'YES' ON PROPOSITION 1C
This page is no fan of state lotteries, but California voters approved one in 1984 and show no sign of reversing that position. So it is reasonable to ask: Is the state getting all out of the lottery that it could?
Proponents of Proposition 1C make a convincing argument that the answer is no. They note that the lottery is one of the lowest-performing in the country. It hasn't been modernized in 25 years. Better marketing and higher payouts to players, they argue, could boost revenues in the future and provide an infusion now.
If Proposition 1C passes, the state would be authorized to borrow now against future proceeds that a revamped lottery would bring. The governor and lawmakers are counting on that loan to plug $5 billion of the state's expected budget hole next year. Without it, they would be forced to cut $5 billion from the state budget, including further cuts to social services, education, law enforcement and health care.
This proposition is the toughest nut on the May 19 ballot. Convincing arguments can be made that the state must curtail its borrowing and that it shouldn't be in the business of tempting Californians to gamble.
But those arguments have to be weighed against this reality: Since lawmakers struck a budget deal in February, the state's revenue shortfall has grown to at least $8 billion. Rejecting Proposition 1C would widen the gap to $13 billion. Lawmakers would then need to make cuts that most Californians couldn't tolerate, resulting in political stalemate and another slow march to insolvency. That's a gamble that California can't afford to make. Vote "Yes" on 1C.
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