Proposed internet poker ban in MA

[MassPoker]

[ QUOTE ]
Randy, you may want to consider sending out another request for letter writing that contains a linky to the Globe article. If people see that letter writing can make a difference it may encourage them to do their part.

Also, do you have phone numbers of PPA members? You may want to organize an effort where dedicated members call other members to encourage them to make their voice heard. I'd be willing to call at least a hundred people.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a bad idea. Thanks. I'll get a hold of John P. and ask his opinion on this and see and we canot rustle up some of this stuff. No promises on the phone calls though because I believe that John wants to protect those numbers from spammers, solicitors, etc... ot that he doesn't trust me, but he HAS to be very careful with those numbers he is entrusted with.

All In,

Randy C~
MA PPA Rep

[MassPoker]

check this out:

http://www.boston.com/business/techn...ne_gaming_ban/

All In,

Randy C~
MA PPA Rep

[Uglyowl]

Wow is the Globe going full force with these gaming articles. Very nice! Every article gets some people who may not be aware of the issues "in the know"

There isn't another fly-in is there? Did they get their dates wrong?

[SamJake]

I spoke to Ethan in the Governor's office this morning. I referred to the Globe article and expressed my great displeasure with the ban on online poker. I asked why legislation to open casinos would contain such language. He stated that the bill contains many provisions to clarify gaming in MA. I said clarify means to criminalize online poker. He was not at liberty to say any more...but the Governor was always interested in my opinion.

[permafrost]

[ QUOTE ]
There isn't another fly-in is there? Did they get their dates wrong?

[/ QUOTE ]

The linked article is old, written at the time of the fly-in.

[Dmunnee]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Randy, you may want to consider sending out another request for letter writing that contains a linky to the Globe article. If people see that letter writing can make a difference it may encourage them to do their part.

Also, do you have phone numbers of PPA members? You may want to organize an effort where dedicated members call other members to encourage them to make their voice heard. I'd be willing to call at least a hundred people.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a bad idea. Thanks. I'll get a hold of John P. and ask his opinion on this and see and we canot rustle up some of this stuff. No promises on the phone calls though because I believe that John wants to protect those numbers from spammers, solicitors, etc... ot that he doesn't trust me, but he HAS to be very careful with those numbers he is entrusted with.

All In,

Randy C~
MA PPA Rep

[/ QUOTE ]

Ok emailed. Once I get the letter out I will update as things progress.

[Uglyowl]

[ QUOTE ]
I spoke to Ethan in the Governor's office this morning.

[/ QUOTE ]

I have spoken with Ethan and he was not a very likable guy. Maybe he was having a bad day.

[whangarei]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Randy, you may want to consider sending out another request for letter writing that contains a linky to the Globe article. If people see that letter writing can make a difference it may encourage them to do their part.

Also, do you have phone numbers of PPA members? You may want to organize an effort where dedicated members call other members to encourage them to make their voice heard. I'd be willing to call at least a hundred people.

[/ QUOTE ]

Not a bad idea. Thanks. I'll get a hold of John P. and ask his opinion on this and see and we canot rustle up some of this stuff. No promises on the phone calls though because I believe that John wants to protect those numbers from spammers, solicitors, etc... ot that he doesn't trust me, but he HAS to be very careful with those numbers he is entrusted with.

All In,

Randy C~
MA PPA Rep

[/ QUOTE ]

From my experience with MoveOn campaigns only the first name and phone number is given to volunteers making calls. And I guess the NRA does similar campaigns from what TE has said. You have the numbers for a reason.

[Skallagrim]

Whats pretty evident to me is that Patrick and his office had no idea they were stirring up this hornet's nest. We in this community, being pretty well educated on internet poker legality and such, know far more than the Gov.s staff and the casino lawyers who helped draft this bill. They assumed (or maybe they read permafrost's posts [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img] ) that internet poker was already obviously illegal in Mass, so who would care about it being in this bill too. They got away with that in the State of WA, remember. Now they are realizing that the situation is not near as cut and dried as they thought, or wanted the public to think, and that there is an active poker community that will not stand idly by and watch their game taken away. They are, I am sure, now engaged in deciding whether it is politically safer to try and justify their action (2 years in prison for playing online poker - I doubt this one flies) or back down.

Its a tribute to catlover, the rest of us, the PPA, and this forum, that they are not going to get away with it again, at least not in secret.

Skallagrim

[TheEngineer]

[ QUOTE ]
Whats pretty evident to me is that Patrick and his office had no idea they were stirring up this hornet's nest.

[/ QUOTE ]

Some politicians still don't realize that we play and we care, especially at the state level. Check out that five year old article I posted in my post on rating senators, where it seems like it didn't even occur to any of them that we even exist. Back then, there were no lobbyists and few people writing and calling (and, of that, nothing was really organized). I think these politicians were somewhat isolated. Their friends didn't play online, so they figured no one else did, either.

Contrast that to now. We did our part -- lots of writing and calling, and we have lobbying on the hill. Kyl and Goodlatte still want to ban us, but they're not nearly so smug about it these days. I guess Gov. Patrick didn't get the memo. I'm glad we all delivered it to him. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]