Siegelman revives proposal for lottery

Gov. Siegelman campaigned largely on creating a lottery back in '98; it was rejected by the voters the next year. And now he's trying to bring it back.

I think lotteries are stupid and basically a tax on the poor and stupid. I also think saying it's for "education" is a con; money is fungible. So you can't use "lottery funds" to build a swimming pool in the governor's mansion, but you send less tax revenue to education.

On the other hand, Georgia and Florida have lotteries, and Mississippi has casinos. (I'm not sure about Tennessee. Anyone?) A lot of money leaves the state via those routes.