OT: Lottery Scholarships

[NWADawg]

Does Mississippi lottery scholarships apply to trade schools also or just academic institutions? Arkansas just passed allowing trade school students to receive lottery scholarships. I think there should be more of this.

The thread about JUCO's not affording football? Maybe some of the money saved by closing some of the small programs down could be reassigned to support trade education - high school and tech schools.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

MS lottery goes to infrastructure, unless something has changed.

 

[Walkthedawg]

MS lottery goes to infrastructure, unless something has changed.

That amount is capped. When it goes over that amount.. it goes to education.

At least that’s what I remember hearing.

 

[L4Dawg]

That amount is capped. When it goes over that amount.. it goes to education.

At least that’s what I remember hearing.

None of it goes to scholarships. We do not have a lottery scholarship program.

 

[msudawg12]

A student with a 2.0 or 2.5(cant remember) grade point average that graduates in Mississippi can go to all of the Juco trade schools for free in Mississippi anyway.
That includes accelerated advanced programs like the nursing program and Meridian among others

 

[NWADawg]

A student with a 2.0 or 2.5(cant remember) grade point average that graduates in Mississippi can go to all of the Juco trade schools for free in Mississippi anyway.
That includes accelerated advanced programs like the nursing program and Meridian among others

Wow. That's awesome.

ETA: So is that just paid for by tax dollars I assume? That's great for the kids that receive the benefits but I think I prefer the "voluntary tax" of the lottery instead of just deducting that tuition money out of everyone's paychecks.

 

[dorndawg]

Wow. That's awesome.

ETA: So is that just paid for by tax dollars I assume? That's great for the kids that receive the benefits but I think I prefer the "voluntary tax" of the lottery instead of just deducting that tuition money out of everyone's paychecks.

Something about directly financing higher ed on the backs of problem gamblers just doesn't sit right with me. No doubt it's a "voluntary" tax as you say, but the fact is lotteries don't keep rolling from people who buy a scratch off or 2 every month; gambling addicts are footing the bill. That's just such an insidious addiction, and with the rise of Draft kings etc being on tv all the time plus online wagering in many states, it's just relentless.

I think I actually like Mississippi's model better, to where at least ostensibly the scholarship money is coming from the general coffers. I'm not sure we weren't all better off just not having government involved in gambling at all.

 

[johnson86-1]

A student with a 2.0 or 2.5(cant remember) grade point average that graduates in Mississippi can go to all of the Juco trade schools for free in Mississippi anyway.
That includes accelerated advanced programs like the nursing program and Meridian among others

I have never heard of this and a quick google search doesn't seem to be pointing me in the right direction. Is this a particular named program?

 

[johnson86-1]

Something about directly financing higher ed on the backs of problem gamblers just doesn't sit right with me. No doubt it's a "voluntary" tax as you say, but the fact is lotteries don't keep rolling from people who buy a scratch off or 2 every month; gambling addicts are footing the bill. That's just such an insidious addiction, and with the rise of Draft kings etc being on tv all the time plus online wagering in many states, it's just relentless.

What would you like to finance off the backs of problem gamblers? I get your point, but you're going to have problem gamblers regardless. Might as well tax them and use the money for something good. I think it's very plausible that many more people became problem gamblers because we made gambling legal and more accessible, but the same thing can be said for alcoholics and legal alcohol. Free people are going to make bad decisions.

I think I actually like Mississippi's model better, to where at least ostensibly the scholarship money is coming from the general coffers. I'm not sure we weren't all better off just not having government involved in gambling at all.

I think to this point I would say legalized gambling was a success on the coast (there was pretty much gambling there already, might as well get some revenue and it doesn't seem to have had a negative impact on the surrounding areas, although I guess it's been there long enough it's hard to say what it would look like without gaming) and a bad thing for everywhere else in Mississippi, although you could maybe convince me otherwise on Tunica.

I think when there weren't options to gamble everywhere, trying to use casinos as an economic driver wasn't a terrible idea, or at least obviously terrible. But there are just too many places with gambling now for it to really move the needle. Vegas is the clear winner. The coast is actually the second best place I've seen for gambling. Atlantic City is depressing. All the river boats I've seen are pretty piddling and usually in a depressing town. I think a place like Hera's in New Orleans make sense because they provide another option to do something in an already touristy area, but I'm not sure New Orleans would miss it if it left either.

 

[dorndawg]

What would you like to finance off the backs of problem gamblers? I get your point, but you're going to have problem gamblers regardless. Might as well tax them and use the money for something good. I think it's very plausible that many more people became problem gamblers because we made gambling legal and more accessible, but the same thing can be said for alcoholics and legal alcohol. Free people are going to make bad decisions.



I think to this point I would say legalized gambling was a success on the coast (there was pretty much gambling there already, might as well get some revenue and it doesn't seem to have had a negative impact on the surrounding areas, although I guess it's been there long enough it's hard to say what it would look like without gaming) and a bad thing for everywhere else in Mississippi, although you could maybe convince me otherwise on Tunica.

I think when there weren't options to gamble everywhere, trying to use casinos as an economic driver wasn't a terrible idea, or at least obviously terrible. But there are just too many places with gambling now for it to really move the needle. Vegas is the clear winner. The coast is actually the second best place I've seen for gambling. Atlantic City is depressing. All the river boats I've seen are pretty piddling and usually in a depressing town. I think a place like Hera's in New Orleans make sense because they provide another option to do something in an already touristy area, but I'm not sure New Orleans would miss it if it left either.

I'd just as soon not finance anything off addiction. I'm not looking for government-enforced morality, but I get the sense we've swung too far into the direction of government-promoted immorality.

As far as local communities around casinos, it appears that is a mixed bag: https://dismalscience.journalism.cuny.edu/2014/05/18/casinos-always-gamble-neighboring-home-values/ - this is just the first study I saw, I'm sure there are others.

 

[johnson86-1]

I'd just as soon not finance anything off addiction. I'm not looking for government-enforced morality, but I get the sense we've swung too far into the direction of government-promoted immorality.

As far as local communities around casinos, it appears that is a mixed bag: https://dismalscience.journalism.cuny.edu/2014/05/18/casinos-always-gamble-neighboring-home-values/ - this is just the first study I saw, I'm sure there are others.

That's a surprisingly lukewarm take on it. I would have thought it would be much more negative. I guess my perception is skewed because so many places that legalized gambling early did so because they were already struggling and not super desirable places to live.

But Atlantic City seems like such a bad data point for legalized gambling. How can you be a coastal city within a couple of hours of New York and Philadelphia and be so ******?

 

[NWADawg]

Wow. That's awesome.

Something about directly financing higher ed on the backs of problem gamblers just doesn't sit right with me. No doubt it's a "voluntary" tax as you say, but the fact is lotteries don't keep rolling from people who buy a scratch off or 2 every month; gambling addicts are footing the bill. That's just such an insidious addiction, and with the rise of Draft kings etc being on tv all the time plus online wagering in many states, it's just relentless.

I think I actually like Mississippi's model better, to where at least ostensibly the scholarship money is coming from the general coffers. I'm not sure we weren't all better off just not having government involved in gambling at all.

I see your point but don't really agree. If it was completely my way, I think I would go along with Elon and say the govt. needs to quit subsidizing pretty much everything. Everyone would have more of their own money to use and then it would just be a business decision - do the benefits of a degree/certificate outweigh the cost/debt? But, until that is an option, i would choose to go for voluntary contributions over taxation. Screw taxing everyone more so the govt. can give some folks back a small portion of that tax income.

 

[OG Goat Holder]

I see your point but don't really agree. If it was completely my way, I think I would go along with Elon and say the govt. needs to quit subsidizing pretty much everything. Everyone would have more of their own money to use and then it would just be a business decision - do the benefits of a degree/certificate outweigh the cost/debt? But, until that is an option, i would choose to go for voluntary contributions over taxation. Screw taxing everyone more so the govt. can give some folks back a small portion of that tax income.

So no regulation at all, eh? Would be a total disaster.

You have to have taxes and a regulating body who can decide to do things based on the public good, outside of individual interests.

However, I also don't agree with @dorndawg. I'm totally fine taxing things like gambling. I don't have a moral conundrum about things like that. It's a choice, just like smoking and/or eating ice cream. And a tax is an even bigger incentive not to gamble. So after all the warnings......you still do it.......that's on you.

 

[dorndawg]

I see your point but don't really agree. If it was completely my way, I think I would go along with Elon and say the govt. needs to quit subsidizing pretty much everything. Everyone would have more of their own money to use and then it would just be a business decision - do the benefits of a degree/certificate outweigh the cost/debt? But, until that is an option, i would choose to go for voluntary contributions over taxation. Screw taxing everyone more so the govt. can give some folks back a small portion of that tax income.

That's not unreasonable; questions like these are (to me) why we have elected officials. I think the flip side of the coin - and where I more come down - is that we all have a vested interest in our fellow-citizens being better educated. I would certainly err on the side of not going along with elon.

 

[Duke Humphrey]

That amount is capped. When it goes over that amount.. it goes to education.

At least that’s what I remember hearing.

The first $80m goes to transportation, and the remaining tax revenue goes to Education, including IHL

 

[NWADawg]

So no regulation at all, eh? Would be a total disaster.

You have to have taxes and a regulating body who can decide to do things based on the public good, outside of individual interests.

However, I also don't agree with @dorndawg. I'm totally fine taxing things like gambling. I don't have a moral conundrum about things like that. It's a choice, just like smoking and/or eating ice cream. And a tax is an even bigger incentive not to gamble. So after all the warnings......you still do it.......that's on you.

I never said no regulation. You can regulate things through setting standards. I was talking about subsidies. You know - the govt giving money to businesses and entities that aren't viable on their own merit.

 

[msudawg12]

Wow. That's awesome.

ETA: So is that just paid for by tax dollars I assume? That's great for the kids that receive the benefits but I think I prefer the "voluntary tax" of the lottery instead of just deducting that tuition money out of everyone's paychecks.

No. Those are all from foundations at each of the JUCO's. It first started at Meridian Community College in late 90's. My father worked for years helping to raise the funds to cover that cost. Other CC's in MS started raising the funds throughout the decades later. i THINK all of them do it now but i'm not 100% positive.

there are some caveats. ex: its 2 years and certain grades have to be maintained. Still an incredible program.

 

[msudawg12]

I have never heard of this and a quick google search doesn't seem to be pointing me in the right direction. Is this a particular named program?

at MCC, its the Tuition Guarantee program provided through the MCC Foundation.

Tuition Guarantee Program

meridiancc.edu

 

[paindonthurt17]

Something about directly financing higher ed on the backs of problem gamblers just doesn't sit right with me. No doubt it's a "voluntary" tax as you say, but the fact is lotteries don't keep rolling from people who buy a scratch off or 2 every month; gambling addicts are footing the bill. That's just such an insidious addiction, and with the rise of Draft kings etc being on tv all the time plus online wagering in many states, it's just relentless.

I think I actually like Mississippi's model better, to where at least ostensibly the scholarship money is coming from the general coffers. I'm not sure we weren't all better off just not having government involved in gambling at all.

I’d love to see some data on that

 

[paindonthurt17]

I'd just as soon not finance anything off addiction. I'm not looking for government-enforced morality, but I get the sense we've swung too far into the direction of government-promoted immorality.

As far as local communities around casinos, it appears that is a mixed bag: https://dismalscience.journalism.cuny.edu/2014/05/18/casinos-always-gamble-neighboring-home-values/ - this is just the first study I saw, I'm sure there are others.

So don’t tax gamblers but tax all the workers and business people!!