ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 18, 1990                   TAG: 9004180484
SECTION: EDITORIAL                    PAGE: A-6   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

STATE LOTTERY PLAYS TRICKS WITH NUMBERS

IN HIS LETTER April 6, Director of the State Lottery Kenneth W. Thorson is somewhat less than honest in stating, "We have . . . awarded narly $15 million in prizes. Tina Saunders of Roanoke County took home $1.7 million as our second Lotto winner."

Ms. Saunders did not take home $1.7 million. Each year, for the next 20 years, she will take home 5 percent of $1.7 million.

The Lottery Department, meanwhile, can invest that $1.7 million in something conservative, such as T-bills, and earn about 7.5 percent, or about $42,500 per year more than they are paying Ms. Saunders - and they get to keep the $1.7 million! Maybe numbers don't lie, but you can surely lie with numbers.

JOSEPH E. BEKIUS\ SALEM 


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