"The administration already has begun discussions with union officials about possible layoffs that would result. The agreement with the private lottery manager would require they retain 70 state employees, but Revenue spokeswoman Elizabeth Brassell said the bidder has expressed interest in the possibility of hiring some of the lottery's other 160 employees."

<snip>

"The state's lottery is one of the nation's top performers, which is among the reasons why Democratic lawmakers and union officials have questioned going the privatization route."

"Last year, the lottery posted a record $3.2 billion in ticket sales, producing a profit of nearly $961 million to put into programs for senior citizens. It administrative costs, around 2 percent of ticket sales, are among the lowest of lotteries operating in the nation."

"David Fillman, executive director of American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 13, said, “There is no good reason to dismantle the lottery. The administration has sold out our seniors and our members without one public hearing; without any legislative oversight and without anyone knowing how they crafted the terms and cut this deal."

"Keep in mind that our lottery is not broken. We’ve set a record for total sales and net profit the last two years. The bottom line here is that every single dollar that this firm is paid comes at the expense of our seniors.”

http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2012/11/consideration_of_privatizing_m.html#incart_river_default

Privatize (Charter) schools and debase the budget.
Privatize the liquor control board's package stores
Privatize the lottery (which I don't play, but take your point well)
Privatize natural resources, sucking everything from good water to bad, stinking up every fresh breath to produce shale gas for the oil companies.

I feel all of his privatization at the local level and I applauded the Post Gazette's picture of Kathleen Kane's swearing in because I hope the first thing she gets in order is the way he, as attorney general ignored Sandusky.

I'd love to shove Act 13 up his and the collective assess of all members of ALEC
I'd love to shove him in a jail cell with Jerry, who can make him one of his kids.

This despicable waste of protoplasm should go down and go down soon.

for a few years while Corbett was Attorney General charged with examining the evidence building against Sandusky, and once he became governor, Corbett then sent millions of taxpayer dollars (hush money) to Sandusky's foundation?

Governor Gashole doesn't make many public appearances these days. He prefers to do his dirty work in stealth ways.

It's time to recall the bastard.

He didn't go after Sandusky/Penn State because he knew, if he did, he'd never be Governor. He should be on trial.

It's a shame we can't recall this POS, isn't it?

We'll have to do it in 2014.

I'll share ...

I would like to privatize his job and put him on the street. How did this man become governor anyways?

Thanks, as always, for a telling article.

Pat Toomey is in the running for Worst Senator Ever, although he's got some competition from Ricky Santorum on that one.

Thank god we have Casey! But I cannot imagine how Toomey ever won.

We are wasting our tax dollars to pay them to "serve" the people of Pennsylvania.

Toomey barely won in a "Republican" year (2010)....and he hasn't done anything in that two years but stonewall and obstruct to the detriment of the American people.

He and Toomey both, bought and paid for.

"In 2004, Toomey came within 17,000 votes of beating Sen. Arlen Specter in a Republican primary even though the GOP establishment, including President George W. Bush and then-Sen. Rick Santorum, supported Specter."

"The Club considered Specter a Republican-in-name-only, or “RINO,” and a liberal Republican who had to go, said Barney Keller, Club’s spokesman. By 2010, Specter changed his party registration to Democrat and lost the primary to former Democratic Rep. Joe Sestak. Toomey, who was the Club’s president from 2005 through 2009, defeated Sestak in the general election. The Club for Growth spent $2.6 million on Toomey’s behalf."

"Do we need to discuss the $21,000 Scaife donated to Toomey For Senate between 2003 and 2009?"

Hmmm. Richard Mellon Scaife, Pat Toomey, The Club for Growth, the Tea Party. It's all very cozy, isn't it?

http://2politicaljunkies.blogspot.com/2012/08/the-trib-fails-to-disclose-again.html

I am very honest and capable.

They have to hear from sane people....and if they hear from enough of them, they do (at least a little) hesitate.

I have had some of the most insane answers from some of the lawmakers who represent me, but I have a right to let them know how I feel. At least they cannot say truthfully that they heard nothing against some dipshit idea.

The company headquarters are in Pittsburgh.

The PA Lottery employs 230+; not sure of the number of employees who will be affected at MARC USA.

Why does Governor Corbett want to outsource Pennsylvania jobs to an overseas company?

You also ask a good question...why suck money out of it?

If you read deep down into one of these newspaper articles on the subject, you will find out that the projected rate of increase in new profits that the Lottery provides to PA. per year will not increase with this deal. The British company projects the same rate of increase in net profits to the state that has been occurring over the last 10 years (while it was managed by the PA. Dept. of Revenue).

Then why do it? Why eliminate the jobs and health insurance that supports 160 Pennsylvania families? So you can brag to your teabagger donors that you "privatized" something that was working fine already?

Why did all of the other competitors drop out of the bidding process? Was it because they realized they couldn't run the Lottery better than it is already being run, and still make a profit?

And he wants to tie our hands contracturally for TWENTY YEARS.

Twenty years? Holy cow.

The citizens of PA need to ask a lot of questions. IMHO, there has not been nearly enough media coverage of what Corbett is trying to do with the PA Lottery.

WHY did all of the other competitors drop out of the bidding process?

People used to make remarks about Ed Rendell--that he made slick deals and so on. You know, Fast Eddie and all that.

Meanwhile, Tom Corbett is running Pennsylvania into the ground while being the slimiest politician who has ever "graced" our Commonwealth. What a shame that we all have to suffer.

I sure do now.