Gov. Mike Beebe gets it, I’d say.

Gov. Mike Beebe said Wednesday he believes the high salaries going to lottery employees may be undermining public confidence in the lottery.

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“You’ve got to have the majority of the folks of your state that are confident that you’re doing the right things, and a lot of these decisions with regard to the amount of the salaries that are being paid … are having the effect of undermining that in my opinion,” Beebe told reporters.

“We’re seeing it anecdotally. I haven’t seen polls, but you see letters, you see comments, you hear discussions,” he said.

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Duh. Contrary to what Ernie P. thinks: 1) Arkies aren’t stupid; 2) all state employees aren’t dead wood; 3) it’s an insult to say every stinkin’ person to the lowliest coffee go-fer who works for the lottery deserves premium pay; 4) you CAN negotiate reasonable pay during the worst economy in decades; 5) lottery revenue won’t put out the fire of criticism because a) most people won’t win and b) most people won’t be getting scholarships

It would be easy for Godfather Democrats who created this special interest playpen to put down the lottery criticism to marginalized Republicans and the usual soreheads who don’t like anything about government. It would also be wrong. Dangerously wrong to their political futures. The narrative is becoming commonly accepted. Beebe gets it.

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