The Chris Moeller Archives

Twenty employees of the Quaker Oats plant in Cedar Rapids claimed their equal shares of a $241 million prize this afternoon, but only the first names of the prize winners were released publicly as their attorneys have filed an injunction to keep the full names private permanently.

Absolutely not. No more government secrecy. The state of Iowa runs the lottery and is a founding partner in the national Powerball, whose winning numbers are drawn twice a week in Iowa. More than a billion dollars in proceeds have gone back to the state since lottery sales began in 1985, but more than two billion dollars have not. They've been paid out as winnings, and all of that money should continue to be accounted for through the point of the payout. The lottery exists in this state at the formal consent of the people, those persons that participate do so knowing they're taking part in a state-affiliated activity, and each and every winner is responsible for anteing up the taxes on these winnings, which amounts to a lot of additional money.

The law says the information is public-- and that's as it should be. There is no justifiable reason for these names to remain private. The poor are at risk from predators in this country, not the rich. The rich have the entire power of the police state at their disposal. The bottom line is that you can't take the winnings and then decline the accompanying limelight. If you don't like the game, don't play the game, but this is a key element of the game. There's more to it than just the scratch-off. In the absence of transparency, the state lotteries would lose their credibility-- and that's as it should be too.

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It's clear that Americans are concerned about the effects of steroids in Major League Baseball. Well, except for the 73 million Americans that attended games last year. And the ones that serve on juries.

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