I was sitting around thinking about what I heard on the radio a few days ago.A man suggested that we give so many hundreds of thousands of dollars(say $500,000 per person)to people who are near a retirement age who are still working.There would be a stipulation that in order to recieve this money you would have to...

1.)Buy a new car
2.)Pay off your morgage
3.)Take a early retirement

This would open new jobs.Help the auto industry,and help the banks.Seems like a win win situation.But how do you decide who gets what money?

I was thinking that some of these state lotteries are way up into 30,40 million on a regular basis.The powerball lotteries go into the hundreds of millions of dollars and the majority of the time it is payed to a single person who often blows it all in a few years.If we passed a new law saying that the state would have to split the lump sum into say $500,000 maxium per person(with a $200,000,000 pot as a example)payable to several hundred winners.I figure with that example you would have 400 winners each recieving $500,000 dollars a piece.I read that in California the average person spends approx.$83 dollars a year on lottery tickets.I multiplied that times the current population at 33,871,648 and came up with $2,811,346,784.That's alot of lottery money and thats just for one state!Imagine how many people could boost the economy even if you were just paying half the pot and only paying $10,000 per person!The state would get massive tax revenue from the much better odds and people would buy lottery tickets in record numbers.You wouldn't have to raise taxes either.

What do you think about this idea?

I've heard this before. I know my dad would jump at the chance to pay off the vehicles, and mortgage, and other big bills and retire, especially if they could live comfortably.

I also think we would have done better if we had gotten a certain amount of money, rather then handing it to the banks. Then if people were smart, they'd pay things off, and if they weren't and blew it, they'd stimulate the economy, and couldn't gripe about losing their homes and such.

I know I'd clear out all of my debt first, and then buy a place. Good use of money right there.

it's welfare under a different name...which is something i thought you guys hated

I find it quite funny you would want to push socialism when YOU gain from it...WHY? That CAPILTALISM not working for ya????????

I think you would lose quite a few players to the idea that they would only get enough to pay off mortgages and cars,,kind of kills the fantasy most have of having the resources to spend their LIFETIME doing things they enjoy for themselves and loved ones.

In theory , it is a very fair ide, but in practice, I think it would kill much of the initiative to purchase the tickets in the first place.

I think (I have been saying this for years) that the lottery should have a million dollar cap

instead of giving one person 30 million dollars. they should give 30 people one million dollars

I love that idea, Quietman.

I don't know that you could truly force someone to retire and never, in any way shape or form, work. I know dad would love to retire, but he'd have a barn, and build furniture and stuff, and sell things like that.

I don't really believe the vast majority of people are working at things they truly love and enjoy. I do believe they're working to survive, unfortunately.

Of course, I've also never understood anyone who cold claim to be bored when they retired. I know when I was out of work, I was busier then when I worked, and I absolutely loved it. Freedom to do as I pleased, how I pleased, and the way I pleased.

Believe me, if I won the lottery, I'd be gone as soon as I had the financial advisor set everything up. See ya! :-)