What would you do if you won the Powerball jackpot?

[MoonRiver]

Most of us would probably take care of our family first, but that would just scratch the surface of this fortune. I'd give at least a million to each of my favorite animal charities. The question for me, as I idly ponder this "problem" (slow day lol), is how I would distribute money to political organizations. At this point I can't conceive of giving much to the DNC (even though I love Howard Dean). I just don't trust them to spend the money in ways I would approve. I think I'd give a lot to Progressive Democrats, and individual progressive candidates. What about y'all?

[meegbear]

1. Donate it all to the "Meegbear Poverty Relief Fund"

[MoonRiver]

2. LOL!

:rofl:

[wicket]

3. Pay off my Grampa's farm

And all of the back taxes :(

[BurgherHoldtheLies]

4. Provide DU Grovelbot with a really satisfying meal

So he wouldn't have to beg in public anymore.

[catabryna]

8. LOL!

BTW: What a great pic of the Bus!

[Mr.Green93]

5. Get Paul Hackett elected

and a lot of rethugs defeated.

[liberal N proud]

6. Most of it would go to a charitable cause

but you gotta play to win. I always forget to buy a ticket.

[dysfunctional press]

7. probably start voting republican...

tax cuts would suddenly seem like a very good idea...

i might even buy some plaid pants and take up golf.

[MoonRiver]

9. Just had another idea.

How about financing a hostile takeover of Diebold. :D

[MadHound]

10. Well, I would do this

I would take a mil off the top just to have some "mad money" and get it out of my system, go out and buy that 1936 Packard Super 8 convertible(with the bud vases), pay off my house, pay to finish remodeling my house, that sort of thing.

Then I would take 5-6 million dollars and put it into tax free muni bonds, sure I'd only be getting 5% interest, but that would add up to $300,000 annually in income. I could live off of that.

The rest I would put into a trust, with my wife and I as sole trustees(for now) and invest the rest of the money the same way. But I would take the interest payments, roughly 9 million annually and give it away as my wife and I saw fit.

And while I wouldn't move from my current house, I would certainly buy some of the land around me as it became available, just to keep the developers from getting too close.

[Ladyhawk]

11. I'd check to see if monkeys were flying out my butt.

Since I never play the lottery, that would be the next logical step. :evilgrin:

[sui generis]

18. I got it all on camera

[Kansas Wyatt]

12. Put up a reward for evidence that exposed BushCo.

Well, uh...
On second thought, I would thank all of the idiots in America for our Imperial Republican Government, which allows me to get by with paying a lot less in taxes, while those hard working people paid a lot more for my tax savings.

[Sammy Pepys]

13. In order...

1) Pay my bills
2) Set up a dividend income stream
3) sock a big chunk away for emergency/other purposes
4) Make some stock investments for the long term

Figuring that right there would only eat up $2M, maybe $3M tops, I would then move on to:

1) Buy a nice house
2) Set aside funding for further education
3) Hook up family and friends with some fundage
4) Possibly start our own business or maybe do a big "world tour" sort of thing.
5) Charitable contributions, including looking into setting up a scholarship fund of some sort.

I figure that might eat up another $5M to $7M, so with whatevers left over...I guess we'd figure out as we go along.

[northzax]

16. well, by that math,

you'd only have about 105 million left over. that's a lot of go along get along to play with.

[Sammy Pepys]

22. That would be my intention

Knock out all the "required" stuff spending as little $$$ as possible ;)

[leftchick]

14. I would get myself the hell out of this country

then donate to the US relief fund for poor and staving Americans a few years down the road.

:(

[Xenotime]

36. Exactly...leave this horrible country...

Exchange it all to gold because * has ruined this economy.

[sui generis]

15. set up self-sustaining grants (foundation investments)

for scholarships encouraging students with progressive values, both here in the united states and in developing countries.

Give to orphanages (heck I'd probably have the biggest one in the whole U.S., tricked out to look like Hogworts).

Give to animal and people charities, and use it as a weapon against pettiness, bigots, and file lawsuit after lawsuit against the AFA and their ilk to bankrupt them on defense, to ridicule them, to make them feel some pain for fucking up so many lives.

I'd back progressive candidates and causes, and starving artists with equal gusto.

I'd travel the world. And then do it again. I'd support archaeological digs and historical and cultural studies. I'd lobby for change in our congressional process so that you can't slip something totally unrelated into a 3000 page bill after midnight or even give somebody a 3000 page budget or bill to vote on and only 15 minutes to study it.

I'd be nonstop and unstoppable - we're gonna make this world better tomorrow than it is today.

I'd make it up as I go along, as usual, but I (and everyone I know) would have a great time doing it.

[TahitiNut]

34. The self-sustaining scholarship fund would be my focus.

With education, all else is possible. I'd give priority to single moms ... gals with the academic aptitudes who're otherwise precluded from pursuing a college education. I'd incorporate day-care/child-care expenses and incentives for good grades. My goal would be that the student/mom would be able to gain more financial assistance by study (and good grades) than by part-time work. I'd add incentives for pre-law ... encouraging public advocacy (no more corporate attorneys, please) and give graduate assistance for law school.

I'd focus on single moms (and dads) because of the lives improved, and try to find motivated moms who're 1-3 years out of high school. (Experience is a great motivator.) It would not be an exclusive focus, however - there are others who fall into the cracks of the 'system' who're likely to succeed with a fulsome program that offers specialized support.

Clearly, some encouragement to "pay it forward" would be included - incentives for becoming contributors (time or money) to the scholarship fund. One of the more important ways of contributing would be in hunting down and identifying promising candidates.

[madokie]

17. Have a damn heart attack and keel over. my luck

[MazeRat7]

19. I'd buy me a couple of congressmen and get something I wanted done. (n/t)

[RandomKoolzip]

20. Start a liberal think tank to compete with Heritage, AEI, Olin, etc.

[bleedingheart]

21. If I won tomorrow I would run for congress in my district

and I would hire DUers to run my campaign....

[northzax]

23. simple plan

#1: Get a really, really, good lawyer, accountant and banker.
#2: walk into my favourite bar and pay the tab for the entire weekend, with a 50% tip for the staff.
#3: change my name and Social Security number (those are public record of winners anywhere except Delaware, which allows you to claim anonymously) so all the creeps come out of the closet)
#4: pay off all of my debt, and all of my friendss debts (mostly student loans)
#5: purchase two islands, one off the coast of Maine (or in the San Juans) and one somewhere warm.
#6: tax-free munis with enough annual income to cover my expenses, say, $5-7.5 million.
#7: two words: porn and chicken.

[newportdadde]

24. "A million dollars? Man I tell you what I would do with a million dollars"

Two chicks at the same time man.. with a million dollars I think I could hook that up."

[northzax]

25. so with a hundred million

you wanna reshoot Caligula?

[DURHAM D]

26. I would start a progressive think tank. Actually,

not so much a think tank but a progressive / liberal propaganda machine modeled after AEI. I would put a ton of people on the payroll at giant salaries and give them fake titles like "Senior Fellow" and have 6-12 of them available at all times to be on network and cable idiot box whenever the need arises.

The hardest part would be to train my people to constantly exaggerate and lie. Progressives and liberals don't like to look stupid by shouting over people, not responding to questions and telling half-truths but they would have to get over it.

This is a war and we must win but any means available. Once balance in messaging has been restored they will be required to start telling the truth again or I will dump them.

[LeftHander]

27. first thing...buy a little safe to put the ticket in....

With my luck my house would start on fire and burn up the ticket that very night....

lol

[greentrees]

28. Give it to Paul Hackett

I'd give a large chunk to Paul Hackett to spite the idiots who don't know a winner when they see one.

We need men of character, and any guy who will stick to what he says/promises will attract a lot of voters who don't often vote Democrat.

And the National Democrats dumped him by not letting him raise the kind of dough he needs to win his Senatorial election.

So he's the guy who'd get the big bucks from my winnings.

[MoonRiver]

32. I think I'd give him some too!

Welcome to DU greentrees! :hi:

[graywarrior]

29. Give a couple mill to the agency I work for (helps disabled)

Find some worthy causes and donate.
Help out the Africa crisis.
Save some animals.
Buy a house in the White Mountains.
Hit the road and drive America for about a year.

[SoCalDem]

30. I'm afraid at my age,

I would be a bit selfish :)

In no particular order:


1. Buy a very nice, but not so big house somewhere in Central America on a beach
2. Hire some household help (at decent wages) to do my dishes, & clean up around the place
3. Buy each of my sons a nice starter house...or pay off mortgages if they already have one
4. I'm afraid I would have to set up some sort of an annuity for our kitties..Old people + young cats = a need to plan for them so they don't end up at the shelter.. Two of our three sons have allergy issues with cats, and the other is not a pet person due to his schedule.
5. I would carefully research charities and then donate generously.
6. We would do some taveling too
7. I think I would want to build a separte house for my husband..for all his toys..He has almost every train/car that American Flyer ever made :grr: (pre 1950), and it's totally consumed the garage and bonus room, and has even spilled into the living room ..:grr:
8. And of course a 6 car garage/workshop...not for cars..just for the "tool department"..he has more tools than Sears:grr:...only thing missing is the energy and time to USE them :)

:)

[gratuitous]

31. Buy Halliburton; fire Cheney

Then I'd get a real good hot dog.

[RB TexLa]

33. Spend a month on the beach

or actually a few beaches around the Caribbean. Probably the only words uttered from me would be "oh, margarita person," and "oh, shrimp cocktail person."


haven't really thought much past that.

[teenagebambam]

35. My list

1) Go to Tower records and buy every DVD I want
2) pay off student loans
3) set up annuities for each of my family members
4) buy an apartment in Paris or Vienna, or maybe Paris AND Vienna
5) start a scholarship fund
6) invest, invest, invest!

[Pithy Cherub]

37. a tremendous Pay It Forward campaign!

:woohoo::applause::bounce:

[flyarm]

38. i would buy a home in France big enough to house my entire family

so when *hes complete fascism takes over we could all get the hell outta here!

fly

[Katherine Brengle]

39. I'd use a chunk of it to start a progressive think tank. And an indoor

swimming pool bc that's my usual Powerball fantasy, lol.

I think I'd also use some it to have titanium handcuffs made to use when I chain myself to the White House fence one of these days (ah, a girl can dream...).

[The Backlash Cometh]

40. First thing I would do is move the hell out of here, find me a nice

big patch of land where I can't see any neighbors and there are no homeowner's associations.

Then, from my safe haven, I'll start having fun remembering all those people that I've come across that were bright spots in my life and figure out how I can send them each an anonymous $10,000 each.

[noonwitch]

41. Pay off all my friends and family member's student loans

I'd probably want to start some type of business. Maybe I'd buy a radio station or something. I'd also either be very generous to charity, or start my own. Maybe a small business loan/grant program for people in Detroit to get started up properly.

[Blue Belle]

42. I would try to gather other wealthy Liberals...

and start a Liberal Media network. I'm tired of how Low FOX has lowered the bar of Journalism, and am apalled at how eagerly MSRNC and CNN has jumped on board the Propoganda bandwagon.

I'd also work with organizations such as the one John Edwards has started and the Carter Foundation to help the plight of poor Americans because as long as these bastards are in charge of the country, the poor is the only thing that is on the increase.

[Tsiyu]

43. Fun question

So I haven't checked Wednesday's numbers. I assume I didn't win that one since we are speculating on a large Powerball amount? Bah!

I'd get all of my kids through college, help them with their dreams and goals.

Buy property, build a self-sustaining farm and start my camp for people with PTSD - it's a lengthy plan but is my life's goal

Record an album and tour the country in my new tourbus, all proceeds benefiting victims of and challengers to this administration.

Take out big ads wherever I could to educate people.

Make a HUGH!1!1!1 donation to DU and other progressive sites.

Write a few books without worrying about the light bill the whole time.


Speckilatin' is fun....

[ThomCat]

44. build a trust fund

to live off of. Hopefully something that can't be taken from me and drained as medical bills pile up.

[alfredo]

45. Family then, Amnesty International, Oxfam, local progressive groups

like Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and Change for Kentucky, DU, TO, and then build a nice "green" house decorated and furnished as my sweet wife desires. I'll have an observatory with a very nice large telescope with CCD and remote guiding. My computer lab and garden will be a thing of beauty.

I will set up a fund for our local schools to promote art and music.

I will have a local company, Theil, set up our sound system. http://www.thielaudio.com/

I will endeavor to use local products and contractors for my home.