How would you spend or donate if you won Powerball tonight?

[JohnnyBoots]

Not sure how Howard would spend the check. I do know I would be writing one to Paul Hackett though.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. Easy

give to my favorite charities-Refugees International and Future Visions Foundation. Then the max to Democrats running to unseat incumbant Repukes.

[JohnnyBoots]

3. For my charities literacy and healthcare for the working poor would

take a front seat.

[TheFarseer]

2. Quit my job and run for congress

in Nebraska's third district. Repukes would never know what hit them - A democrat running with more than a thousand dollars in campaign funds and some actual ideas?! What happened?

[SteppingRazor]

4. Donate heavily to good, decent charities, organizations and Democrats...

Then go on a terrible, Caligula-style bender. :evilgrin:

[JohnnyBoots]

5. The bender goes without saying n/t

[meegbear]

6. The "meegbear needs a house and new car foundation"

the rest is piecemeal.

[napi21]

7. Well, first, I would contact an attorney and find out if I can keep my

identity quiet! Then I would invest all the winnings in some very secure account and make it untouchable for at least 6 months!

I don't even want me to have access to any of it for a cooling off period. It's way too easy to get crazy with something you never had!

After 6 months, I might consider some political donations, but boy am I picky!!!!

[mtnester]

25. You get an attorney and form a trust

and let the trust collect it..it helps keep your identity quiet.

Then you have to change your phone numbers.

I cannot help it, I myself would do something absolutely selfish and totally female, like go an a major clothes shopping spree, and buy those shoes I swore I would never pay that much money for.

[triguy46]

8. Just ask me, cause I'm gonna win!!!!!!!!!

And democratic candidates can line up at the feeding trough, cause I'm their daddy!!!!

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. Might sound selfish but use what needed to ensure my retirment

and get myself a house....

After that... a nice college fund for my nephews

And given how big them prices are there will be money left over to invest heavily in our own media.

Why? We need to retake the airwaves and we need new media

[JohnnyBoots]

10. How great would a real, independent news channel be. No more

Madonna has a headache stories.

[GOPS Worst Fear]

11. Air America Would Get A Huge Chunk Of My Money

To make sure they Stay on along time...Provided they hire Guy James.

[Seansky]

12. I would take as much as possible and coordinate an international campaign

(simultaneous int'l concerts by "non" celebrities groups) benefiting Women's International League for Peace and Freedom with the goal to get as many mothers across the world to stand up against any government that promotes wars, massacres and destruction of the worlds children...

Anyone who dares to challenge a mother'stand for peace and protection of her child is evil at heart. (I have no kids by the way)

http://search.eb.com/women/articles/Women's_International_League_for_Peace_and_Freedom.html

[rkc3]

13. That's easy.

I'd donate to the RKC3 Fund for Leisure. Then, I'd prepare a list of people who could kiss my ass and drive around checking names off the list.

After that, I would spend every dime possible to unseat the greatest mind of the 13th century - Rick Santorum.

[melissinha]

19. Donate to unseat Sen Hutchison

and Lamar Smith.

I'd campaign against them telling voters to look at the incumbents' "records" of corporatism.

I'd buy buy hybrids for my entire family, set them all up.... Build me a sustainable energy home.

I'd also donate time and money to a good environmental groups, invest in sustainable energy products.

[rkc3]

20. I like the idea of sustainable energy homes and hybrids for all.

A few years ago I did a research study on geothermal heating/cooling and have been in love with the idea since. You run pipes into the ground and recirculate air through them - cool air gets warmed in the winter and warm air gets cooled in the summer.

There are lots of good ideas out there, but there are so few people who can afford them. A little government subsidy would go a long way to making this country great again.

[melissinha]

31. Old boss wanted to implement geothermal in housing development

But the main boss was too interested in the costs instead of benefits.... Needless to say we were the only development that abided by environmental protection standards of Storm Water Protection... From what he told me, geothermal is really quite remarkable. I think my sister's air is running on something similar....


"There are lots of good ideas out there, but there are so few people who can afford them. A little government subsidy would go a long way to making this country great again." Ain't that the truth. According to Ed Begley Jr., the investment is worth it and you get your money back in a few years.... Wish I HAD the money to invest in it for my future house.

[rkc3]

33. Too bad Al Gore didn't win - we might have seen a change in

direction for the country. He's always been very concerned with the environment. There might have been a push to spend some money on these projects rather than subsidizing profits for energy companies, the pharmaceutical industry, the banking industry, and suppliers to the Pentagon.

As it stands, its more important to enrich your supporters than to improve the lives of the public.

[Straight Shooter]

14. First of all, I would host a big party for my hometown.

Lots of friends here, and it goes without saying they would all get a big happy check because I'm as worried about their retirement years as I am my own.

Then I would move to Venezuela and find a way to live on just enough to be comfortable and make sure the rest of it goes to progressive causes.

[jobycom]

15. Hog it all and become a Republican!!!!!!! (not)

I'd set up my parents, then ensure my kids' education, then use the rest to spread happiness and joy amongst political candidates who agree with me. (that's not many, maybe I'd run myself.)

Oh yeah, and I'd do what I could to help rebuild Mississippi.

Do I win? Or do we have to wait for the swimsuit competition?

[Just Me]

16. I'd get to work immediately on creating a non-profit org,.....

,...focused upon government and political transparency and accountability. I'd ensure that my org closely networks with others similarly situated in order to maximize resources and impact. I'd also want to achieve a widely circulated "info-paper".

I'd likely create two irrevocable trusts: one for annual contributions to my favorite charitable organizations; another for annual payments to my immediate family members (who could certainly use a helping hand).

I'd buy a Prius for me, a four-wheeler for my son, and plan to attend lots and lots of progressive events. I could go on and on *LOL*!!!

Amazing how many dreams one $3 lotto ticket can buy! :7

[William Bloode]

17. I have often wondered what i would do if i won.

I am not much of a goods centered person. I tend to detest what money does to people. My personal choice would be to set up a foundation(s) that either built houses for poor working families, kinda like HFH. Or/and i would like to give out college scholarships to childeren of poor working families. I would also like to sponsor a shelter and soup kithen or two. Of course i would set myself up as director with a good salary.

[skids]

18. I'd create my own philathropic organization.

After taking care of a few piddly financial personal needs (I don't need a mansion, or a yacht, or any of that crap, just stability, mobility, etc.) I'd throw most of the money into a reliable, diversified investment that would generate a working budget off interest/dividends, and keep a good portion aside for startup costs.

I'd hire two staff to start, looking for the most honest, sincere, dedicated, and level-headed individuals I could possibly find. These would be retired individuals who had already made their living and were just looking for part-time altruistic work out of boredom. I'd spend a lot of time and personal effort finding just the right people.

One would be an HR professional who really knew their stuff and had a good nose for talent and motivation.

The other would be a business analyst, likewise.

Within 6 months I'd expect to have the names of several individuals and several companies that checked out on various levels, working in a range of progressive industries and causes. The organization would invest philantropically, and also employ hands-on people to directly engage in charities and philanthropic ventures. By "directly engage" I specifically do not mean "act as advisors" and the general type of "we know better" BoD squatters would not be welcome.

Though some political contributions would be made, the organization would focus the vast majority of its efforts on actually acheiving results, not trying to elect people who may or may not be willing or able to do something about the government or laws. The organization would be more commercial in nature, and focused on providing people with individual empowerment. Donations would not be sought or accepted, and administrative staff kept to a minimum. It would be a privately funded venture sustainably financed and would work entirely within the means available to it.

Likely it would tackle mostly U.S. issues.

Too bad I don't play the lottery :-)

[wuushew]

21. Do not support the lottery

wealthy property owners everywhere thank you for your generous volutary regressive tax participation.

[gratuitous]

36. Well, if my six bucks a year put them over the top

They're welcome to it, I suppose. Let's see, I hit $252 million? I suppose I'd say "neener, neener, neener" to Alex Rodriguez.

And then . . .

Nope, can't even imagine what I could/would do with all that dough. Too much for any one person anyway.

[SnowGoose]

22. www.modestneeds.org

eom

[w8liftinglady]

23. Random acts of kindness

fix cars,teeth,houses.Pay off the bills of most of the people I know.
set my kids up with some kind of very conservative trust(that they couldn't blow ;)

[Greyhound]

24. First get set up in a relatively safe country.

Then become a wondering philanthropist. Just a low-key traveler that comes across people with a good idea or need, learn what I can, and boom a week later they get a check.

[longship]

26. I would write maximum donation checks

Every Dem nationwide who is running in 2006 would quickly receive a maximum legal donation. I would give maximum donations to my local Dem party, state party, and national party.

I would make significant donations to DU and all other worthy Web sites. This would be in the form of matching funds plus a healthy separate donation.

I would subscribe to every progressive magazine. I would underwrite national advertisements on AAR, and any other media.

Lots of other things. Maybe move back to MI and run for Congress against lunatic Dave Camp.

[jmowreader]

27. Start a lot of businesses

If you want to help the poor, helping them become formerly-poor is a great way to start. You don't do it by giving money, you do it by giving jobs.

On edit: I would first tear the shitty-looking covered porch off the side of my parents' house and replace it with a nice addition that has a ramp so my mom can get down to the carport with her walker. Or maybe just build up the floor to the carport and create a ramp up into it, so she could go straight out the door.

[devilgrrl]

28. Give to public libraries and food co-ops

Hey, why not :shrug:

[alfredo]

29. Pass some on to family and friends, especially those who have

stood by my wife and I. I'd give to selected charities, Amnesty international, my local NPR stations, Oxfam. give to DU, GreenCorps, and Truthout. I'd build a fine observatory for my buddy Tom, and equip it with a killer telescope he can control from the comfort of his living room. visit often.

build a green home for my wife and I, give her free reign to furnish and decorate as she sees fit. Kick back and Relax until time to work the election cycle.

[Ksec]

30. I'd buy a business. We need a good clothing store here

No Chinese junk. All American made stuff that lasts.

My motto would be if they dont make it here, we dont sell it here.

[Cats Against Frist]

32. Commune, Commune, Commune

An all-out, off-the-grid, yurt-covered organic paradise, for me and whoever else wants to come and work and play - I suppose we'd have to cap the number, at some point, due to space considerations, but if enough people wanted to join in, I'd help make a commune of communes. Then, I would open up giant progressive/art school go go with it. My 4-year-old son watches Jean Cocteau and German Expressionist movies -- yours can, too.

Then, I'd give a bunch of money to ACLU, poetry presses and small publishers, local Democratic and libertarian candidates, establish a poetry fellowship at my former university, get some medicine to Africa, and buy myself about 15 skeins of Noro Iro yarn, and knit myself a cha-cha dress.

[WHAT]

34. I'd start my own bank...

even though I don't know much about banking, this is a fantasy, right?.

It would operate somewhere along the lines of:

-depositors would be pooling their money in the hopes of securing their money's solvency and growth by responsible accounting and investment growth
-investment or loan gambling would have to be voted on by the depositors which I think would take into account their values, skepticism, optimism, political affiliation, community ties, etc.
-a percentage of loans would be ear marked for personal payback to vulnerable community participants...someone who has lost their well pump and can't afford to get it running; methane plant in a city, maybe, where there is another community payback for co-operation
-it's influence would begin and be restricted by a prescribed parameter such as population density or area taking into consideration resources, geography, location
-when goals of growth have been met there would be a depositors vote on "franchising" to another area
-each depositor would have one vote regardless of the size of their deposit, I'm assuming someone with a proven track record of financial wisdom would have more ears

I guess my fantasy is one of democratically governing the impetus of money. I'm assuming that a coherent and caring community makes for more financial prosperity for more people (sorta like religions or laws and why they appeal to so many).

This would be something that would be fun to try to think through and do. Also, with electric deposits, there could be global consensus by a large percentage of the people on humane values. (oops, fly in the ointment, would this encourage population growth? one depositor one vote. Don't want that, how to fix?).

This was kind of a fun dream exercise...

[Rosco T.]

35. Set up a fund to pay for INDEPENDENT (ie. non-rethug) polls & exit polls..

for '06 an '08 (I expect matching donations y'all).

- buy a radio station (or two) and put AAR where it needs to be.

- buy a new house far from the cities, with plenty of guest rooms and work space.

- pay for my better half's MA/PhD.

[tk2kewl]

37. I think I'd try to buy me a seat on a major environmental group's board

make a big donation and get to work doing what i love

[B Calm]

38. I would buy an island on a remote wilderness lake in far north Ontario.

Build a beautiful log home and spend the rest of my days fishing, watching sunsets with my wife and listening to the loons.

[JohnnyBoots]

39. That doesn't sound bad at all n/t

[scarlett1]

40. There are a few Democratic interests

or other leftie interests that would see a donation and I know my husband wants a house in Sun Valley. Maybe add a new pink or blue heir apparent

[ucmike]

41. 7 days in the space station.....

not really, but the russians sold a seat for $20mil, i think.

actually, i'd be fishing, and fishing, and fishing. i might go ex-pat to do it.