Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 3/5 discussion thread

[Jeff W]

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I know Barry G. has hinted at the ban somewhat. But I have yet to hear him or anyone mention the UIGEA specifically.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2HO7AQrsicM

[TheEngineer]

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With the WSOP coming up and lots of poker players soon to be given their 15 seconds of fame on tv... What if there was a collaborative effort between players to get the message out there.

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That's a good idea. How can we make that happen? Seems the sponsoring poker sites have a vested interest in making a statement. Maybe they could do this if we suggested it.

[TheEngineer]

On this general topic of raising media awareness of Americans' feeling towards UIGEA, I do feel we have opportunities there. We certainly won't be writing to Congress every week. It just so happened that Reid was the ideal topic last week, and there is momentum behind working on Frank and his committee (the Party rumor, the Neteller seizures, the upcoming expiration of the 120 day period, etc). I imagine we'll certainly wish to figure out how to get our message out through the media, including the WSOP, letters to newspapers (more for the newspapers themselves than for the the readers of the papers), topical, non-spam posts to various blogs, etc.

Good discussion here. This may be an uphill battle, but it's one we must fight. We will win eventually. The only question is when.

[KotOD]

Let's keep it specific. Target Frank and Watt. Let's aim for 400 letters to them both.

[Soul Rebel]

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Mel Watt (D-NC) is my congressman. I've written him several times regarding online poker and the UIGEA. Each time I get a letter back that details the issue and how he is all about personal freedoms, etc. Basically he's on our side. He'll be getting another one letter though.

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Soul Rebel... Ship him a little bit of money if you can. $25 is what I usually do and it has been surprisingly effective.

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Good Call, I definitely will.

[TheEngineer]

Ihate16, a card counter (and good bonus hustler) at BJ21.com, suggests targeting the Financial Institutions Subcommittee of the Financial Services Committee (plus Barney Frank). He says this subcommittee has roughly half the membership of the full committee, and they're the ones specifically concerned with banks. Of the committee members who voted against HR 4411, Baca, Carson, Clay and Ackerman are members of the subcommittee. Here's the rest of his post:

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I understand the logic in targetting Barney Frank. So I'd suggest that each person try to write to Barney Frank, as chairman of the parent committee; Carolyn Maloney, as chairwoman of the subcommittee; and to two or three more subcommittee members, from one's home state or a neighboring state.


I would also suggest that one of our talking points should be the Neteller situation; specifically the seizure of Neteller funds, and the refusal of US banks (evidently under orders from the DoJ) to accept EFTs from Neteller. I know this isn't directly connected to UIGEA, since the Neteller case is conducted under a stretched interpretation of older laws; but it is a closely related issue that should be brought to the subcommittee's attention. The DoJ has already drafted US banks to act in this case as enforcers of their moral agenda; and thousands of Americans who have done nothing wrong are now facing uncertainty about when and whether they will get their money back. We should ask the subcommittee to consider ways to force the DoJ to redress this situation, and to prevent similar abuses in the future; repeal of the UIGEA is essential for that goal.

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Sounds good to me. I'd add Ron Paul, who's on the full committee but not on the banking subcommittee. We'll find no better friend than Rep. Paul (Frank is as good a friend, but he now carries a much larger stick).

[Dondoh]

I wrote Mel Watt a lengthy letter. I have written him before regarding this issue.

[KotOD]

While I see the idea, that of targeting a committee, and how it would work in theory, I think it's a bit grandiose. I'd rather focus in on two or three reps at a time. People are lazy. They aren't going to email 5 or 10 people. There's a much better chance that they'll email 1 or 2.

I'd like to focus on Frank and Paul this week and Watt and Maloney next week.

If any of these reps answers positively, I'd really like to see someone take up the mantle of fundraiser for them. BBV has given $30k to Children's Inc -- if, say, Maloney responds positively, we should be able to scare up 10k for her in no time...

[JuntMonkey]

Is someone hitting RGP up with this? You'll get yelled at if you try though.

[TheEngineer]

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Is someone hitting RGP up with this? You'll get yelled at if you try though.

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I'll post the final decision. I don't mind getting yelled at.