HOPE could become a strange cycle

Georgia officials, commenting on a poll that shows support for restrictions on the popular HOPE scholarship, note that changes in the program are needed because demand for the scholarships keep rising, while revenue from lottery players falls.

We know from simple demographic studies that poorer, less-educated people play the lottery more than those who are better off and have more education. If lottery funds are used to pay for people to get better educated, thus likely making them better off, theyll be less likely to play the lottery.

The result, then, is that the HOPE scholarships themselves are their own worst enemy - making the lotterys customers too smart to play, thus depriving the program of its income.

The bright side? If the lottery commission, as many suspect, cuts back on HOPE, that will also cut back on the number of people able to attend college, thus keeping more people ignorant - and rejuvenating the customer base for the scholarship programs funding mechanism.

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And the cycle can begin all over again.