Not everyone plays the Illinois Lottery. But the state's announcement that winners of more than $600 will have to wait for their prizes has caught the public's attention.
Lottery officials say they have run out of money because the state lacks a budget. Winners will get paid eventually, but the delay is another symbol of a state whose leaders can't get it together.
Ron McNeil is dean of the College of Business and Management at the University of Illinois Springfield.
"It is the little things that irritate us. It is the burr under the saddle that irritates the horse, not the rider sitting on the saddle. Always remember, this is a little burr, but it does get attention."
McNeil says while there are programs and services without funding, most taxpayers haven't noticed. He says they see government operating, school in session, roads being repaired. But he says the lottery dilemma resonates and could be a turning point in the ongoing stalemate.
