Lottery Profits and Even More School Speed Cameras
Cheers RVA!
Today will be rainy in the morning with thunderstorms developing in the afternoon, with a high of 81. Isolated tornadoes and pockets of heavy rain are possible. With tropical Storm Debbie moving quite fast, most of the rain should clear through by the weekend.
the juice:
The Virginia Lottery brought in $5.5 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2024, which ended June 30. $4.2 billion was paid out in prizes, and after other expenses a record $934 million in profits will go to K-12 public education.
Roughly $28 million will go to Richmond Public Schools.
Lottery revenue accounts for approximately 10% of Virginia’s education budget.
A regulated lottery system with profits going to help schools makes complete sense to me, but it’s odd to think the amount of gambling Virginians do has an effect on education.
I’m also curious what proportion of revenue comes from “problem gamblers” vs “recreational gamblers”.
Various studies across all forms of gambling estimate problem gamblers could make up anywhere from 10% to 50% of the revenue, but I couldn’t find any specific data on the Virginia Lottery.
the pulp:
Richmond has begun work on the 2nd phase of the Canal Walk Improvement Project, which aims to improve accessibility along the Southside of the canal.
Nine more school speed cameras are rolling out August 12, at Boushall Middle, Swansboro Middle, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle , Lucille Brown Middle, Westover Hills Elementary, Huguenot High, Frances W. McClenney Elementary, River City Middle and Mary Munford Elementary. The cameras operate during pick-up and drop-off and issue citations for vehicles traveling 11+ mph over the speed limit. Revenue generated covers the cost of the cameras with the rest going to the Vision Zero fund which aims to eliminate traffic injuries and fatalities.
the dive:
All of the candidates for mayor agree on thing: the Chief Administration Officer, who runs the day to day operations of City Hall, needs to go.
The current CAO, Lincoln Saunders, was appointed by Mayor Stoney in 2020, and has presided over the meals tax collection dysfunction, inaccurate utility bills, and delays in Social Security applications.
The CAO currently earns a salary of $334,700, the highest of any City Hall employee.
Candidates expressed the need to search nationwide to find the ideal candidate who can bring experience to the position and provide more transparency and accountability in the operations of the city.
All five mayoral candidates will speak at the 8th district meeting on Southside tonight at 6 pm, via South Richmond News.
the vibe:
This sign was posted on reddit.
Have a safe day RVA!
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