"In his 1998 race for governor, Don Siegelman told voters the lottery was the ticket to turning this state around.

Now, as he ponders a possible bid to reclaim his old job, Siegelman is offering up a stale reincarnation of his lottery plan - with a terrible twist. In addition to his hopes to pursue another lottery, Siegelman said he'd negotiate a deal with Indian tribes to run full-fledged casinos in Alabama if he were to become governor again.

Letting the tribe expand these sites into full-fledged casinos would only open the door to more social woes - among them, gambling addictions, money problems, corruption and crime."

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Recycling a bad idea (The Birmingham News 8/9)