Online Poker Article

[jase]

I posed this question in the 'Let me introduce myself' thread and didn't get a response:

How can we get our hands on a copy of the PPA's form 990 for the most recent year?

For those not in the know, the PPA is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization (the 501 (c)(3) referring to the section of the code under which it is organized), which is required to prepare and submit a 'Form 990' annually. This form is essentially the tax return of the organization and, among a range of financial information, includes sources of funding. These are supposed to be publicly available documents (in unusual circumstances, organizations may be able to obtain exemption from having to make these public).

There are a number of websites that allow you to search for charitable organizations and obtain their Form 990's (or Forms 990, excuse my grammar). I'm in the accounting profession and despite the tools at my disposal to find such information, I can't.

I'm sure having this would (or should) put to bed the issue of where the PPA's funding comes from and goes to.

[4_2_it]

Wow. An article that seems on its face to be fairly neutral. Nice find bro.

[TheEngineer]

[ QUOTE ]
I posed this question in the 'Let me introduce myself' thread and didn't get a response:

How can we get our hands on a copy of the PPA's form 990 for the most recent year?

For those not in the know, the PPA is a 501 (c)(3) non profit organization (the 501 (c)(3) referring to the section of the code under which it is organized), which is required to prepare and submit a 'Form 990' annually. This form is essentially the tax return of the organization and, among a range of financial information, includes sources of funding. These are supposed to be publicly available documents (in unusual circumstances, organizations may be able to obtain exemption from having to make these public).

There are a number of websites that allow you to search for charitable organizations and obtain their Form 990's (or Forms 990, excuse my grammar). I'm in the accounting profession and despite the tools at my disposal to find such information, I can't.

I'm sure having this would (or should) put to bed the issue of where the PPA's funding comes from and goes to.

[/ QUOTE ]

I'll ask.

[broiler]

There is no way that the PPA could be a 501(c)(3) with its activities. Lobbying efforts alone would pretty much finish that possibility. They are a 501(c)(4) membership organization.

I found their 2005 Form 990 from their website here:
http://www.pokerplayersalliance.org/...5Public990.pdf

It should be noted that their 2006 form was probably extended and would be due on the 15th of this month.

[MiltonFriedman]

Good third party article on the players as seen in DC.

It is unclear whether the Greenberg law firm is counsel to the PPA or serves on the Board. However, either way, they have to be cut loose. (I am not knocking their abilities or past service, just stating that their legacy from Abramoff makes them too hot politically to retain.)

Again, also, so long as the PPA is tied to the Frank Bill, it will draw fire from the NFL. The NFL is an essential part of the opposition in this endeavor because it sees the "evil" of sportsbetting, clearly it is time to cut ties between the PPA and "perceived threat" of sports betting allowed under the Frank Bill. (The "opt-out" language of the Frank Bill for the NFL likely is not enough to blunt their opposition, so try something else .... like pushing a POKER bill like the Wexler Bill.)

It is less likely to draw NFL fire if it pushed the Wexler Bill, and may even be more likely to get allies among the "skill-game" crowd.

Just my view,

Milton

[TheEngineer]

[ QUOTE ]
Again, also, so long as the PPA is tied to the Frank Bill, it will draw fire from the NFL. The NFL is an essential part of the opposition in this endeavor because it sees the "evil" of sportsbetting, clearly it is time to cut ties between the PPA and "perceived threat" of sports betting allowed under the Frank Bill. (The "opt-out" language of the Frank Bill for the NFL likely is not enough to blunt their opposition, so try something else .... like pushing a POKER bill like the Wexler Bill.)

It is less likely to draw NFL fire if it pushed the Wexler Bill, and may even be more likely to get allies among the "skill-game" crowd.

Just my view,

Milton

[/ QUOTE ]

PPA is pushing the Wexler bill very strongly. They are also working on the issue with the NFL.

[Uglyowl]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Again, also, so long as the PPA is tied to the Frank Bill, it will draw fire from the NFL. The NFL is an essential part of the opposition in this endeavor because it sees the "evil" of sportsbetting, clearly it is time to cut ties between the PPA and "perceived threat" of sports betting allowed under the Frank Bill. (The "opt-out" language of the Frank Bill for the NFL likely is not enough to blunt their opposition, so try something else .... like pushing a POKER bill like the Wexler Bill.)

It is less likely to draw NFL fire if it pushed the Wexler Bill, and may even be more likely to get allies among the "skill-game" crowd.

Just my view,

Milton

[/ QUOTE ]

PPA is pushing the Wexler bill very strongly. They are also working on the issue with the NFL.

[/ QUOTE ]

Glad to know Engineer, compared to where we were with the PPA 6 months ago, it is an extraordinary improvement.

[Uglyowl]

One of the better neutral articles I have read.

My sense in reading the article that the sports leagues are a bigger obstacle to us than Focus on the Family. I posted an article a month back that FOF is laying people off due to rising health care costs and a shortfall in donations. I think we could put up a good fight against FOF, but the sports leagues have unlimited resources and no way we can be bigger, faster, stronger than they are. I also don't see us making enough noise to concern them. Heck they cater to corporate America nowadays anyhow.

I really hope the religious right wing continues to suffer losses.

[Legislurker]

To go with Berge's concern, we still don't have an answer Im comfortable with when people ask me, well who/what is the PPA.
Its going to come back to haunt us, and maybe we don't need to go as far as Mason wants, but we need to be fully transparent and transition swiftly to a democratic board.

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
To go with Berge's concern, we still don't have an answer Im comfortable with when people ask me, well who/what is the PPA.
Its going to come back to haunt us, and maybe we don't need to go as far as Mason wants, but we need to be fully transparent and transition swiftly to a democratic board.

[/ QUOTE ]

IMO the kind of transparency especially the financials would likely hurt more than help anything. Because it is my opinion that it would show the amount of money raise from other than industry sources is pretty poor relative to the totals.

Call it a Field of Dreams moment in an organizations evolution. "They have built it", were are the point where it is up to us to "come." If we the regular members step up and do what needs to be done, then the issue of the amount of seed money to the organization goes away.

IMO the PPA is at fault for not providing a nice enough field or atractions to the park before things like the DC fly-in to over come this "are they worth it" common objections. It has also been somewhat lacking in using a number events to spark member motivation and involvment. I will not belabor this point, but there have been quite a number of issues where little sparks could have been helped into nice little brush fires of activity.

But the PPA currently is at a point where we and it has to decide what it wants to be, either an industry funded lobbying group that calls itself a grassroots organization, or a grassroots organization that has execlent lobbing and consulting help.

But I do place an equal share of blame on the members and non-members. Politics isn't rocket sicence, but it is hard work. Done right it can be a lot of fun. Too many people in this country are accustomed to sitting on the sidelines or barely participating and simply bitching about the system and the result they get from minimal participation.

This standoffisness has been all to evident in the almost 2 1/2 years of the PPA. Not building beyond the freeroll stage of membership has been the key problem IMO.


D$D