The father of the pig

Congresmen Cohen seems a little confused on what he did and didn't vote for. In an article in the Knox news sentinal Cohen attacks the Republicans goal of giving excess lottery funds to rebuild school facilities. Cohen calls himself "the pig slayer".

"That's just political," he said. "It is just politicians handing out pork."

Cohen said it is ironic that the proposal is supported by the same Republicans who vehemently opposed the legislation that put the constitutional amendment creating the lottery on the ballot.

"I was the pig slayer," Cohen said. "Now they all want to be the butcher who hands out the pork."


But the facts speak a different tune.

Here is what Cohen himself voted for from the TN Constitution.

Section 5. The Legislature shall have no power to authorize lotteries for
any purpose, and shall pass laws to prohibit the sale of lottery tickets in this
state, except that the legislature may authorize a state lottery if the net proceeds
of the lottery's revenues are allocated to provide financial assistance to
citizens of this state to enable such citizens to attend post-secondary educational
institutions located within this state. The excess after such allocations
from such net proceeds from the lottery would be appropriated to:
(1) Capital outlay projects for K-12 educational facilities; and
(2) Early learning programs and after school programs.
Such appropriation of funds to support improvements and enhancements for
educational programs and purposes and such net proceeds shall be used to
supplement, not supplant, non-lottery educational resources for education programs
and purposes.

As you can clearly see, it does allow for excess revenue to supplement funding for primary school construction. It is even listed as the place for money to go before it goes to programs like Pre K. Where was Cohen when the governor took money out of the lottery proceeds to start that program?

I think Cohen is confused as to what part he played in the "pigs life" I agree he may have slept with the pig and produced piglets but when you father a pig under the understanding that it may one day be cut up and eaten don't complain to the farmer as he sharpens the knife.