Burns applauds public's successful effort to halt foreign management plan of PA Lottery
Rep. Frank Burns December 30, 2013
JOHNSTOWN, Dec. 30 – State Rep. Frank Burns, D-Cambria/Somerset, rejoiced in the news today that Gov. Corbett is ending an effort to hand over management of the Pennsylvania Lottery to the British firm Camelot Global Services.
"From the beginning of this risky proposal, it's been clear to most Pennsylvanians that selling off the management of the lottery to a private, for-profit foreign company was a losing proposition, and many told the governor so," Burns said. "Our citizens should be applauded for speaking up and convincing him that it was a bad idea.
"The Pennsylvania Lottery is one of the most successful and profitable in the country. Each year, its revenues pay for valuable senior citizen programs, including low-cost prescription drugs, free and reduced-fare transit, property tax/rent rebates, long-term living services and senior centers. So, it's unfortunate that more than $4 million of that money was wasted on outside consultant fees in an effort to promote this abandoned plan," Burns said.
"However, I am glad public outrage and all-out resistance to the proposal forced the governor to realize that preserving the funding for our senior programs is worthwhile."