What If...?

I’m wondering what I would do if I was making around $85,000 a year in a cushy government job, and I won the lottery for $4,000,000. I know, the question is why, if I’m already making a lot of money would I be playing the lottery in the first place? The answer is...um...I don’t know, I just do it.

First thing I’d do is split the money into 4 separate donation pots. I’d then donate 1 million to the Developmental Disabilities Advisory Committee for the Portland Police Department. This group means a lot to me, and my donation would go a long way in furthering their work.

Next, I’d donate a million to the Office of Investigations and Training. These people are the ones who investigate allegations of abuse and neglect toward some seriously vulnerable Oregonians. They could use the money to grow their program by hiring another staff member or expanding services.

One million would go to setting up an ombudsman program for adults with developmental disabilities. I’d want to do everything I could to eradicate all forms of medical neglect in Oregon, including denying people life saving treatment. This program would operate in concert with OIT, but would be independent of it.

Lastly, I’d donate the 4th million to the agency I’d work for. With the budget being what it is, there’s not a department in any governmental agency that couldn’t use an extra million dollars. I know I wouldn’t solve all the problems we have, but maybe if other people saw my generosity they’d want to do more themselves.