Better East Texas: Bad lottery game - KTRE.com | Lufkin and Nacogdoches, Texas

By Pat Stacey

The Texas Lottery Commission has a bit of a blunder on its hands.  In 2009, the Lottery introduced a new scratch-off game that has some of the proceeds going to veteran's services.  The 2-dollar Veterans Cash has, indeed, generated about 7-million dollars a year for veterans services but isn't this really misplaced patriotism or even worse, no patriotism at all, just ticket purchasers hoping for a jackpot?  I would hope that Texans that are moved to donate to help veteran services would do so without the hope of winning thousands of dollars.  Our veterans deserve better and hooking a lottery game to their wellbeing is a mistake by the state.  Sales of the tickets have continued to fall through this year so the game is on its way out, but hopefully, this will serve as a lesson learned for the Texas Lottery Commission.  Texans want to honor and support our veterans and will gladly do so when call upon to help, you don't have to attach a lottery ticket as motivation.  The lottery already has an on-going challenge by having to explain the connection to education funding and we really don't need to attach a cause so noble as veteran support to a game.  Give independently to support our veterans, they deserve it and leave the lottery for what it is, a game of chance and that will make for a Better East Texas.