Dear Otus,
When will that lottery be held for the office of lieutenant governor? How much are the tickets, where can we buy them, and what is the prize worth?
- Mark Alan, Springdale
Dear Mark,
It was wholly a pleasure to hear from you because I’ve gotten a ton of email from those who didn’t understand last Tuesday’s front page article. I’ll lay it all out for you now.
First of all, the lottery will be held March 3 with the drawing broadcast live on KARK-TV, Channel 4, at 9:59 p.m. Gov. Mike Beebe will draw the numbers under the supervision of Arkansas Lottery Commission security personnel and a certified independent auditor.
Beginning Monday, you can purchase tickets (you must be 18) at any licensed lottery retailer. Look for the familiar “Play Here” signs.
What are the odds with a $1 ticket? The chance of any single ticket winning this exciting prize package is one in 575,757. Long odds, but someone has to win.
This is a special lottery created only two weeks ago when Arkansas lawmakers cleared the path for a bill aimed at avoiding a special election within 10 months of the November election for the vacant lieutenant governor’s position.
It was a popular measure sponsored by each chamber’s top party leaders, who said they wanted to avoid the cost of a special election for a job that essentially is unnecessary.
The vacancy was created when Lt. Gov. Mark Darr resigned Jan. 31 over ethics violations.
Proceeds from The Natural State Lt. Governor Jackpot (LGJ) are expected to more than cover the salaries and ancillary incidentals involved. Any surplus will go to the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery general fund “to provide scholarships and grants to Arkansas residents enrolled in public and private nonprofit two-year and four-year colleges and universities within the state.”
So far, there have been 98,279 Arkansas Academic Challenge Scholarships awarded, “making a difference forever in Arkansas education.”
The LGJ will be a one-time drawing due to the special circumstances. Beebe will draw five numbers from 1 to 39 from a special giant drum. If all your numbers match, you win the job of lieutenant governor until next January.
If other players also match all five, the winning tickets will be placed in a fishbowl and a blindfolded first lady Ginger Beebe will draw the winning ticket.
And what does this exciting prize package entail? A veritable cornucopia of perquisites and goodies.
First of all, the winner has practically nothing to do and will only have to serve until Jan. 13, 2015, when the winner of the Nov. 4 general election is sworn in. Who that will be is unknown since the filing deadline isn’t until March 3.
As of this writing, there are 14 announced candidates with more surely on the way.
Former Highway Commissioner John Burkhalter is the only Democrat running. He’s joined by 13 Republicans, headed by U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin, who announced a couple of months ago that he would not seek re-election to his 2nd District seat so he could spend more time with his wife and young kids.
Being lieutenant governor is the best of both worlds - plenty of time with the family and a cozy office with a view of downtown.
Granted, the job is the lowest paid of the seven constitutional offices, but it does come with some nice benefits.
The lottery winner not only will be paid the lieutenant governor’s full annual salary of $42,219 (that’s $12,375 less than secretary of state, auditor, land commissioner and treasurer), but he gets to fill four office staff positions, three of which make more money than he does. There’s no law that says they can’t go to family.
The lieutenant governor’s chief of staff makes $75,132; communications director earns $57,565; director of government relations (whatever that is) pulls down $51,564; and the executive assistant (i.e. secretary) makes $33,660.
Total all those prize salaries together and in cash money alone, the lottery is worth an impressive $260,140.
Then there are the intangibles.
There is free medical and dental, a primo parking space near the covered east entrance, a year’s use of the State Police chauffeur service (if required), seasonal use of the Bill McCuen Memorial Sugar Shack on South Battery Street on the Capitol grounds and - and - a 25 percent employee discount at the Capitol Gift Shoppe.
But best of all, you get your very own name in gold lettering on the impressive walnut and glass door to Suite 270 at the Capitol. This is the same door behind which once sat Bill Halter, Mike Huckabee, Win Paul Rockefeller and Jim Guy Tucker.
Until next time, Kalaka reminds you that the job also comes with a key to the executive restroom. I understand it’s most impressive.
Disclaimer Fayetteville-born Otus the Head Cat’s award-winning column of humorous fabrication appears every Saturday. Email: mstorey@arkansasonline.com
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