A Misplaced Priority: Lottery Gets Prime Real Estate
It doesn’t take a degree in web page design to realize that the top center spot on a page is prime real estate, especially on a home page. Like the banner headline on a fold-and-carry newspaper, that’s the top thing webpage owners want the readers to see because that’s where our eyes first go.
The State of Oregon last week apparently thought the most important thing to tell readers visiting www.oregon.gov was “Latest Oregon Lottery Raffle game debuts Oct. 4.”
Really? That was the most important thing for Oregonians visiting our state’s webpage to see? Why did that rank above the article telling unemployed Oregonians how to “Get Unemployment Benefits Quickly” or the article asking Oregonians if they “Want to find out where your Oregon tax dollars go?”
The Oregon Lottery — a tax on those with a poor understanding of statistics — is a relatively small source of revenue for the state. It provides only about 2 percent of our total funds budget, and only about 7 percent of the General Fund and Lottery Funds budget.
But from all the billboards and public relations gimmicks you’d think that our budgetary fate turns on there being enough mathematically challenged Oregonians who keep pinning their hopes on the Oregon Lottery’s gambling schemes. No wonder that almost nine out of ten (88%) of Oregonians can’t identify Oregon’s largest source of revenue and largest spending category from multiple choice lists.
Oregonians would be better served by better priorities on the home page for the State of Oregon. Instead of acting as an advertising agency for our state-run gambling industry, the State’s home page ought to discuss how restaurants, bars and taverns are addicted to overgenerous retailer commissions, and ought to help the Department of Human Services reach more troubled people with the state’s gambling addiction program.
“Lottery Raffle game” sounds like the Department of Redundancy Department. And placing an announcement about it at the top or Oregon’s home page shows how the Lottery has become a redundant example of a misplaced priority for balancing Oregon's budget.
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October 5, 2009 |
Chuck Sheketoff | Comments (13 so far)
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Comments
Posted by: Kurt Chapman | Oct 5, 2009 2:25:19 PM
Chuck, prepare for the acopalypse - I also agree completely with you.
disclaimer, I admit to playing the Oregon Lottery Monday, Wednesday and saturday. I don't drink foo-foo coffees so this $3/week is my guilty secret.
Posted by: Jeremy Rogers | Oct 5, 2009 2:48:10 PM
Nice post Chuck. Thanks for drawing attention to this.
Posted by: Scott Jorgensen | Oct 5, 2009 2:57:32 PM
I also agree with Chuck on this one.
The day I turned 18, I bought a lottery ticket and didn't win. I thought, "Boy, that was stupid. I could have spent that money on anything."
Unlike Kurt, I do drink foo-foo coffee, so that leaves no money for gambling!
It's just as well. When it comes to sports, I would be inclined to bet based on loyalty. As such, this lifetime, long-suffering Seahawks fan will just leave the gambling to others....
Posted by: Dave Porter | Oct 5, 2009 3:03:37 PM
Let me join the chorus. I agree completely too.
Posted by: Kurt Chapman | Oct 5, 2009 3:31:25 PM
Scott, the Seahawks are letting a lot of us lifetime fans down so far this fall. You're in good company buddy!
Posted by: Chuck Sheketoff | Oct 5, 2009 3:51:30 PM
Wow, some folks who usually take us off topic didn't - cuz they agree! Isn't that nice!
And for those of you who do occassionally play the lottery, Mark Twain reportedly once said something along the lines of this when asked why he smoked: you gotta have some vices to throw off the side when the ship starts sinking....
Posted by: alcatross | Oct 5, 2009 7:28:45 PM
Except maybe the priority for unemployed Oregonians would be directing them to employment resources rather than how to get unemployment benefits quickly.
Posted by: alcatross | Oct 5, 2009 7:38:27 PM
Chuck Sheketoff wrote: Wow, some folks who usually take us off topic didn't - cuz they agree! Isn't that nice!
So those who may disagree here are, by definition, off-topic?
Isn't that nice?
Posted by: rw | Oct 5, 2009 9:31:46 PM
Chuck, what would it take to organize an accountability campaign to let the state office know it's not our view that advertising/flaunting GAMBLING products at the top of our state-dollar-run service pages... is the thing we want prioritized at this time?
Posted by: mp97303 | Oct 5, 2009 10:52:53 PM
It says a lot about the character of a man who cannot accept the compliments of his adversaries graciously without making a snide remark.
Posted by: David English | Oct 7, 2009 1:53:48 AM
Nice post Chuck...I say we organize a write in campaign to ask them to remove the ads.
Can we even do that?
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Posted by: mp97303 | Oct 5, 2009 1:25:48 PM
OMG, what has the world come to? I cannot believe I am writing this: I completely agree with you Chuck. Nice post.