ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 26, 1996 TAG: 9612260035
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: What's on your mind?
SOURCE: RAY REED
Q: A friend was telling me that the lottery in Georgia provides free college tuition to every child. Please compare Georgia with Virginia in terms of benefits from the lottery. Is it worth moving to Georgia? (I'm not serious about that.)
S.S., Roanoke
A: By law, profits from Georgia's lottery, which started in 1993, must be used for three education programs the state never had before. One of them is free tuition after high school.
That differs from Virginia, where lottery profits - $332 million in 1996 - go into the state's general fund.
This year, for the first time in Virginia, lottery profits must be used for education in grades K-12, but this doesn't mean new money for education. Virginia schools still get essentially the same share they always did from the general fund, which also pays for prisons, social services and other programs.
The story is different in Georgia, where lottery funds were earmarked from the beginning for scholarships, a pre-kindergarten program, and hardware such as computers and satellite dishes for public schools.
So far, Georgia's politicians haven't tapped the lottery to keep from raising taxes, as Virginia did starting in 1990. State law keeps Georgia budget-makers from touching the lottery, but laws are subject to change.
Georgia's lottery in its third year funded $161 million in scholarships, said William Flook, director of the state's HOPE scholarship program.
Georgia high school graduates with a B average or better in college-preparatory courses are eligible for a yearly grant providing tuition, fees and $100 toward books at any public Georgia college that awards 2-year or 4-year undergraduate degrees. If attending a private college in Georgia, they can get a $3,000 yearly grant toward tuition.
Also, any Georgia resident - age and educational background don't matter - can receive full tuition, fees and books at vocational or technical schools. These offer training in anything from computer operation to auto mechanics to sheet-metal work.
So, is the scholarship program worth moving to Georgia? The answer here is: It could be worth $3,000 or more a year for four years, multiplied by the number of students in a family.
A screaming spell
Q: Who sings the song "I put a spell on you" in the Burger King commercial? Is it Tim Curry?
C.M.S., Roanoke
A: Burger King says the voice belongs to Screaming Jay Hawkins, a longtime blues artist with a blood-curdling baritone.
He developed the style when Columbia Records wanted a scary sound on his first album with the company in 1956.
Hawkins' latest album was "Stone Crazy" in 1993, and he appeared in the movie "Mystery Train" in recent years.
Got a question about something that might affect other people, too? Something you've come across and wondered about? Call us at 981-3118. Or, e-mail RayR@Roanoke.Infi.Net. Maybe we can find the answer.
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