costs the dear, dear children of this awesome state millions in scholarship money.

First of all, there will probably be a pool of money that will go unusued for a long time. So much for losing money because of the delay. Secondly, this thinly veiled scam has played out in the same way in T... [ More ]

Comment #6

fusgeyer — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 15:25:20 GMT

I am appalled at the high salaries and with Ernie Passailaigue's attitude toward the average Arkansas Taxpayer. Our taxes are paying the salaries for PAssailaigue and his staff, he had better get used to anwering to us. Having just moved from North Carolina where the lottery startup was ridden with fraud, Ernie and his good ol boys mentality is cause for concern. Usually when high paid officials call the general population too stupid to understand, when they want the media and taxpayers out of t... [ More ]

Comment #5

Its Arkansas — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:25:19 GMT

Gee, these South Carolina folks, with all their 'expertise' are really coming up well on the backs of us Arkansans. Are there no persons of intellect here in Arkansas that can be trained and prepared to work effectively in Arkansas' lottery? I mean those are great salaries they are paying these these new deputy directors and management staff, it'd be nice to see Arkansas' own have an opportunity to receive such pay while working to establish a lottery program for our state.... what's wrong with... [ More ]

Comment #4

Unkleroy — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 00:28:43 GMT

What is really makes me angry are all the elected politicians that set this up. Also when the Lottery Director was talking about the high saleries, he compared those people to troops in the trenchs . As a veteran I am offended he thinks he can compare his people to me like that. My friend Trevor Drown from Russellville Arkansas is a Green Beret and he called him out on it in a video. A lot of people saw it and they agree with Trevor, this is pure gluttoney. Now allof sudden all the elcted offici... [ More ]

Comment #3

LOTTOMIKE — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:25:30 GMT

arkansas needs to learn from the mistakes tennessee made.

Comment #2

itsmyhouse — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:21:40 GMT

Seems Arkansas is following Tennessee's lead: Paying exorbitant salaries to the people in charge, with the wink-wink-nudge-nudge support of their Board of Directors and the political tie-ins with the state legislature. Gaming makes for strange bedfellows and is a dirty, dirty business.

Comment #1

Todd — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 16:01:18 GMT

I must say that I'm really becoming quite appalled not only over the way-over-inflated salaries, but also over the you're too stupid to understand excuses being offered.

Also, give me a break about the sob-stories about what a hardship it will be for these people to go to work every day. Give me a break!!

Do they understand that they are lucky to have jobs at all in this economy, let alone the prestigious jobs at the state lottery?

The new director is setting the state up for problems d... [ More ]

Arkansas Lottery director hires core management staff

Lottery Post — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 15:53:38 GMT

Outcry over high salaries; Director defends

Ernie Passailaigue, who started his job two weeks ago as executive director of the Arkansas Lottery Commission, has been steadily hiring employees to fill core management positions, while defending the high salaries he is giving the new staff.

Before the hiring commenced, a legislative committee signed off ealier this month on the newly hired lottery chief's plan to pay his top deputies more than $200,000 each.

Passailaigue asked legislators t... [ More ]