Yes, I enjoy watching those TV ads about state parks in Oregon too

But let's get some perspective, shall we?

The Oregon Office of Economic Analysis, the state agency that forecasts revenue and expenses, said that for the 2011-2013 biennium, the lottery should net the state almost $1.1 billion compared with just under $900 million from the corporate income tax. And while corporate tax revenue should grow as the economy recovers, the lottery will continue to bring in more through at least 2017, the most distant year the forecast covers.

In other words, in Oregon those least able to afford it, those who benefit least from America's economy, are being cajoled into bearing a heavier share of the burdens of government.