
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 13, 1991                   TAG: 9102130511
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

BELIEVED CLAIM ABOUT LOTTERY USE

FOR SOME reason, I fully believed the claim that lottery profits would be used for education, road construction and improvements, and other useful projects. I did not understand it would be used to balance the state's budget.

A Jan. 31 news story said, "A bill that would let Virginia voters decide whether to borrow $465.5 million for college and museum construction sailed through a Senate committee." This is for the same thing I thought I was voting for with the lottery. The same article says, "The state's plan for capital outlay was wiped out last year when the governor decided he needed the $535 million expected in lottery profits for the operating budget."

What would happen if we let our individual budgets get in the mess we are told Virginia's is in? There is no way a responsible government body could, in good faith, spend more money than the amount that is to come in.

I voted (my mistake) for the officials who are in Virginia's leading offices because I thought (again my mistake) a change would help. The only help we will get is when this group in some way finds surplus money to pull us out so they will look good as they further their political careers. Why should we as tax-paying citizens always have to fork over our hard earned money to bail these sorry politicians out of trouble? INDIA KING ENGLAND ROANOKE

by CNB