Carlson: More Otter Smoke & Mirrors

There they stand in a photo sent to the state media – Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and members of The Idaho State Lottery Commission proudly holding a large mock check for $41.5 million made out to the state. Governor Otter is clearly pleased with the yield from a regressive tax policy that relies substantially on the hopes of participants to hit the big one. It is, however, another iteration of a myth that Idaho Republicans are the anti-tax increase, fiscally responsible party. In reality, the Governor peddles a bill of goods that relies on shell games and fiscal chicanery. He is betting most voters most of the time won’t see through the gimmicks which underfund education and keep kicking the day of reckoning down the road. He is probably correct, unfortunately. All these anti-tax Republicans, who have taken the Grover Norquist pledge, for some reason exempt gaming from their list of taxes because an individual willingly pays this “tax,” which happens also to be a “sin tax”/ Chris Carlson , Carlson Chronicle. More here. (2011 SR file photo: Jeff Anderson, director of the Idaho Lottery, announces the Idaho winner of the Mega Millions jackpot, Holly Lahti of Rathdrum)

Question: Do you consider the Idaho Lottery to be a “sin tax”?