# There is no justice in the world, or Why do the wrong people win the lottery? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [July 11, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740 "2003-07-11T16:13:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/1 "2003-07-11T16:13:09Z")
From [foxnews.com](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,91614,00.html) > [@](#): > > JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Their spending plans decidedly modest, a Missouri (search) couple came forward Thursday to claim half of the $261.3 million Powerball (search) lottery jackpot. > > William Walkenbach, a production supervisor, said he wants to “finally get me a tractor with brakes.” > > Claudia Walkenbach, a substitute teacher, said she’d buy a new refrigerator to replace the 30-year-old model sitting in their kitchen in Hermann, a town of about 2,600 on the Missouri River. A tractor and a refrigerator. A tractor and a refrigerator. A tr. . . :deep exhale/drops and shakes head: [I](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=196439) was supposed to win that money. Rather my friends and I were supposed to win that money. As we speak, we would be on beach somewhere out of a Corona comercial surrounded by whores and firetrucks. We should be giggling at the fact our [cars](http://www.dodge.com/viper/index.html?context=homepage&type=top) were getting stuck in the sand and getting into fistfights over what tastes better at 8am in the morning, margaritas or daiquiris. But no. These dunces from bumfuck have to win it. My friends and I recruit as many people as possible, assemble all the numbers on a spreadsheet, write a macro to quickly highlight all the winning numbers and then email the results the following day. What is this hayseed’s method? > [@](#): > > Claudia, 52, had $5 left after buying a copy of the Hermann Advertiser-Courier, and with the change snatched up five tickets with computer-selected numbers. [color=hayseedblood][size=1billion][fuckingbold]AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!![/fuckingbold][/size=1billion][/color=hayseedblood] A tractor and a refrigerator. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/2 "2003-07-11T16:15:06Z")
Wow, it sounds like the right people _did_ win, eh? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![BrightNShiny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@BrightNShiny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrightNShiny)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/3 "2003-07-11T16:17:04Z")
Me = The right person to win Bruce\_Daddy and the rest of the world = the wrong people to win ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/4 "2003-07-11T16:18:35Z")
Bruce, I hear ya. I don’t play so I know I’m not going to win but it frosts my cake, too. The person who won whatever-the-hell-ball-it’s-called a few weeks ago was from Middle-Fucking-River here outside of Baltimore. Why can’t some nicely dressed, urban dwelling, young professional win every once in a while? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/5 "2003-07-11T16:18:55Z")
The dude can finally get those last 15 teeth, too. Golly. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/6 "2003-07-11T16:22:25Z")
I dunno. I kinda like the unassuming nature of the winners. And hell, if it can’t be ME (not likely since I don’t play, but work with me, here . . . ), I don’t really care who wins. Frankly, though, I’d rather see it go to Mr. Tractor and Ms. Refrigerator than to someone who’s already loaded. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/7 "2003-07-11T16:25:05Z")
Oh, and **Juanita** , I think those stylish urban dwellers you mentioned are far too jaded to think that they could win the lottery. (How does the saying go . . . ? “The Lottery: A Tax on People Who Are Bad At Math.”) Either that, or they don’t want to be associated with people who buy tractors. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![gobear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8dc957/32.png) [@gobear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gobear)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/8 "2003-07-11T16:25:05Z")
IMO, spending money on needed purchases like a tractor and a refrigerator (and, one hopes, sensible investment of the rest) proves that the couple who won deserved to win, as opposed to drunken wastrels who would fritter away their cash on worthless pursuits. > [@](#): > > Why can’t some nicely dressed, urban dwelling, young professional win every once in a while? Given that the lottery is, in effect, a regressive tax that preys on the innumeracy of the poor and disenfranchised, I am all in favor of poor people winning every single time. Nicely, dressed, urban dwelling, young professionals should know better than to waste money on the lottery in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/9 "2003-07-11T16:33:17Z")
Which is why I never play. Still, the lawyers and secretaries here collect money for tickets everytime the jackpot goes about a certain amount. Surely we can’t be the only firm to do this. ---
**Author:** ![auntie\_em](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5e9695/32.png) [@auntie\_em](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntie_em)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/10 "2003-07-11T16:43:10Z")
Yeah . . . what **gobear** said (much more eloquently than I, gol-durnit). ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/11 "2003-07-11T16:53:02Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Bruce\_Daddy \* > \*\* > [color=hayseedblood][size=1billion][fuckingbold]AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!![/fuckingbold][/size=1billion][/color=hayseedblood]_\* Okay, this made me laugh. I’ll send you a quarter as a thanks. If everyone does, you might make your money back. It’s always hayseeds or deathbed geriatrics (who choose the twenty year payout method) who win. ---
**Author:** ![Palo\_Verde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/65b543/32.png) [@Palo\_Verde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Palo_Verde)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/12 "2003-07-11T17:15:15Z")
I’m always glad when simple, honest people win the lottery. I’m glad to hear it happened here. What pisses me off is when people win who fritter the money away on pointless luxuries. A tractor and fridge sound like great things to buy. Hardworking people need this stuff much more than they need the new Ferrari. ---
**Author:** ![j.c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/73ab20/32.png) [@j.c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j.c)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/13 "2003-07-11T17:25:46Z")
As close personal friends of the couple, and I can tell you that, after the tractor and fridge, every cent will go to charity. Among other things, these hardworking winners are setting up a special school for nicely dressed, urban dwelling, young professionals who have no morals or manners. “We’re using our gain to fight greed!” is the Walkenbach motto. ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/14 "2003-07-11T17:26:48Z")
I don’t understand how one person who buys a lottery ticket ‘deserves’ to win over another person who buys a lottery ticket. I agree about the Ferrari bit, though, autz. I say buy an Arnage complete with a driver instead. ---
**Author:** ![december](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/838e76/32.png) [@december](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/december)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/15 "2003-07-11T17:28:38Z")
Set aside $50/week for lottery tickets, but instead use the money to buy shares of a mutual fund. Assume the fund provides an average annual return of 10%. (10% is the long-term average for stocks.) In 39 years, you’ll have over a million dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Daddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/85f322/32.png) [@Bruce\_Daddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Daddy)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/16 "2003-07-11T17:45:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by j.c. \* > \*\*As close personal friends of the couple, and I can tell you that, after the tractor and fridge, every cent will go to charity. > > Among other things, these hardworking winners are setting up a special school for nicely dressed, urban dwelling, young professionals who have no morals or manners. “We’re using our gain to fight greed!” is the Walkenbach motto. \*\* :eek: :sobbing and desk pounding: sniff, and it could have been whores and firetrucks ---
**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/17 "2003-07-11T18:55:53Z")
December: I assume then, that you’re talking about investing in a fund which closely tracks the S&P 500 then? Keeping in mind that there are now more mutual funds than there are listed stocks, and the fact that MOST of them cannot beat the S&P, you either need a good financial advisor to help you pick them, or you need to stick with the indexed funds. Incidentally, the S&P is actually up over 13% this year 🙂 As far as the lottery thing - I’d like to see someone win who knows how to use their $ to create more money (eg: someone who always wanted to start a business, or someone who knows how to invest it and live only off the income from it, not the principal.) Yeah, that would be cool. Of course, like you say, most people in that category see lottery tix as a waste of money. I, for example, would LOVE to win the lottery, but won’t because I can never bring myself to buy a ticket. Something about those odds - oh yes, the more-likely-you’ll-die-in-a-plane-crash was the one that got me. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Morrigoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/858c86/32.png) [@Morrigoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morrigoon)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/18 "2003-07-11T19:19:48Z")
December: I assume then, that you’re talking about investing in a fund which closely tracks the S&P 500 then? Keeping in mind that there are now more mutual funds than there are listed stocks, and the fact that MOST of them cannot beat the S&P, you either need a good financial advisor to help you pick them, or you need to stick with the indexed funds. Incidentally, the S&P is actually up over 13% this year 🙂 As far as the lottery thing - I’d like to see someone win who knows how to use their $ to create more money (eg: someone who always wanted to start a business, or someone who knows how to invest it and live only off the income from it, not the principal.) Yeah, that would be cool. Of course, like you say, most people in that category see lottery tix as a waste of money. I, for example, would LOVE to win the lottery, but won’t because I can never bring myself to buy a ticket. Something about those odds - oh yes, the more-likely-you’ll-die-in-a-plane-crash was the one that got me. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Hobie\_the\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e99b99/32.png) [@Hobie\_the\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hobie_the_One)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/19 "2003-07-11T19:28:29Z")
I’m a lot less upset about this couple winning than I was about the millionaire from West Virginia (I think) that one a recent large powerball drawing. That said, the other winner still should have been me. I **could** have bought my ticket in Cranberry if I had known that that was where the winner was going to be sold. Sigh. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2003, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740/20 "2003-07-11T19:33:18Z")
At least they aren’t already rich, like the guy in West Virginia who won the last big Powerball jackpot. And **Morrigoon** : forget the odds–just don’t get hooked. I think it’s worth the $2 just to joke about it, especially I won’t even consider buying a ticket unless the jackpot tops 9 digits. If I did win, one of the first things I would have told the media was “Hey suckers–I’ve spent less than $20 on the lottery my whole life.” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/there-is-no-justice-in-the-world-or-why-do-the-wrong-people-win-the-lottery/187740.md?page=2)