Politics, Religion & Money – Prattling before the Pratfall

Play Your Numbuh!

As an Economics major in college I learned that the Massachusetts State Lottery, then less than five years old, is regressive. Meaning the people who can least afford to play are the ones who spend the most money. But at least the money goes to the state, rather than to organized crime.

The Boston Federal Reserve Bank recently published an analysis of the lottery. If you don’t want to read the article, this graph shows how big the Mass State Lottery is compared to other states.

https://www.bostonfed.org/publications/new-england-public-policy-center-regional-briefs/2024/new-englands-lotteries-trends-in-state-revenues-and-player-spending.aspx

Many years ago, on a lark I once bought a (losing) lottery ticket. The lottery is a voluntary tax, and people are okay with that. Trump’s proposed additional tax cuts will require new revenue. His tariff taxes, that are supposed to go into effect today, will serve that purpose. They won’t be voluntary and they will be regressive.

Boston’s GBH presents this exhaustive history of the Massachusetts State Lottery. It’s a story of Math, the Mob, the Church and, of course, Politics.

The complete series is available as an audio podcast.

https://www.wgbh.org/podcasts/scratch-win

Public Hospitals, Private Money

One of my later technical projects, before retiring eight years ago, had me driving to Carney Hospital in Boston. The place is now closed, as explained in this report on the PBS NewsHour, which is continuing its coverage of the crisis in healthcare.

April Fool Leadership

As expected, when a man with six business bankruptcies on his resume issues a mandate without proper planning or management, the result is a fiasco. This NYTimes article has been shared paywall-free.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/31/us/politics/federal-workers-return-to-office.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8U4.lhmh.gFu0K9LUXKkv&smid=url-share

BYD – Bring Your Doge

I’ll state the obvious. If Chinese EV maker BYD could gain a foothold in America, Tesla would be done.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/03/26/cars/china-byd-profile-tesla-rival-intl-hnk/index.html

In Musk They Trust

How about a review of the Social Security Administration’s processes? Let’s assemble a team of experienced managers and technologists from within the administration, especially if they have concerns about how the administration operates.

Knowledgeable outsiders, including business experts and past SSA personnel, will also be recruited. Input from many beneficiaries will be solicited. After a careful review, new procedures will be recommended and a implementation plan developed for upgrading the technology.

Nah, let’s not do that. Let’s assume there is rampant waste to be found, and we’ll toss a bunch of nervy, inexperienced kids in there, with no knowledge of the existing systems or underlying technology. They’ll tear everything apart, let the chips fall where they may, and everybody will have to hope for the best, especially those who receive Social Security benefits.

https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/03/what-could-possibly-go-wrong-doge-to-rapidly-rebuild-social-security-codebase/

Regarding Competence

There is no such thing as being overqualified for any job, no matter what it is. That’s an idea I formed in the 11th grade, washing dishes after school and on Saturdays. It’s a notion that has stayed with me ever since then.

This White House briefing begins with somebody screwing up the audio. It continues with a stunning level of dissembling and lies from a childish press secretary who obviously feels she was born for the job. This security breach is a genuine crisis for Trump’s administration.

Here’s Trump proving just how out of touch he is and removed from those he is trusting to carry out his wishes. He’s showing his age, which is why he needs Musk to be his co-president. I’m not against the idea in principle. It’s what Biden should have done with Harris, as I stated at the start of his term.