Of life and lotteries

| 13/10/2009

I read and hear that an effort is underway to collect signatures to launch a “people initiated referendum” to legalize a lottery. Where can I sign up? And why not? It seems to me my entire life is a lottery!

Let’s consider my plight:

Lottery 1: I am participating (as required by law) in a health insurance scheme that seems to be more interested in finding ways to deny me the benefits that I am paying for. Strangely, given the health insurance industry’s aversion to paying claims, they also do not cover preventative care. On top of all that, if my insurance is connected to my employment, it willdrop me like a hot potato the moment I am no longer employed, which is most likely to happen when I get older and the chances of needing medical care increases.

Lottery 2: I am also required to contribute to a mandatory pension scheme which does not guarantee a positive return; it only guarantees that the fees of those administrating the funds will be paid up front.

Lottery 3: Like most other people I also pay the taxes that are required of me by law and if anyone can demonstrate to me how that does not equate to a lottery, I would like to hear from them. It would be so nice to hear good news about the things that Government engages in with “our” money: getting value for money spent, minimal waste, no extravagant pet projects that are of limited or no benefit to the community, no pork-barrel politics, etc. I know for certain that if I ran my family affairs the way that Government is run, I would be bankrupt and I could not turn to anyone to demand higher fees for my services.

Lottery 4: If I use the internet to purchase something online with a credit card, I run the risk of my credit card info being abused or my identity “stolen” and don’t look for help from thecard issuing bank, they will engage in a perfunctory investigation that will most likely be “unsuccessful” and I’ll be left to pay a fee for the investigation in addition to the fraudulent amount of the credit card bill.

Lottery 5: If, after paying all of the fees and taxes, utilities and general living expenses and contributing to the various community projects, walk-a-thon’s and fundraisers, I should by chance have any money left to save and invest for a rainy day, then my savings become subject to inflation and global economic forces.

Conclusion: After considering all of the above, a legal lottery seems to me like a remarkably honest proposition: a tax on the willing, a contribution to the state coffers and a chance (remote as it is) to win a jackpot that just might elevate me from having to worry about growing old and being poor (which is probably a crime nowadays).

Bring it on!

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  1. Anonymous says:

    I’m in favour of a national lottery and I did sign the petition at a local service station for a referendum to be held on the issue.

    What concerns me though, if a National Lottery is established and I or some other person becomes a winner, some criminal(s) will likely try to kidnapp me or one of my family members for ransom.

    Let’s face it, every other crime you can think of happens in Cayman Islands without the criminals being brought to justice by the police. Kidnapping is the only one that has not happened.

    Ooopps, better be careful I don’t give no ideas out to any criminal(s) who may read this.

    On the other hand if I do win the lottery, I’ll just move from Cayman to somewhere down in South America where the money has greater value and no one knows me.

    I’ll even consider forming my own army to protect me and my family 24/7 and enjoy the jet-set life style of the rich but not famous. 

    Wouldn’t you ???  

    • Anonymous says:

      At least with local kidnappings it will be easier to wire the ransom money to an offshore account.

  2. Anonymouse says:

    Peter!

    In case you forgot, you now live in the Cayman Islands. Not Austria!

    There is still a bit of us older Caymanians that have some measure of christian values in us.

    • Pale Rider says:

      Wow, you are a true bigot!!!….You can’t put forth a decent argument against a lottery excpet to fall back on the old standby of "christian values" and then you add to that with criticising where someone originates and wrap it all up in the cloak of anonimity…I happen to know Captain Schmid and he is a decent and upstanding Caymanian..and has done a lot for this country…I would even go so far as to say you have, on occasion, literally put your life in his hands..and he has always delivered you safe and sound to your destination…..and you have the nerve to make remarks like this..???  Shame on you….

    • Anonymous says:

      FYI- he is from Switzerland.

      Secondly, if you have no other logical reason as to why you object to the legalization of the Lottery, other than your so called reminance of Christian values, maybe you should look into the many ways as to how it can benefit your life.

      Whether you choose to ignore it or not, illegal gambling/ lotery is occuring on this island.

  3. Joe Average says:

    I would like to win the lottery once to see if it would change my life drastically.  I’ll bet it would but I would still be the same nice person.

  4. Anonymous says:

    Hmmm, thoroughly enjoyed the playfully sarcastic tone of this article. Well done.

    I am not opposed to a national lottery but am very skeptical that the government can administer it properly and eat any potential profits in staff costs, salaries and expenses.

    • Anonymous says:

      Ditto to that, also given that jurisdictions with many years experience with lotteries have problems with corruption (see Ontario 2008+09) a lottery seems like an open invitation for problems.

      We should not support it until/if the books are balanced and up to date. In fact we shouldn’t move forward with any projects until the numbers are in. Maybe that would get some results.

      Also we would have to bring in lottery experts etc "omg the dreaded expat"…. forget it, not something Cayman needs.

       

  5. robert hamaty says:

    A local and international cayman lottery winnings tax free winners name need not be published . Use our tax free advantage.  this will assist in foreigin exchange earnings to buy food and fuel . lets not wait on devaluation of our currency and experience what others in the caribbean has had to suffer. I guarantee it would rival the florida lotto.caymanians and many other countries nationals would support the caymanian tax free lotto weekly.

    • Anonymouse says:

      Lets start a Race Track also.

      We have lots of horses and Jackets waiting around to be utilised.

      • Race Tracks are Great says:

        I love Race Tracks..very fun and educational I learned alot from them during my days in So. Florida sounds like a Trifecta