The near record mega-millions lottery jackpot, as most have probably heard, will be split by two individuals who each had winning tickets. The $648 million jackpot, after taxes, is already reduced to about $206 million. And that's only if you live in one of the eight states that currently do not tax lottery winnings. Forbes explains it all here:
http://www.forbes.com/...
California, where one of the two winners is from, happens to be one of those eight states that do not tax lottery winnings. The San Jose Mercury News had a little sad today due to the fact that neither the state nor, ever so unfair, the city of San Jose would stand to syphon off several more million from the winner.
From the article:
Even though one of the two winning tickets for Tuesday night's $648 million Mega Millions prize was sold in San Jose, the city won't be hitting the tax jackpot.
It won't even get a dime
Boo fucking hoo......
The Mercury News goes on to point out that:
That's a bummer for San Jose, which is desperately seeking extra money to hire cops as crime continues to rise and officers flee for better paying cities. Just last week, city leaders approved $24 million in officer raises through 2015.
http://www.mercurynews.com/...
So, you are asking yourself...where is the untintended irony here? I found it in another article, in the same edition of the San Jose Mercury Newspaper, entitled San Jose city workers rack up costly trips at taxpayers' expense, audit finds
City officials have tried to explain the findings by saying that recent turn-over at management levels has resulted in a "loss of institutional knowlege" regarding guidelines surrounding travel. Apparently, there was no such loss of institutional knowledge when it comes to padding your expense account.
But really...San Jose needs a share of this guy's lotto winnings to pay for more cops. Er...I mean...pay for raises for the cops it already has. Or something like that.
By the way, folks...this lottery already generates about $15 billion in revenue for the states as it is, just from the poor saps who buy losing tickets each month. In my book, that makes the States the really Big Winner already. Taxing the lucky SOB who has a winning ticket is just being greedy.