A Message from PPA Exec Dir.

[JPFisher55]

PPA Exec Dir, thank you for posting. I am a full member of PPA and have been for 2 years. As I asked D$D to ask you, I am curious about what plans the PPA has regarding pending litigation related to the UIGEA and the Wire Act. Three pending case are the criminal case of Carruthers/Kaplan, the iMEGA case and the case filed by Mr. Lee Rousso in the State of Washington to overturn its anti-online gambling law.

[DeadMoneyDad]

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D$D,

I think very highly of Engineer's grassroots skills and believe he would indeed be an asset to any political or interest group organization, including the PPA. Nevertheless, he will still just be one token. Cut 3 of the 4 CP mag reps, and 2 of the 3 site reps, and tell party poker to [censored] themselves, and then add some others like Engineer but with different expertise that the PPA needs, then you will have a real board.

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The main thrust of this forum in regards to the PPA was better communications and this board issue. As I've posted in this type of organization a political advocacy group I am less concerned about the named board members than the direction and actions taken by the organization. Board membership is important in some regards as they can try blocking the best interests of the group for their own, but this is only effective short term. Long term the will of the membership will win out. You also have to take into consideration what actions they are approving. Many political campaigns and grassroots political advocacy groups start with high profile people to give “visibility” to the group. Over time some come some go, I judge the group by the actions it takes, as unlike a corporation board these have less power than you imagine.

You can tell from John's statements that he is responsive to the desires of the membership, including the random questionnaire. Yes I read enough and written enough polling questions to know you can trample one to death if you only want to "put lipstick on a pig".

As I've said from the beginning the PPA today isn't the organization it was. I've taken my personal measure of the new director, and posted about it.

You asked for positive concrete steps to be taken to change the PPA. Unless you think that anything can happen overnight, or that any of us are going to get everything we all want any of the time, I'd say be happy to see things moving in the right direction and hope for continued progress.


D$D

[TheEngineer]

John,

Welcome to 2p2, and thank you for your kind words. I look forward to working with you.

[BluffTHIS!]

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As I've posted in this type of organization a political advocacy group I am less concerned about the named board members than the direction and actions taken by the organization. Board membership is important in some regards as they can try blocking the best interests of the group for their own, but this is only effective short term. Long term the will of the membership will win out.

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Only true if the board is elected by the membership, which it's not in the case of the PPA unless I'm badly mistaken (for all I know I could have gotten a proxy but I stopped paying attention to their PR messages a long time ago).


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You also have to take into consideration what actions they are approving. Many political campaigns and grassroots political advocacy groups start with high profile people to give “visibility” to the group. Over time some come some go, I judge the group by the actions it takes, as unlike a corporation board these have less power than you imagine.

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And I judge them not just by the actions they take, but by the ones they don't. The sins of ommission by the PPA are far greater than any ineptness in grassroots organizing in the past.


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You can tell from John's statements that he is responsive to the desires of the membership, including the random questionnaire.

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As I have said previously I don't doubt Mr. Pappas' sincerity or ability as far as grassroots political tactics go. But he doesn't run the show, the board does.



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You asked for positive concrete steps to be taken to change the PPA. Unless you think that anything can happen overnight, or that any of us are going to get everything we all want any of the time, I'd say be happy to see things moving in the right direction and hope for continued progress.

[/ QUOTE ]

And all that is well and good but still just lipstick and now a dress perhaps for the pig. Just tweaking won't cut it. All we have seen to date is that the board by its recent actions is now likely to be more effective in achieving its very narrow agenda which caters to CP mag and certain online sites.

I gave in the other thread 3 short term items that I believe are critical in judging the effectiveness of this "new and improved" PPA, i.e. whether we get a bill passed, whether the PPA works behind the scenes to neuter the regs if #1 doesn't come to pass, and whether the PPA joins in *substantive* judicial actions, which that tax suit isn't. Numbers 2 & 3 are a lot more doable in the short run than the biggie #1. But the PPA has thus far shown *zero* action on them. If they fail on all 3 of these *urgent* short term priorties, then again there will simply be no reason to support them long term.

The bottom line is that a majority of the board has to be willing to resign and be replaced very soon, even if in stages, for there to be a legitimate non-fluff reason for us to be a lot more positive about the PPA. Otherwise you can keep dressing up that pig more, but it's still just going to be an oinker.

[Uglyowl]

Awesome news about Engineer, I am very happy personally to have him on the board and for Engineer who has worked very hard to get "rewarded".

Glad to have you on board at twoplustwo and hope most importantly you communicate with your members better than the prior regime.

Good luck Mr. Pappas.

[mbpoker]

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whether the PPA works behind the scenes to neuter the regs

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When somebody works behind the scenes they usually don't post about that in a public forum, do they?

[BluffTHIS!]

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whether the PPA works behind the scenes to neuter the regs

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When somebody works behind the scenes they usually don't post about that in a public forum, do they?

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They can post that they are working on it without giving specifics about lobbying contacts. But in fact they have said that they are doing nothing on the regs issue and let that be posted here.

[mbpoker]

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But in fact they have said that they are doing nothing on the regs issue and let that be posted here.

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PPA reps never posted here, or at least that the impression I had, so how could they say that they don't work on the regs. This is the opportunity to ask Pappas directly whether the regs are one of their priorities.

[Legislurker]

Dammit Bluff. I wanted to be the wet towel and rabble rouser in the post. You cut my legs out from under me. But, Im with in you in giving them a hard time, and not accepting half measures and statements. Actions. Electing the board should be a medium term issue as well. TY Party for helping to start
the PPA, now cut the umbilical cord.

[BluffTHIS!]

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But in fact they have said that they are doing nothing on the regs issue and let that be posted here.

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PPA reps never posted here, or at least that the impression I had, so how could they say that they don't work on the regs. This is the opportunity to ask Pappas directly whether the regs are one of their priorities.

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See this post in the PPA update thread where Engineer reports on his conversation with Mr. Pappas and points I had made earlier and where he says:

"2) BluffTHIS is correct, the PPA isn’t lobbying to neuter the regs. I expressed my thoughts that they should, but they won’t."