Comments on: Revisiting 1994: A Governor’s Lapse in Judgment http://flux-boston.com/nothxveto/ Thu, 21 Jul 2016 03:39:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Jean Mineo http://flux-boston.com/nothxveto/#comment-57427 Jean Mineo Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:46:46 +0000 http://flux-boston.com/?p=19912#comment-57427 Hi Liz, So fitting you picked up on the lottery as a source of funds to save the MCC, as it was created originally to fund the MCC! From the MCC website: "In 1971 Arts advocate Jacqueline O'Reilly conceived of the idea of using a lottery and a portion of its profits to give money to the arts. The program was inspired, in part, by a similarly designed lottery program that was being formed in Australia at the time and is now called lotterywest. Mrs. O'Reilly and other advocates worked tirelessly with the state legislature and governor to come up with a program that would support community arts in the state of Massachusetts. In 1973 the state Legislature established a Special Committee on the Arts to investigate ways of improving state arts funding at the community level in response to federal funding cuts to arts and culture. In 1976 the idea for a state lottery was introduced as a source of revenue for the arts. Arts Lottery TicketIn 1979 legislation authorized the formation of the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council (MALC) and cities and towns began organizing local cultural Councils to distribute funds. Governor Edward King named Mrs. O'Reilly the first chairperson of MALC. On October 14 in 1980, the first Arts Lottery tickets went on sale. Tickets were $5 and the first jackpot was $200,000. After a slow start, in November of 1982, the Arts Lottery was reintroduced as the very successful game "Megabucks." It only cost $1 to play, featured a draw of six numbers from a field of 30, and included a jackpot prize that increased with each drawing until won. The financial success of Megabucks led to a cap on the percentage of lottery funds reimbursed to the general fund, which went to arts and culture. The legislature also introduced the first minimum allocation for Local Cultural Councils, which was $1,000." Maybe what comes around can go around again? Thanks for fanning the flames. Hi Liz,
So fitting you picked up on the lottery as a source of funds to save the MCC, as it was created originally to fund the MCC! From the MCC website:
“In 1971 Arts advocate Jacqueline O’Reilly conceived of the idea of using a lottery and a portion of its profits to give money to the arts. The program was inspired, in part, by a similarly designed lottery program that was being formed in Australia at the time and is now called lotterywest.

Mrs. O’Reilly and other advocates worked tirelessly with the state legislature and governor to come up with a program that would support community arts in the state of Massachusetts. In 1973 the state Legislature established a Special Committee on the Arts to investigate ways of improving state arts funding at the community level in response to federal funding cuts to arts and culture. In 1976 the idea for a state lottery was introduced as a source of revenue for the arts.

Arts Lottery TicketIn 1979 legislation authorized the formation of the Massachusetts Arts Lottery Council (MALC) and cities and towns began organizing local cultural Councils to distribute funds. Governor Edward King named Mrs. O’Reilly the first chairperson of MALC.

On October 14 in 1980, the first Arts Lottery tickets went on sale. Tickets were $5 and the first jackpot was $200,000.

After a slow start, in November of 1982, the Arts Lottery was reintroduced as the very successful game “Megabucks.” It only cost $1 to play, featured a draw of six numbers from a field of 30, and included a jackpot prize that increased with each drawing until won. The financial success of Megabucks led to a cap on the percentage of lottery funds reimbursed to the general fund, which went to arts and culture. The legislature also introduced the first minimum allocation for Local Cultural Councils, which was $1,000.”

Maybe what comes around can go around again? Thanks for fanning the flames.

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