Letters to the Editor

Some facts about Virginia's lottery

We respect every person's opinion when it comes to the Virginia Lottery. However, there were errors in your editorial, "Va. Lottery Funds Need Closer Look" (March 11). There seems to be some misinformation about Lottery finances, and we welcome this chance to provide facts.

The editorial incorrectly implied that Virginians' tax dollars are being spent on licensing for a lottery game. That is not the case. The Lottery is an independent state agency, and all operating expenses come from ticket sales. The Lottery operates like a business. Every penny the Lottery spends comes from revenues it earns from selling a product: lottery tickets. None of the money spent by the Lottery for administrative costs, including advertising, is tax dollars. 

The editorial states: "… we wonder nonetheless about the return on the investment in Howie Mandel's easy-money grin." Here is the answer: As of March 11, the "Deal or No Deal" Scratcher game has generated sales of $17.8 million, which translates into profits of $4.7 million for Virginia's K-12 public schools, and the number grows daily. We think that's a good deal for Virginia. 

 Your readers would be interested to know that the licensing fee includes much more than just Howie Mandel's face on a ticket. The fee also provides prizes for the Lottery's "Deal or No Deal" Second Chance Drawing, including trips to Hollywood for nine contest winners, as well as additional prize money for those winners. 

Why does the Lottery do this- Because it works. Lottery games with familiar commercial logos or celebrities are usually very popular, which means greater sales and profits. The Lottery uses the business world as its model. Therefore, our success or failure is determined by people buying tickets. We work hard to offer a product that Virginians enjoy.

When it comes to efficiency, the Virginia Lottery spends slightly more than 1 percent of its annual revenue on advertising, which amounts to approximately $20 million, not the $26 million stated in the editorial.  Overall, the Lottery spends only 5 percent of revenue on operating costs, far less than the 10 percent allowed by Virginia law — and none of it from tax dollars.

 There is a lot of good information available about the Lottery by visiting http://www.valottery.com or e-mailing us at . We appreciate the opportunity to provide facts.

John Hagerty

Communications Specialist

Virginia Lottery

-----

Global warming is a real threat

Global warming, not what I think, but what reliable scientists have reported and what I have seen or read in the press and on television:

* Baby polar bears are dying due to the early melting of ice floes, which support the food that keeps them alive.

* In Greenland, the same is happening to baby seals.

* Temperature recording devices in the Pacific Ocean indicate the warming of ocean waters, resulting in the death of coral reefs, a habitat for fish off the shores of Australia. The same is happening in coral reefs in the Caribbean.

* In the glacial areas of Europe and North America, the definite, visible loss of glacial ice is ongoing.

* With global pollution increasing, the use of fossil fuels has increased significantly. Each coal-fired powerhouse, on average, will add about 35,000 tons of pollutants into the atmosphere annually. There is no record of waste contaminants added to the atmosphere by cars, trains, trucks, houses and ships.

As global warming advances, the result is self-evident. Of course there are the naysayers as to the negative effects of global warming. It is likely that these individuals have been educated beyond their intelligence.

Byrd Rawlings

Waynesboro