Lottery point stands

The News Virginian / News Virginian
Published: March 18, 2008

Miffed by our editorial last week backing state Del. Ben Cline's push to halve what he described as a $26 million advertising budget, a Virginia Lottery official fired off a missive that we published Sunday disputing the figure. Lottery officials say the advertising budget is $20 million, not $26 million.

Cline tells us he arrived at the latter figure in consultation with House Appropriations Committee budget writers, who, presumably, know a thing or two about budgets. Lottery officials in response told reporter Bob Stuart that they simply defined the advertising budget more narrowly than did Cline. We'll stick with the House and Cline on this one.

Lottery officials also chafe at our questioning the expense of more than $840,000 for the privilege of using the "Deal or No Deal" TV show name and host Howie Mandel's face in advertising and on tickets. They point out, rightly, that tax dollars are not part of the equation.

But the money that goes to the TV game show gang is nonetheless money that does not go to education, which receives badly-needed funds from Lottery proceeds. That was and remains our point.

Cline, R-Rockbridge, thinks the Lottery needs to do what the state - and the rest of America, for that matter - is being forced to do in these uncertain economic times: rein in spending so that more money is available for necessities, in this case, money to educate our children. He's right. We urge his fellow leaders in Richmond - including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine - to take up Cline's cause.