A week after America went crazy over the record Mega Millions jackpot, we want to reiterate the cruel truth about lotteries.

They are (1) regressive taxes on poor people, in that a ticket costs relatively more for a poor person than a rich person, and (2) punitive taxes on the poor and uneducated people who are the most avid buyers.

The people who can least afford it are throwing away on average 47 cents on the dollar every time they buy a ticket. And the government, which relies increasingly on the lottery for funding, goes out of its way to tell them it is a good idea.

Obviously we have an opinion here, but it is an opinion grounded in numerous studies.