Arkansas Lottery – Page 100

Family Council Action Committee Notifying Stores of Concerns

Sep 2, 2010Jerry2 CommentsArkansas LotteryVending Machines

The following is a press release from the Family Council Action Committee

Today, Family Council Action Committee President Jerry Cox mailed letters to Arkansas’ Dollar General, Family Dollar, Fred’s Discount, and Walgreens stores. In the letter, he outlined some concerns his group and others have expressed about lottery ticket vending machines.

Cox said, “All we want to do is make sure that store owners get the whole story on these vending machines. The machines are very controversial, and Arkansas’ store owners need to know that.”

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Lottery Commission Does Fuzzy Math on Machine Costs

Aug 27, 2010JerryArkansas LotteryArkansas Lottery, Vending Machines

The Arkansas Lottery Commission is back to doing fuzzy math.

Last week, we told you about Lottery Spokesman Julie Baldridge’s statement that the 100 lottery vending machines they purchased cost $50,000 each. But yesterday, Arkansas Lottery Director Ernie Passailaigue told the Legislative Oversight Committee the machines only cost $16,500 each.

The sudden change in the machines’ price tag was news to me—and, from what I could tell, to some of the legislators on the committee as well. When they pressed Mr. Passailaigue about the change in price, Passailaigue said that Baldridge’s statement on the radio was “misinformation”.

Well, I broke down the cost of the vending machines, and I think Julie Baldridge was probably being much more honest and accurate than Passailaigue gave her credit for.

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Senator Tells Citizen to Take His Shirt Off

Aug 27, 2010Jerry1 CommentArkansas Lottery, Just for FunArkansas Lottery, Legislature

Anyone who thinks politics is dry and boring needs to come to more committee meetings at the Arkansas Capitol Building.

After yesterday, the idea that some elected officials won’t be content until they have “the shirt off your back,” has a whole new meaning—all thanks to Senator Terry Smith of Hot Springs.

Senator Smith is on the Legislative Oversight Committee for the Arkansas Lottery, and made quite a scene at yesterday’s meeting when he actually demanded that a young man who came to testify before the committee remove his shirt.

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