Please allow me to introduce myself

[Richas]

Oh well looks like the stick is here to stay say Mason's doctors.

I sometimes wonder why it is that Poker players faced with a mutual threat and the need for a bit of cooperation and colective action rapidly descend to the level of ferrets in a sack but then I remember - they are poker players!

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
FWIW I fully support the PPA..I am yet to see evidence that the PPA is not working in and for "my" best interests..The PPA Fly-in IMO was a huge success a proof of the PPA intentions..

[/ QUOTE ]

The PPA as a 501(c)(3), is pretty much limited to lobbing and education, fly-ins and such. For the PPA to become a true grassroots organization that can operate as political force it needs 501(c)(4) or 527 status.

You can not directly advocate the election or defeat of a Federal Candidate without the change. You could continue to operate as a 501(c)(3), but you are severly limited in what you can advocate and do during an election cycle.



D$D

[oldbookguy]

Exactly D$D, perhaps the PPA should take a page or 2 from FoF, the main company has the general stuff and there are 20 other sub sites they own and run.

No, we do not need that many, but, at least another legally seperate site such as they use, Focus on the Family Action which states on the main page:

Focus on the Family Action is a new cultural action organization that is completely separate from Focus on the Family, legally. It has been created by separating out of Focus on the Family those activities which constitute lobbying under the IRS code so that they can be expanded in scope. It will provide a platform for informing, inspiring and rallying those who care deeply about the family to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our nation.

obg


[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
FWIW I fully support the PPA..I am yet to see evidence that the PPA is not working in and for "my" best interests..The PPA Fly-in IMO was a huge success a proof of the PPA intentions..

[/ QUOTE ]

The PPA as a 501(c)(3), is pretty much limited to lobbing and education, fly-ins and such. For the PPA to become a true grassroots organization that can operate as political force it needs 501(c)(4) or 527 status.

You can not directly advocate the election or defeat of a Federal Candidate without the change. You could continue to operate as a 501(c)(3), but you are severly limited in what you can advocate and do during an election cycle.



D$D

[/ QUOTE ]

[PPABryan]

On these notes introduced by D$D and the oldbookguy, I can assure you the PPA will continue to grow and expand how we operate here in DC and across the country. We are still a young organization compared to other interest groups in the area, and these options could very well be in our future.

Bryan Spadaro
Membership Relations, Manager
Poker Players Alliance

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
On these notes introduced by D$D and the oldbookguy, I can assure you the PPA will continue to grow and expand how we operate here in DC and across the country. We are still a young organization compared to other interest groups in the area, and these options could very well be in our future.

Bryan Spadaro
Membership Relations, Manager
Poker Players Alliance

[/ QUOTE ]

I hate to shoot the message carrier but....

I've seen entire national campaigns start and finish in the time the PPA has been around.

There seems to be too much defense played and hope seems to be the corner stone of the strategy.

Sure the WTO could cause Congress to act, but can we even shape that action?

Poker's future IMO will be decided in '09.

If we aren't a major player in '08 then others will be. We will have a lousey "table image", and be unable IMO to do what needs to be done.

Letters are fine, donations can be effective, lobbiests can work magic, but "we the people" decide elections and shape legislation. Unless the PPA gets its act together this winter we are looking at hoping to hit an runner runner to win.

This thought that we wait until we defeat the UIGEA before addressing taxes is the biggest looser of all.

We either step up now or fold.


D$D

[Skallagrim]

"This thought that we wait until we defeat the UIGEA before addressing taxes is the biggest looser of all."

Hardly, we wait until we have a build up of support sufficient to defeat the UIGEA, then we concentrate on what the post UIGEA world will look like. I am hoping that we get the Wexler bill passed, then taxes are not really even an issue (players pay standard income taxes, sites pay standard corporate taxes - offshore sites continue to pay their own country's taxes). Then we lobby the IRS to write some understandable and workable rules about online "sessions."

Skallagrim

[renodoc]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
IMO there is no "neutral"...To me neutral is negative..

[/ QUOTE ]

If we were negative, PPA representatives would not be allowed to post here.

MM

[/ QUOTE ]

Hi Bryan, please fight the good fight.

oh yeah- in before obvious lock.

[DeadMoneyDad]

[ QUOTE ]
"This thought that we wait until we defeat the UIGEA before addressing taxes is the biggest looser of all."

Hardly, we wait until we have a build up of support sufficient to defeat the UIGEA, then we concentrate on what the post UIGEA world will look like. I am hoping that we get the Wexler bill passed, then taxes are not really even an issue (players pay standard income taxes, sites pay standard corporate taxes - offshore sites continue to pay their own country's taxes). Then we lobby the IRS to write some understandable and workable rules about online "sessions."

Skallagrim

[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't say I didn't understand the strategy, I said I think it is a looser.

Uncollected taxes on on-line poker are our single biggest bet in the pot.

We have to get strong enough to defeat the UIGEA no matter what.

Why try to hit two great hands in a row.

Once those pols estimate the tax income generated from fully legal and regulated on-line poker it goes into the budget and gets spent three times over. It will take some mutiple of the power to defeat the UIGEA to over come the resistiance to a "poker tax give away".

Reasonable taxes follows the skills game argument, it is not a different set of logical basis and can and should be done at the same time.

I doubt we'll get a carry over of losses from year to year but getting a simple netting of winnings and losses is a pretty simple argument.

But we can do none of this unless we show we have some political muscle. Contuning to hope for the best because we think it is right and logical just doesn't fly in DC.

D$D

[oldbookguy]

Skall is correct, we get the Wexler Bill or recognized as legit under the current SKILL playing rules then taxes kick in automatically and U S sites will quickly be established, even say Stars US, then all will be well.

The current skill sites have a working tax structure in place, even W2G reporting and you know, World Winner pays U S taxes already as does YAHOO, they run poker in the EU already and are just waiting for the go ahead to enter the U S market.

Then, fight for a better reporting structure.

obg

[Robin Foolz]

bryan,

i think ppa is non-effective atm. we have a bunch of stalled poker bills in congress, the UIEGA/whatever passed, the regulations are being written, a bunch of poker sites left us, and even the study bill looks like it won't be considered until next year or 2009. what exactly have you guys done? do you guys have any goals?

i also think in reality you guys have a minimal interacting/participating membership. most of your members only signed up because they were given bonuses at party to sign up, effectively getting the membership for free and getting some free money (bonus) on top of it; and the fact you guys also had a lousy public spokesperson for the longest that made me cringe every time i heard him speak, in my eyes, you guys are as ineffective as you are visible.

can you tell me(us) if the ppa is working to change this perception in the near future? if so, how?