I had about three months of Lotto tickets to check for winners. I have been buying tickets since 1994 and our arrival in Washington State. One ticket for Lotto and one for Quinto, twice a week. Yes, I do know that state sponsored gambling is the best form of taxation on the poor, it is always a punishment for the mathematically challenged, and it takes no skill to become a fool separated from his money on the false hope of untold riches, yes I do know. And I play anyway, seven cents on the dollar go to the store the machine is at, thirty-five cents goes to the State of Washington - and forget any promises that it was going to schools, education, school construction or other worthy programs a voter could get excited about - it will be in the General Fund and used anyway the current political leadership think it should be (because it was too much for the education system to absorb?)
They decided they needed more money - so they went with adding Mega Millions for a bigger prize in a combination of states, and they added one more daily drawing for Lotto and Hit 5 (which replaced Quinto since it sounded Mexican). Once I had them emailing me the winning numbers, so I could check immediately but that was in the days I was counting all my pennies and rolling them and adding them to the son's credit union account - the pennies and other coins from my jogs that I picked up. I don't count all the coins, not like the obsessed fool I was once, but I do still pick them up and roll them and put them in my credit union account. Another change is that I don't buy every ticket for every drawing, I just don't believe I will ever get the big one - it could happen but I don't have faith in the government's ability to randomly crown me King for a Day, or until they get their tax money and I squander the remainder. I just buy a ticket so I feel a part of the foolishness.
Anyway I am checking winners and putting the losers in the tax folder for off setting my big taxable winnings - if I ever win it. I end up with fifteen dollars won, and won't tell you how many losing tickets I put away except there were more than fifteen, by more than thrice. Since I am now aware of my failure to win at this benevolent government's game, I give the winning tickets to my wife for cashing in, that will put a smile on her face (even if I don't see it I will be happy in the knowledge). She will try to give me the money, I will tell her to keep it and take the two tickets she bought for the next drawing. We share well, even if money isn't the same for us in our minds or life.
Being semi-retired but working full time I can afford the foolish buying of Lotto tickets, but I wonder as I see people putting ten and more dollars into it and then decide it isn't my business and I should wish them well in all they do. For any that care, Mom, I still give more to the church in a month than I put in the Lotto tickets for the year, and I continue to fund my wife's IRAs and our lavish life style (okay, it isn't lavish but it is comfortable enough for our wants).
2 comments:
Question: How much did the lack of a state income tax affect your decision to retire in Washington state?
A lot for me, but Pennsylvania doesn't tax military retired pay at all, in the end it was my wife's decision to move to Washington and after dragging her around the world I figured one time on her would be fair.
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