By The PA. AFL-CIO

Harrisburg, PA – While there are always plenty of New Year’s Eve “droppings” throughout the Susquehanna Valley, (everything from a strawberry, a bologna, a kiss, a rose, a wrench, or a pickle) you can add another with the State’s dropping of the misguided attempt to privatize the lottery.

After a year of granting extensions to Camelot’s bid to manage the Pennsylvania Lottery, Governor Corbett’s office issued a press release this morning to announce that the current extension would be allowed to expire.

The plan to privatize management of the lottery has been a source of controversy and criticism throughout 2013.

In February, Attorney General Kathleen Kane blocked the agreement, saying that it violated the State Constitution, the State Lottery Act, and the State Gaming Act.

Earlier this month, Auditor General Eugene DePasquale issued a press release calling on the Governor to stop spending taxpayer dollars in pursuit of Lottery privatization, citing legal and consulting costs that had ballooned from the original $725,000 to an estimated $4.6 million.

Throughout the year, the Pennsylvania AFL-CIO has called on the administration to drop this misguided privatization scheme.

“The Pennsylvania Lottery is the only lottery in the country that has 100% of its revenues go to benefit programs for senior citizens,” President Bloomingdale said. “Privatizing the management of the Lottery would siphon millions in profits out of Pennsylvania, and would raise serious concerns over accountability. We are relieved that the Governor has finally decided to let this bid expire.”

“Too much lottery revenue has already been lost in the pursuit of this privatization agenda,” Secretary-Treasurer Frank Snyder added. “Privatization just isn’t the answer, whether it is management of the PA Lottery, the Pennsylvania Turnpike, or the Wine & Spirits Stores: these schemes are presented as a financial boon for the State, but instead wind up costing the taxpayers in revenue, accountability, and quality of service.”

Source: http://www.paaflcio.org/?p=3338&utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=facebook