Protect HOPE Scholarship Funding - Contact Gov. Roy Barnes Today!

Governor Roy Barnes now has a prime opportunity to protect and boost HOPE Scholarship 
funding.  Outlawed there last summer, South Carolina's video poker industry is 
flooding across Georgia and robbing our education lottery. 

Video poker is estimated to already be a $1-billion dollar industry in Georgia, 
but pays no education taxes and is even exempt from all sales taxes.  Instead 
of funding more HOPE Scholarships, the lottery suffers as South Carolina's video 
poker kingpins get rich at our expense.

In Sunday's (5/20/01) Atlanta Journal, their editorial staff said, "On this issue, 
the General Assembly has trampled its public responsibility."  

During this year's legislative session, South Carolina's former Gov. Beasley 
said, "Video poker lobbyists are powerful. They get their tentacles into certain 
members of the House and Senate, and they end up owning, I mean owning, some 
of your political machine. And I mean that in the most corrupt way."

The Atlanta Journal added, "...the spread of gambling devices is a serious enough 
problem that Gov. Roy Barnes should include it in his call for a special summer 
session for redistricting."

Please recruit other HOPE recipients to join you in contacting Governor Barnes 
immediately.  Urge him to "stand up for the HOPE program by adding video poker 
to this summer's special session":

The Honorable Roy Barnes
203 State Capitol, Atlanta, GA 30334
Phone 404-656-1776
Fax 404-657-7332
http://www.ganet.org/governor/contact_form.html


Students who count on HOPE must be heard NOW!





Join our email list for updates on Gov. Barnes defense of the HOPE program - 
emailto:listjoin@stopvideopoker.org

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Received on Wednesday, 23 May 2001 16:12:42 UTC