The financial machinations of government are hard to understand by us poor buggers who are not accountants or denizens of the stockbroker set.
The state government is going to sell off our lotteries ! We always understood that the lotteries were a pot of gold delivering a steady money stream which financed things like our hospitals, the fire brigade and a whole heap of other government services.
We know that the state government is desperate for money, but surely if we sell the lotteries we only get a one off payment - and then that river of gold ceases ?
The only reason private buyers will pay money for the lottery franchise is if they can make huge profits from that gamble. Surely that means that we have reduced a steady profit and exchanged it for the short term solution to an immediate money problem ?
Selling off electricity can be understood. We need more generating capacity and that is an expense the government can not afford. A private buyer can hike electricity prices beyond what we would accept if done by the government and can therefore afford to expand the system - but there is no such gain by selling the lotteries.
After the lotteries - what comes next ?
It's a bit like pawning the family silver. One day the cupboard will be empty.
But then - this government will be out of office - and it will be someone else's problem !
Strange are the mental workings of those we elect to represent us !
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