Archive for October 13th, 2009
Of life and lotteries
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 the card 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!