State Lottery: Did Bentley Backtrack on Campaign Promises?

Back in 1999, Alabamians headed to the polls and soundly defeated the proposal for a state lottery, which then-Gov. Don Siegleman promised would generate at least $150 million a year for college scholarships, a prekindergarten program and computers in schools.  Since then, we've faced a number of years of budget woes.

It was thought by many that during his campaign for office, Gov. Bentley said he would bring a lottery to a vote of the people. However, the governor clarified this ideology, stating that he has never led the charge for such a vote and didn't say that he would.  What he said was that if the Legislature approved such a vote, he wouldn't attempt to block a public vote. However, he now says that gambling is not the solution to the state's budget problems and that it wouldn't provide enough money to prevent deep cuts to law enforcement and other state agencies.

According to the Associated Press, yesterday, Gov. Bentley said that draft lottery and casino legislation proposed by Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh would bring Las Vegas-style gambling to the state of Alabama. This means our coast line could become more of a tourist attraction, drawing gamblers, vacationers, and other industries attempting to capitalize on both.  Right now, some Alabama residents travel to neighboring states to play the lottery.  Can you imagine if that money stayed in the state? If Vegas-style gambling was allowed in Alabama, other methods of entertainment are sure to follow. THIS is what I see as an indirect economic boost for the state.

Some of those who oppose the lottery cite a morality concern.  They seem to think that a lottery would exploit the poor.  I'm neither an opponent nor proponent, but I know that the easiest way to escape poverty is through education.  While not all education comes from a classroom, school is one of the most fundamental bases for knowledge.  Ideas from lessons learned in school have been the catalysts for numerous inventions and innovations, but perhaps having a lottery isn't the best way to fix the state's budgets. Do you have any other suggestions?  And do you think Gov. Bentley broke his campaign promise by deliberately using misleading language, or was he just misunderstood in regards to allowing state residents to vote on a lottery?