Are you still tired of having your rights trampled on by grandstanding politicians? I am. Guys, we've had some successes since UIGEA passed, including the following:
- Frist is gone, as is Leach
- Barney Frank (D-MA, Chairman of the Financial Services Committee) has publicly taken our side. He'll introduce legislation around 4/18 in favor of online gaming. I think our support may have helped this, at least a little.
- Ron Paul (R-TX) sent several of us emails (even those of us not in his district) specifically stating he'll support Barney Frank's efforts. Coincidentally, that's EXACTLY what we asked him for in one of our weekly action items.
- Shelley Berkley (D-NV) and Jon Porter (R-NV) have proposed legislation to study legalized and regulated online gambling. Again, one of our action items hit the mark. While they likely would have done this anyway, our support gave them some additional ammo to proceed forward.
- The WTO ruled in favor of Antigua over the U.S. in the issue of the U.S. banning online gaming.
- Banks are bitching about being the UIGEA's enforcers.
- Al D'Amato joined PPA (great news overall, I think...folks concerned about the focus of PPA should join for free and tell PPA that they wish PPA to fight for all online gaming).
Seems this is the time to fight. After all, the UIGEA-driven regs haven't been put in place yet, stuff is moving in our favor, and we're being heard. Given all this, I'd like to ask everyone here to participate this week. Unfortunately, we're not now even close to having the minimum number of people we need to have synergy in numbers. If only a few people participate, we won't really be a group; rather, we're just a few individuals. So, we need everyone's time and effort. Please give it a try this week. You'll be glad you did.
As Barney Frank will be submitting legislation in the next two weeks to the House Financial Services Committee, let's focus there this week. Even if you've written to these folks some time ago, please do so again, this time simply requesting that they cosponsor Frank's legislation. We asked Ron Paul specifically for that and he responded affirmatively. Let's get more congressmen to do the same.
Primary Action:
- contact the majority and minority offices of the House Financial Services Committee and the Financial Institutions Subcommittee (one phone call AND one snail mail letter...see the next post for contact info).
- send thank-you letters to Barney Frank and Ron Paul for their support. They're going out on a limb not for constituents, lobbyists, or donors, but solely because they believe in freedom....our freedom. They get nothing at all except for our gratitude. Let's give it to them. The letters will go a long way in showing that Americans want this repealed.
- if you haven't yet, contact your representative and ask him/her to cosponsor Frank's repeal efforts
The letters don't have to be fancy. All they have to do is ask the members to support Frank's legislation. This is easy.
Additional Actions:
- ask your poker site to contribute to PPA like FullTilt recently did.
- write a short letter to your local newspaper about your desire for the U.S. to give us freedoms others, including even Russians and Eastern Europeans, take for granted.
- if feeling ambitious, print out letters for your friends to sign and mail
Thanks to everyone who participates. I'm looking forward this week's fight for our rights. Please reply to this thread if you participate. Thanks!
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Prior Action Plan threads (2+2):
Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 2/26
Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 3/5
Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 3/12
Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 3/19
Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 3/26
Fight UIGEA!! -- Action plan for week of 4/2