It’s education, right? As debut gets closer, someone needs to remind legislators

The scramble is on for one of the coveted contracts to sell lottery tickets when the scratch-off games are ready to begin sometime toward the end of next month.

Questions also continue to swirl about how it came about and who paid what to make a state lottery happen.

And we have only begun to listen to the hoopla that will accompany the first ticket sold in North Carolina.

But as the debut for the state’s lottery gets closer, someone needs to make sure that the legislators and other officials in Raleigh remember the expressed purpose of the soon-to-be newest craze.

It’s still to be used for education, right?

Along with announcements of contracts and vendors and more about the investigation into its alleged shady beginnings, there also should be a detailed plan for who, what, where and when the state’s schools will see the money.

There are districts across the state that are waiting to see what the lottery will bring to — and what it might remove from — their funding streams. They need details.

It is still too early to judge if the lottery was the right decision. But it is never too soon to make sure it will be executed as promised.

Published in Editorials on February 6, 2006 11:09 AM