Proposed internet poker ban in MA

[PPAdc]

Randy, you have nothing to apologize for. You are doing tremendous work on behalf of the PPA and more importantly your fellow poker players. Of course we all would have loved page one on Sunday, but that is the news biz for you and now we have to work to leverage it. This has probably already been suggested, but we should flood the globe, herald and other papers with letters to the editor. Letters to the globe can be sent to letter@globe.com. They should be under 200 hundred words, and pithiness is always what gets published! Obviously, people from the state have the best (and really only) chance of getting published.

Again, great work Randy C.

John A. Pappas
Executive Director
Poker Players Alliance

[Uglyowl]

http://www.bostonnow.com/blogs/grumpylio...-the-little-guy

Deval Patrick Legalizes Hypocrisy, Crushes The Little Guy
Posted November 10th, 2007 by grumpylion

Today's Globe, in a front page story by Matt Viser, reveals that buried deep in Governor Deval Patrick's casino bill lies a provision that not only would ban online gambling, but would put anyone who wagers online in jail for two years and fine him $25,000.

Just for good measure, the three casinos Patrick proposes would be exempt from online gaming restrictions.

Welcome to Alice in Patrickland. Put a corporate brain in charge and this is what you get. Monopolies that take, monopolies that crush, monopolies that feed the rich and starve everyone else.

Quintessential Big Brother. You must buy our health insurance or we will crush you. You must gamble at our casinos or we will crush you. You must bow to the markets we run or we will crush you.

The Lion favored casinos, but not now. Not until the entire bill is examined and this kind of hypocrisy and this hatred for the common man is rooted out, along with the people who would force these things into law.

[djmeehan]

[ QUOTE ]
Please help by commenting and supporting "myissue" on Deval's website:

Stop the criminization of online poker

http://devalpatrick.com/issue.php?issue_id=7668737

Thanks!

[/ QUOTE ]

I responded to this as you suggested and noticed that someone else had started one on this issue as well. Apparently you can form a coalition if 2 or more people have the same issue. This would move the issue higher up because of the larger # of respondants. Just 90 responders to this issue would move it up to the first page of his issues list. Maybe you copuld contact the other person who started a "myissue". Also cmon people and register!

[sobefuddled]

Well I commented in both. Where are the rest of you?

[MassPoker]

[ QUOTE ]
Randy, you have nothing to apologize for. You are doing tremendous work on behalf of the PPA and more importantly your fellow poker players. Of course we all would have loved page one on Sunday, but that is the news biz for you and now we have to work to leverage it. This has probably already been suggested, but we should flood the globe, herald and other papers with letters to the editor. Letters to the globe can be sent to letter@globe.com. They should be under 200 hundred words, and pithiness is always what gets published! Obviously, people from the state have the best (and really only) chance of getting published.

Again, great work Randy C.

John A. Pappas
Executive Director
Poker Players Alliance

[/ QUOTE ]

Hey John (and all who have sent well wishes)!

I'd like to thank everyone for the kind words expressed over the work I am doing, and although I certainly appreciate it, I'd like to reiterate that I really feel like there have been so many helping hands in on this. I mean the response to this has been overwhelming and I am so unbelievably proud of the active role so many of you have taken on this issue.

On a side note, I received a phone call from my 16 year-old son this morning after he saw the write up in the Globe and he told me that he was "proud of (me)"... That comment from my boy made this whole thing worth it for me. Those of you who have children will know exactly what I am talking about. It truly was a moment of sheer joy to learn that my son recognizes the importance of what his dad is doing.

Also, I sent Matt Viser, the reporter from the Boston Globe who wrote the article, an thank you email and expressed to him that I will update him on any new major changes or updates. The "thank you email" was suggested by Dead$Dad on this forum, and I thought it was a great idea.

Thanks for the suggestion D$D, and TY to all for the kind words.

All In,

Randy C~
MA Rep PPA

[Uglyowl]

[ QUOTE ]
Well I commented in both. Where are the rest of you?

[/ QUOTE ]

I will work on getting the word out. Also e-mail your friends, family, etc. Today's Globe article is a good place for them to learn what is happening and then sign and send your thoughts directly on his website.

[oldbookguy]

Maybe you all need another tea party, this time using crackers to look like chips, you know, protest and feed the sea gulls at the same time.....

Dump the chips in the harbor.

obg

[Uglyowl]

OBG- The idea of the tea party is both funny and appropriate.


Barney Frank speaking out against Gov. Deval Patrick's bill got my juices flowing again as we seem to be making progress. After donating money a few months ago, I received another request from the DCCC (Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee). I responded to both the DCCC and Deval Patrick.

Dear Mr. Patrick,

A few months back I joined the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee by filling out a survey of issues that were important to me and donated money with the intention of doing so on a monthly basis. I was very pleased with the progress that House Democrats made towards explicitly making games of skill legal in the United States (including poker) with the option of a state "opt-out". A few weeks ago, I was shocked to learn that you included a provision in your casino bill (that I would otherwise support) that would completely zero out any gains made towards this issue for me and the other hundreds of thousands of poker players in this state. My enthusiasm for the Democratic Party took a major hit due to the proposed legislation. Would you please remove the language criminalizing online gamers so I can continue to fully support Democrats nationally and locally.

Attached is my latest response to the DCCC requesting money.

Thank you for your time,

-Joe

--------------------------

Good afternoon,

Recently I received a request for another donation for the all important Congressional races in 2008. Of the three major issues that drove me to the Democratic Party, the only one that has shown significant progress is to explicitly make online poker and other skill games legal.

The National Democratic Party has been very supportive of this cause, but unfortunately for me I may never get to see the benefit of this legislation since a bill exists in Mass. from our Democratic Governor, Deval Patrick that would outlaw all online betting (including poker) tacked onto a bill to expand land based gambling ironically.

I will be sending a very modest amount in support of your cause, but until this Mass. legislation criminalizing online poker is removed I am afraid I will not be able to give as much I would otherwise.

Thank you,

-Joe

CC: Deval Patrick

[whangarei]

I had some good thoughts to post on this thread, but I am suspending posting unless and until the issue with TE is resolved staisfactorily. Others may want to consider doing the same.

[Uglyowl]

[ QUOTE ]
I had some good thoughts to post on this thread, but I am suspending posting unless and until the issue with TE is resolved staisfactorily. Others may want to consider doing the same.

[/ QUOTE ]

Good point, I will give myself a self inflicted suspension while TE is out. Hopefully see everyone soon and check out the PPA site, Pocketfives, etc. in the meantime in more detail.