Powerball roared into Maine July 30.

Money was flying as Mainers lined up for a chance to win a $54 million jackpot.

According to the Bangor Daily News, in less than 34 hours, more than 530,000 tickets were sold. Maine grabbed the dubious honor of having the third-highest sales per capita of states that participate in Powerball.

At about $15,000 wagered an hour, in about a week Mainers could have gambled away enough cash to lease all 8,400 Apple computers the state was hoping to provide for high school students.

Or in a month, build a new high school. Or fix the Waldo-Hancock Bridge. Or any number of other good things.

The number of tickets sold will likely slow down. Powerball is new, and the lure and excitement of the first drawing might have enticed players who would normally take a pass. Other lottery games probably suffered, and folks near the border with New Hamsphire probably bought their tickets closer to home.

The state estimates that Powerball will bring in about $9 million in revenue. Like people who imagine what they would do if they won, we’ll imagine all the good things that could be accomplished if all those wagers were dedicated to something worthwhile.

Sure, there would be no chance for a huge jackpot. But everybody would win. Just imagine.

Helping Maine kids

Too many children in Maine needlessly lack health insurance.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Maine’s Covering Kids and Families Campaign is working to educate people about the coverage that is available through MaineCare, the state’s Medicaid program.

According to estimates from the Maine Kids Count Data Book 2004, there are more than 21,000 children in Maine who don’t have health insurance. Of those, about 11,000 are eligible for MaineCare but are not enrolled. All their families need to do is ask for the help.

In general, families with income at 200 percent of the poverty line can enroll their children in the program. Cost of coverage depends on a family’s income. For a family of four, the income threshold is $3,142 per month. There is no cost for most eligible families. For some, premiums range from $5 per month to $40 per month.

About 90 percent of these kids have parents who work.

Every eligible child in the state should be enrolled in this program. The application is short, and is available at town offices, schools, social service organizations, hospitals and at Hannaford stores.

The program pays for regular checkups, eye care, dentist visits and prescriptions.

Kids with health insurance are more likely to receive preventative care, less likely to miss school and are better prepared to learn.

We understand that some families might be reluctant to sign up for MaineCare. But there’s no good reason for a child to go without health care when it’s available and affordable.