Lottery uh oh: Watch closely as sleight of hand might make funds disappear

Lottery funds -- who would have thought they would not only be frozen, but be in danger of being lost as a source of funding for school building projects?

Anyone who has a real grasp of how government works -- especially when officials are under pressure, that's the answer.

The state budget concerns and a lack of liquid funds are legitimate special circumstances to explain why the lottery money is now in question for all school districts -- not just Wayne County.

But, even with state promises that this restriction is temporary, this development brings up an interesting point: How can North Carolina taxpayers be sure that state officials will keep their word when it comes to the use of lottery funds?

The answer is really simple to say, but not so easy to do: Keep a close eye on every announcement out of the governor's office and force those who are making budget decisions to be accountable.

And if the money does not "unfreeze" or there are more restrictions and delay tactics, we need to push our legislators to act to maintain the integrity of the premise on which the lottery was created.

The lottery is supposed to be a fund for the state's schools and children.

It is critical we maintain that designation.

Published in Editorials on April 23, 2009 10:30 AM