Lottery is not a solution

As everyone knows, local, state and federal governments are struggling to find ways to obtain the revenue needed to support essential programs like education. Here's a proposal: Let's develop a program that takes the most from those that have the least. We'll capture an average of 9 percent of income from those earning at the very bottom of the scale (those making $13,000 a year or less), and less than 1 percent from those with the highest incomes ($100,000 or more).

Is this approach preposterous? Of course. But most of the country already has not only agreed to it, they've implemented it. It's called the lottery.

Unfortunately, the two major candidates for president have either voted for state-sponsored lotteries (Barack Obama in Illinois) or have a campaign manager who worked for the lottery industry (John McCain).

That's one of many reasons my vote this year will probably be for "none of the above."

John C. King

Layton

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