Any form letters to write to elected officials?

[TheProdigy]

Hey,

I think we should make an easy to write almost copy/paste letter that we can all forward to our representatives...

I am going to write to the people i am voting for but am not sure to write. Does anyone have any examples of Subject/Bodies of what to write?

[autobet]

Go to poker players alliance. they also have email addresses.

[amulet]

the site is very poorly organized, most things are difficult to find.

it is friday night, if no one has posted a good form letter by monday when i get to my office i will post a letter that is on a computer at my office.

[Osprey]

I wrote this to send to my representative, but haven't yet because I am not sure I want to put down in the writing that I play internet poker. It may be useable by others, however, if you like it.

"As a registered <blank> in your district, I wanted to express my displeasure with your stance on H.R 4411, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act, which, in a slightly modified form, was attached to the Safe Ports bill in the Senate at the end of the current legislative session. As a poker player for the last several years, I have greatly valued the time I have spent on Internet poker sites honing my game. Poker is an old American game, which, as I am sure you know, has enjoyed an unprecedented popularity boom over the last few years, fueled, in no small part by the Internet game. Poker is unlike any of the other games that are played in a casino, in that the casino (house) has no interest in the outcome and takes their fee only for running the game. The game is contested only between the players, not the house. There is no question that poker is a game of skill that contains elements of chance, as legal decisions have been made stating this, and even the Department of Justice considers poker a game of skill. For may people, myself included, in the last few years poker has become a hobby akin to golf. Poker is on mainstream network and cable television, and is quite a draw. Professional poker players have become celebrities now, and spectators appreciate their skill, and aspire to play with them and play like them-very much like other sports and games. Yet, somehow amidst all the troubles in Iraq, problems with healthcare in this country, this is the game we are trying to throw a wet blanket on?

I understand that there are issues with problem gambling in this country. That did not stop this bill from having convenient carve outs for interstate lotteries and horse racing wagering over the internet, neither of which have anything to do with the skill of the wagerer, as poker does. Fantasy sports also has a carve out for Internet play. These carve outs are hypocritical and lead me to the conclusion that poker was included in this bill because there is no poker lobby on the level of the horse racing industry, the National Football League and states’ desire for lottery revenues. Poker has its share of problem gamblers, but horse racing certainly is famous for them, lotteries have widely been decried as “regressive taxation” that are aggressively marketed and provide a poor return on investment for their wagerers, and I would think fantasy sports has potential for abuse as well. Everything in life can be abused. People eat too much. People drink too much. People gamble too much. This does not mean that people need to be protected from anything that can be done to excess. People can take personal responsibility for their actions.

Quite aside from the feasibility of the enforcement of this legislation, which seems to be an open question, a golden opportunity to regulate the online poker industry and, as a side benefit, generate tax revenue was missed. If poker was regulated and taxed, guards against underage gambling and problem gambling could be implemented as they have been in brick and mortar casinos. The Internet sites themselves seem to welcome regulation, indeed several of them are public companies in the UK and have been severely affected by this legislation. I would strongly urge you to consider an exemption for Internet poker in this bill. There are over 23 million online poker players in this country that are starting to organize and who view these attempts at prohibition quite negatively. Please consider regulation, not prohibition. This issue will certainly influence my vote in this election season."

[autobet]

Here is one I rewrote for a 2+2er a few weeks ago.

Dear __________,

I have never felt compelled to compose a letter to a candidate running for congress before, but recent actions in Washington have prompted me to voice my concerns and questions to individuals running for a seat in the House or Senate from our state.

On Friday, October 13, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law the Safe Ports Act, which contained piggy-backed on it, the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA). I cannot begin to tell you the level of outrage, disappointment, and helplessness I felt as this bill was passed by both the House and the Senate and subsequently signed into law by the President.

Our country was founded on the beliefs of freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans to enjoy. It seems to me that in recent times, that freedom is being slowly taken away from the people of this country if for nothing more than the individual goals and, dare I say, political aspirations of a very few.

Poker is an American game that we, as Americans, were able to play in the safety and privacy of our homes on the internet through regulated sites. Poker is enjoyed by approximately seventy million Americans with ten to twenty million enjoying the game on the Internet. Poker is not a game of chance like most forms of gambling. It is a game that requires concentration, patience, mathematical skills, an understanding of psychology and much practice to perfect. While it is true luck plays a big part of short term success, in the long run players using proper strategy will come out ahead.

To be honest, I very much enjoyed the privilege I had of playing online poker from the comfort of my own home. Thanks to online poker, I was able to pay for the wedding my wife and I had always wanted, and was able to contribute to our local animal shelter. I also reported all of my income from online poker on both my state and federal tax returns, which contributed in some small way to our government. The ability to play online poker isn’t something that I ever thought our government would take away. Sadly, as you must know, the same government, that was founded by the people for the people has ironically taken a privilege of the people away.

Many supporters of the bill claimed that online gambling was degenerative to our society, causing family problems and making it easier for children to gamble. While it is true some people are hurt by gambling, there are many forms of gambling legal in almost every state. To protect people and their families are we going to make all forms of gambling illegal? How far are we going to go to legislate morality and protect people? Are we going to bring back prohibition, to protect people from abusing alcohol causing harm to individuals and their families? As for children, there are programs like Net Nanny that could be used to block gambling web sites.

I want consideration given to regulating and taxing online gambling. Also the ability to transfer money to and from these sites must be legalized. Many European countries have legalized, regulated, licensed and taxed online gambling and more are doing just that with the popularity that poker has achieved in our global society today. It would be a shame for the United States to continue to defy the WTO in this matter.

I would ask you to reply to this letter with a well thought out, concise and honest letter stating your views on this situation and any actions you are prepared to take regarding this matter should you be elected to office. I look forward to posting your reply on several Internet Poker Sites read by thousands of poker players from our great state.

[autobet]

Here is the one I sent to my U.S. Senators:

I am writing this because I am angry about recent legislation that slipped into law. The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement bill was added on to the Port Security Act. It is especially irritating the underhanded way the gambling prohibition was passed. Of course, almost everyone is in favor of the Port Security Bill itself.

The World Trade Organization ruled that the United States cannot block other countries from offering Internet gambling to U.S. residents. The WTO protects our patent and copyright laws around the world and we expect it to do so. If we want other countries to follow the guidelines and ruling of the WTO, shouldn’t we set an example and do the same.

Many supporters of the bill claimed that online gambling was degenerative to our society, causing family problems and making it easier for children to gamble. While it is true some people are hurt by gambling, there are many forms of gambling legal in almost every state. To protect people and their families are we going to make all forms of gambling illegal? How far are we going to go to legislate morality and protect people? Are we going to bring back prohibition, to protect people from abusing alcohol causing harm to individuals and their families? As for children, there are programs like Net Nanny that could be used to block gambling web sites.


I also find it ironic that the law declares war on "unlawful Internet gambling," not Internet gambling in general. Americans can still place online bets on horse racing, sports, state lotteries and other gaming activities approved by the states. The law seems to be more interested in protecting American gambling interests than Americans.

I would like to see online poker included in the list of exemptions, including the legal funding of accounts that could be regulated, monitored and taxed by the appropriate government agencies.

While I am in favor of legalizing and monitoring online gambling, I am especially interested in poker. I believe poker is a game of skill, not chance and should be exempted from any law banning games of chance. Poker is a game of strategy and psychology, not blind luck like playing the lottery. Poker players make many decisions throughout each hand they play. Players decide whether they bet, raise or fold on each betting round. In no limit, they also decide how much to bet and raise. While luck will have a lot to do with short term results, in the long run the best players will come out ahead. Over one hundred books are available teaching the proper way to play winning poker. Players if they choose can learn basic, intermediate and advanced strategy and become winning players.

Most other forms of gambling are house games. That means the players play against the casino. Of course, the house/casino always has an edge which makes them the long term winner. In poker, players play against each other, not the house. This makes it possible to win in the long run.

In most states, many forms of gambling are legal. In fact, the lotteries, horse tracks, corporate owned casinos, and Indian casinos all advertise to attract new customers and encourage us to gamble. Most of the games offered are house games, leaving the gambler little chance to win in the long run.

Some states have legalized card rooms. Why should I have to drive to a card room when I can save my time, money, reduce the risk of accident, and conserve natural resources when I can play from the safety and comfort of my home?

Our country was founded on the beliefs of freedom and the pursuit of happiness for all Americans to enjoy. Playing poker on the internet is one of my favorite hobbies. I would like to be able to come home from work and play poker for a few hours on the Internet in the safety and comfort of my home should I choose to do so. I am sure I speak for millions of Americans who enjoy online poker.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.