Lottery a retail smash, but it must aid education
Tennesseans have rolled the dice and brought a lottery to this state. Now that the first lottery tickets have been sold and lotto fever has begun to spread, only time will tell if the gamble will pay off and produce a much-needed boost to Tennessee’s higher education system.
What we know so far is the Tennessee lottery has brought high-dollar salaries to its top officials, most notably CEO Rebecca Paul, who could earn up to $750,000 this year. And based on the first day of sales yesterday, we know there will be no shortage of people lining up to buy lottery tickets. Among the many who purchased lottery tickets Tuesday was none other than Gov. Phil Bredesen.
What we don’t know is how much the lottery will actually aid education – which is its primary purpose. When Tennesseans voted to lift the constitutional ban against a state lottery in November 2002, the referendum said lottery profits would be earmarked for educational scholarships. Any additional funds were to be pumped into elementary education and school building projects.
The lottery’s immediate goal is to raise some $88 million by July 1 to fund scholarships for 65,000 students attending Tennessee colleges and universities this fall. That is exactly what the citizens of this state were promised when voting in a lottery.
If the lottery can in fact provide scholarships to some 65,000 students during its first year, it should be labeled a resounding success. It will then be in the hands of Rebecca Paul, the lottery board, and our state legislators to keep corruption away from the lottery and to keep the scholarship money flowing freely to students because Tennessee needs a new-found emphasis on higher education.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the state currently ranks near the bottom of the barrel, at No. 41, when it comes to citizens over 25 with at least a college diploma. Just 21 percent of Tennesseans have a bachelor’s degree or higher.
That’s not a reassuring statistic when considering level of education has a direct correlation to level of income. There are some exceptions, but for the most part the further a person advances in school, the more he or she earns.
Massachusetts tops the nation with 35 percent of its residents owning at least a bachelor’s degree. Not surprisingly, according to the Census Bureau, Massachusetts is No. 5 in the country when it comes to median household income.
Connecticut ranks fifth in the U.S. with 33 percent of its population having a bachelor’s degree or higher. So it’s not stunning Connecticut is also No. 2 when it comes to median household income.
At the other end of the spectrum – the bottom – Mississippi ranks No. 49 and West Virginia ranks No. 50 when it comes to residents with at least a bachelor’s degree. Those two states shared that exact same order when it comes to median household income.
In terms of poverty, Mississippi is worst in the nation with 20 percent of its population living below the poverty level. West Virginia is No. 45.
When examining national statistics, Tennessee certainly has room for improvement – especially where education is concerned. As a direct result, Tennessee is 38th in the country in median household income and also No. 38 in citizens living below the poverty line.
For those economic numbers to improve, it’s essential for more Tennessee students to continue their education after high school graduation. And for that to happen, college courses must be affordable.
Hope Scholarships for up to $3,000 a year, and other grants and scholarships from $1,000 to $2,000 a year, will provide tremendous incentive. If the lottery makes higher education more affordable, and entices more students to attend college, it has done its job. And if that occurs, the quality of life – and level of income – in Tennessee will gradually improve.