If You won the Powerball?

[GhostofBTT]

We have a problem with inferences, don't we Ghost?

Were you implying "blackmail" means something besides blackmail?

 

[ssckelley]

Good post ok4p! I have bought exactly 2 power ball tickets in my life, both when the jackpots got insane.

But if I did win I would not be giving the Athletic Department a big chunk of it. About all they would see is whatever donation I have to give in order to get decent season tickets, and it would not be the premium seating options, along with whatever "contribution" I would need to park my big azz RV for tailgating.

 

[olddude]

You implied that money spent on lottery tickets was hard earned. That is simply false. Some of it is, but these lumpenproles who routinely play the lottery are often on government assistance, with their money earned by filling out a few forms. The middle class money doesn't stampede into the lottery until the expected payout is roughly on par with the investment times odds of winning and that is when you see the payouts just explode. Spending a dollar or two for a 1:175 million chance to win $500 million is actually a decent investment and the fantasy utility is very high, as evidenced by threads like this one. The lottery and casinos are just ways for local governments to skim backdoor payoffs of tax dollars from the federal government. The money was hard earned, but not by the idiot gambling.

STOP USING BIG WORDS!
Nice job and very well written. That is exactly how it all works.

 

[kicker22]

Um no. I think I give more than enough as it is to support the UofI programs. Barta and the university were responsible for putting a buyout clause into his contract so it is there problem. I would however invest in a recruiting agency to help our staff find top level athletes and playmakers needed to make his system work.

 

[wundergrape]

You implied that money spent on lottery tickets was hard earned. That is simply false. Some of it is, but these lumpenproles who routinely play the lottery are often on government assistance, with their money earned by filling out a few forms. The middle class money doesn't stampede into the lottery until the expected payout is roughly on par with the investment times odds of winning and that is when you see the payouts just explode. Spending a dollar or two for a 1:175 million chance to win $500 million is actually a decent investment and the fantasy utility is very high, as evidenced by threads like this one. The lottery and casinos are just ways for local governments to skim backdoor payoffs of tax dollars from the federal government. The money was hard earned, but not by the idiot gambling.

I got you. That wasn't really the meat of my argument. The only thing of substance that we really disagree on is whether or not the lottery is a sound investment. It isn't.