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Q. Who are the biggest purchasers of state lottery tickets?
-- R.S., Northglenn, Colo.
A. Sold as voluntary moneymakers for states, more than half of all state lottery tickets are bought by about 5 percent of the population. Testifying before the National Gambling Impact Study Commission, Duke University Professor Philip Cook reported that high-school dropouts spent an average of $334 annually per capita on lotteries, compared to $86 per year for college graduates. Those with lower incomes likewise spent more on lottery tickets.
The preferred targets are obvious, commented Ryan Sager in the Wall Street Journal, who pointed out that the lotteries are marketed in gas stations and convenience stores. "Slogans pitch a quick escape from the everyday grind. At least one marketing memo ... [advised lottery officials in Ohio] to increase promotions on days that government checks were distributed."
Q. How much money is wasted by the federal government?
-- L.E., Bristol, R.I.
A. An analysis of reports by the inspectors general of 17 federal agencies and the General Accounting Office was completed earlier this year for a Senate Committee -- revealing an astonishing $220 billion of waste, fraud, and abuse. The analysis, released by then-Chairman Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) of the Senate Government Affairs Committee, is entitled Government at the Brink -- Urgent Federal Government Management Problems Facing the Bush Administration.
Source: HighBeam Research, THE RIGHT ANSWERS.(state lotteries, and other topics)(Brief Article)