Gordon Forgey

It is the week before Christmas—a perfect time for somebody to win the giant Mega Millions lottery.

And, somebody did. In fact, two tickets had the winning numbers. One in Georgia and one in California. The jackpot was $636 million and may be more at the final tally. That is roughly two dollars for everyone in America, including all those we don’t know are here and all those just passing through.

It is a tremendous amount of money and another blow to income equality, although it will not put the winners on the America’s most wealthy list. It might, however, put them high in the most taxes paid category. The winners will pay a higher tax rate than even Warren Buffet and his secretary.

The lotteries have been getting bigger. This was one of the biggest. The people who control them have jimmied the odds. They have added more numbers.

Not so long ago the odds of winning the jackpot were a mere 176 million to one. That is well beyond the chances of being hit by lighting and getting attacked by a shark.

Now, with the addition of more numbers, the odds of winning are one in 259 million.

To put it in perspective, that is about the same odds as being attacked by a shark while tubing on Lake Ontario and reading a two-week old issue of the Gazette.

By the way, if you are feeling lucky, a few two-week old issues of the Gazette are still available. They make the perfect gift.

Gordon Forgey

Publisher