We are
so busy here in Prince George's County, Maryland racing to see of the rest of
the state by means of a referendum feels that we should be the lucky winners of
a casino that we probably do not have time to consider another form of gambling
that might benefit many of us directly and personally. According to a blog
post by Clark Howard in April of last year, pp in the Mid West, lands of
the Great Lakes "credit unions have joined together under an initiative
called Save To Win. This programs allows
you to open a savings account for $25, and that essentially buys you one
"lottery ticket" for a monthly drawing of anywhere from $125 to
$1,000. Every $25 you deposit is another entry to win."[1]
How come
our privileged elite has not come up with this idea? Could it be that gaming's
two biggest winners are government and the developer/operator coalition? If
gaming, gamble and casinos are such a great idea, couldn't we expand the
concept to one that directly impacts the individual? Do you want to make a bet
that the very same people who are for gambling would be against this savings
lottery version of the same activity? Gambling interests are the interests of a
few, and gambling will produce4 a few jobs while generating large tax revenues.
Saving lotteries on the other hands would benefit everyone who saves and you
can bet on a big opposition from the privileged few to any idea that helps the
many directly cutting out the middle man.
"Your initial $25 deposit also
enters you to win an annual jackpot of $100,000. (Your entries into the game of
chance are capped at 10 per month, based on the amount you deposit.) But no
matter whether you win or lose, you get to keep all the money you've deposited,
plus any interest. In a single year, over 16,000 Michigan residents who had not
been savers opened new accounts because of the jackpot lure. They saved $28
million collectively that otherwise might not have been saved, according to the
latest numbers I've seen."[2]
Prince
George's County needs creative novel ideas that benefit all of us.. Casinos in
National Harbor will help bring outside money to the county; casinos will be an
additional attraction helping to make National Harbor the choice for meetings
and conventions. But let's be clear. As I have previously
written "...the slots industry,
when established in Prince George's
County, would create an impressive 3,866 jobs in the county. ..[at a] wage of
$12,491 per year."[3]
Maybe the self interested few while they are on a roll could take some time to
create a winning gamble and look into "Savings Lotteries" while they
are on a roll
[1] ClarkHoward.com:
Credit unions offer combination savings account and lottery ticket option.
April 20, 2011 [accessed February 6,2012] http://www.clarkhoward.com/news/clark-howard/personal-finance-credit/credit-unions-offer-combination-savings-account-an/nCRqx/
[2] ibid.
[3]
Thompson. Gambling & Politics: Anonymous Prince George's Comments. January
23, 2012 [accessed February 6, 2012] http://princegeorgian.blogspot.com/2012/01/gambling-politics-anonymous-prince.html
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