Subscribe to Common Dreams News Updates
Most Popular This Week
Popular content
Today's Top News
It's Time for . . . Liberation Lotto!
Today's New York Times finds the grey lady engaged in her usual gnashing of teeth and rending of garments over The Deficit, in this case, that of the State of New York which it describes as "alarming."
The sum occasioning the state of near panic? $9.2 billion.
Oddly, in the previous week, the Times business section reported on the bonus pool to be distributed among Goldman-Sachs employees.
The sum in question: $14 billion.
It does not take a genius to recognize that the problem and the solution are in very close proximity to one another -- separated, as it were, by only a few pages of newsprint.
All it takes is moving a manmade mountain of cash to fill a giant hole we have dug for ourselves.
A generation ago, we would have made this transfer via taxation -- from those few who are stuffed with cash to the many who need it.
But three full decades of market fundamentalist brainwashing has removed this obvious and traditional -- not to mention unimpeachably fair and just -- solution from the table.
The answer? Liberation Lotto -- a lottery with a twist to be explained below.
But before doing so, it is worth noting that state lotteries, since their massive expansion in the early 1980s now fund many programs and they do so by extracting wealth from the most impoverished communities -- those who are most susceptible to the disease of addictive gambling.
Since we have a lottery system up and running, we should put it, and its popularity to use. And here's how it should work.
First, rather than being required to purchase tickets, tickets would be issued free to those eligible to participate.
And -- here's the second twist -- rather than targeting the poor, the ticket holders in this lottery would be the most asset-laden citizens of a state -- those with a net worth of $100 million and above.
Finally, rather than the hand of the state depositing money in the pocket of a bus driver, unemployed day laborer or secretary, it will do the exact opposite, which is to say that it will extract funds from those who now have wealth beyond their dreams of avarice.
Our lucky winner will be required to avail him or herself of the opportunity to deposit into the general revenues of their state 75% of all their assets above $20 million, or face stiff criminal punishment.
Imagine the nightly news lottery segment. Our lovely host removes, say, the numbers 7, 7, and 3 from the hopper. Then she consults her list and, flashing a winning smile, announces that "Mortimer Zuckerman of 451 Park Ave., New York City is tonight's lucky winner of Liberation Lotto!"
The host's side kick then intones, sotto voce: "According to recent tax documents, Mr. Zuckerman's net worth will require he make a donation of $675,845,321 to the general fund of the State of New York or be subject to wage garnishment, expropriation of assets and/or imprisonment."
A week later, David Viniar of Goldman Sachs will see his number come up. A week after that, maybe it would be John Paulson, or David Shaw, or Mayor Bloomberg.
The suspense would be enormous. Ratings would go through the roof.
In a few short weeks, the budget deficit would be eliminated.
And after that, each week would target another billionaire's asset portfolio channelling it into one or another underfunded state program -- state parks threatened with closing, rolling back the firing of thousands of public school teachers, public transportation systems, food assistance or public housing.
All of these would be flush with cash by the year's end. Those making the contributions would barely notice -- though it might put a small crimp in the luxury yacht, high end real estate and private jet sales.
Liberation Lotto: an idea whose time has come!
- Posted in
11 Comments so far
Show AllDoes anyone know why there isn't a lottery someone wins EVERY WEEK?
When the pot reaches 10 million, say, they would keep pulling numbers until someone won.
Sure, nothing goes to the state, but who cares. Its our money anyway and we should be able to spend it more freely.
This guy in Missouri who won hundreds of millions says he will fix his two front teeth, pay off his truck and take the clan to Disney World. - It is painfully obvious that this guy has NO CLUE what is in store for him. Wolves will be at the door 24/7 trying to steal that cash and he will probably loose most of it before he knows what hit him.
But a 10 million dollar jackpot every week or two with a guaranteed winner would really improve a far greater number of lives.
I like the idea presented in this article, but it is too watered down to address the central problem of greed which destroys capitalism's capacity for good.
So how do we eliminate the problem of greed? That's easy, we simply make excessive wealth undesirable.
I have a modest proposal that, within 3 years will eliminate the curse of greed from capitalism and make America the shining city on the hill we all want.
Here's how it works. Once a year we identify the richest 10 people in America. We round them up along with their spouses, parents, grandparents, children, and grandchildren. Then we take them to huge sports arenas (the event will be a sellout) and execute them. Each in a different way: tossed into woodchippers, crucified, burned at the stake, fed to lions, you name it.
The pay per view revenue alone will help balance the budget, but in addition, their confiscated personal fortunes will help pay for needed government programs that help the poor.
We are only talking about a hundred or so folks a year. Not much more than the number of miners who die because the rich like to cut corners when it comes to other people's safety.
More important than the revenue we get from these vampire squid is the change in character of their surviving associates. I predict that within 3 years there will be an outpouring of generosity, human kindness and Christian charity from their class the likes of which we have never seen.
These ideas are good for venting justifiable anger but for my money (!) the best solution I've come across is the Tobin Tax.
It taxes useless, destructive activity driven solely by greed and, if properly finessed, could finance all legitimate activities of government.
Yes, I love this solution to "discouraging" much of the unproductive, dangerous, and over the top greedy behavior in our "financial services(?)" sector. And wouldn't it be loverly if the sector were again to begin to provide useful services?
Lotteries are for suckers--30 plus years ago someone in Pa, discovered that if you put inert gas in all the ping pong balls except the 6 (you just play all those combination for the 6 you didn't rig) and you win every time. The gas made the rest of balls too heavy to reach the pick-up tube. It worked great till his accomplice ratted him out--it's amazing to me that they still use a similar system--I guess it's just a dumb people that play this now legal numbers racket--of course it's paltry compared with the racket of war that's going on.
Cool. What key shall we do this in? E flat?
An aleatoric technique would be more appropriate.
random? or contingent upon what?
I guess nobody saw the Goldman-Sach dog and pony show today, It changed my mind about waterboarding, torture, and inprisonment offshore.
First we need to waterboard, and torture every menber of Goldman-Sachs from the top to the bottom untill they talk! I know this will upset alot of civil-libertirians. So first well pick them all up at their country clubs, fancy homes. Whatever and drag them to a secret location leased by the CIA in the Ural Mtn's maybe? Then once we know where the money is. we take it back! Doesn't matter if we have to invade Switzerland, or The Bahamas to get it we get it!
Then we take all these shlubs on the bounus list. and burn them at the stake! as they were only doing what they thought was right, like they did Joan of Arc!
It's been a bad day to be an American!
>^^<
Weren't there Lotteries in Orwell's 1984?
Yacht Club Ego Trip's Lotto