To make matters worse, my understanding is that when the state receives money from the lottery for the schools, that money does in fact go to the schools... and then an equivalent amount of money comes out of the school's budget and goes into the state's general budget.

So, for example: if the school budget for the year is $5 million, and lottery brings in $1 million for the school, the school doesn't get $6 million the way a lot of people seem to think. The school gets $1 million from the lottery and the state only has to pay $4 million out of the general budget.

Ha! So the lottery is paying for everything but education.

That is how Florida does it.

Hey now!

http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1744#c...

Ironic? no; sad? yes.

I find irony in the fact that if the populous were better educated, the state would get less money.

While not strictly true (a better educated populous would probably earn more, and give more taxes to the state, among other reasons), I find the idea on this small scale amusing.

Given the nature of this comment, I feel that I am justified in commenting to inform you that the word you are looking for is "populace."

He probably learned the spelling based upon the old video game. I wouldn't fault him for that.

In many cases, that's how the state justifies the lottery.