School Buses Versus College Scholarships in SC

Ah, yes. The "education" lottery!

Back in 2002, SC voters approved a state lottery whose proceeds would fund education. Where has that money gone in the past 15 years, and where should it go in the future? Should funds be used to update the state's aged fleet of school buses? Should proceeds fund scholarships for college students? Politicians disagree.

One sure result of the state's watering down its grading system is that many more high school graduates will qualify for college scholarships. Where will the extra money come from? Why has the legislature not tightened up qualifications? At the rate we're going, soon half of every graduating class will qualify.

Meanwhile, South Carolina purchases used school buses that other states have deemed too old to be on the roads. 

Anyone see a problem here? 

Maybe the problem is that only one-fourth of money spent on lottery tickets is ever used for any educational spending. If three-fourths is not spent on education, how do politicians justify calling it the education lottery? Semantics.

And don't get me started on the fact that the lottery is a tax on the poorest among us.