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I encourage as many of you as possible to cut and paste the following letter to each of your DEMOCRATIC SENATORS. I'm not techno saavy enough to know how to do anything with this but paste it in below. Go to www.congress.org and enter your zip to get your Senator's e-mail addy. I have a similar letter to be sent to Republican Senators on another thread in this forum. In the interest of all internet gamblers in the USA, we need to pressure the Senate to kill the bill...GW has NEVER vetoed anything, and he won't veto this either if it passes. The letter below is a WORD doc:
Your Name
Your Address 1
Your Address 2
July 18, 2006
The Honorable (Your Democtratic Senator’s Name)
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator (Your Democratic Senator’s Name):
I send you this letter today with more concern for the direction and future of this country than ever. I could address many issues in which it seems that our government defies common sense and logic with their actions, but instead I will focus on an issue which has recently been approved in the House, internet gambling, specifically H.R. 4411 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. I am aware that this bill passed the house with bipartisan support. I am well aware and educated on nearly all of the suggested arguments for support of this type of legislation, and I would like to expose the holes in a few of the main supportive arguments for this bill and then hear your position.
Many including Congressman Tom Osborne feel that internet gambling is dangerous and will destroy families. While I am aware that in some cases this is true I also can realize that it is not the government’s responsibility or right to protect the American citizens from all things that can be destructive. This idea has been tried before with prohibition and we know how that turned out. Nearly all activities can be done in excess and thus become dangerous and destructive, but it is simply not practical or allowable for a handful of people to make these decisions for the citizens.
Furthermore, some including Rep. John Shadegg either expose their complete ignorance and incompetence or blatantly insult the intelligence of the public with this quote “Passing the ban on Internet gambling sends a clear signal that the era of Jack Abramoff’s influence is over.” I would demand an apology from Mr. Shadegg for such an obvious misrepresentation of the circumstances and insist he take a class on current affairs if I were one of his constituents. Clearly this bill excludes lotteries from its aim, which is where Jack Abramoff’s interest was vested. Accordingly this bill may very well have been supported by Mr. Abramoff and his clients.
Many will make this a moral issue and attempt to claim the Bible as the basis for this decision. Whether one is a Christian and has no problem with this being the basis for any decision or not, it is offensive for people (Senators) to make bad decisions and claim the Bible gives that direction. I challenge anyone to find where specifically the Bible gives them the authority to condemn gambling and not every type of activity which can lead to greed and love of money.
Furthermore, certainly you can see and will reject the overt hypocrisy in this bill. What reasonable basis could you make for the omission of lotteries and horse racing from this bill? This is totally a contradiction of all that this bill is supposed to be about. Clearly I can make a very strong argument for the legitimacy of poker as a skilled based game, but surely no one can make such a claim for betting on horses or picking lotto numbers. Rep. Berkley of Nevada proposed Amendment 1179 to include all forms of internet gambling in this bill, but it failed by a landslide. While I would still oppose the bill with Amendment 1179, it would at least give some logical support to an argument for support of the bill.
Another argument in favor of this bill deals with the issue of Homeland Security. Allegedly, the monies generated by internet gambling could be used in waging the terrorist war on America and its freedom-loving allies. Far and away, the bulk of worldwide revenues generated from internet gambling activities belong to legitimate public held companies domiciled in countries allied to the United States, i.e., the U.K., Australia, and Costa Rica. These companies are, in most cases, more highly scrutinized than Congressional expense reports. Until our federal government can secure our physical borders, please do not even think about securing a virtual internet border!
Lastly, I am enclosing a web link to a recent address Senator Ted Stevens, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee (the committee that, I believe, is charged with regulating e-commerce), gave on the floor of the Senate. As I watch this video (despite Jon Stewart’s commentary). I do not know if I am more insulted or embarrassed that this distinguished Member leads the Senate committee that regulates this multi-trillion dollar frontier. I must wonder if he is representative of the Body that will soon be voting on this issue, one that as you can see is very important to me.
http://www.pocketfives.com/5CB3237B-...79D75FD7B.aspx
I IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK AND OBSERVE (WITH TREMENDOUS CREDULITY) THE COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
I would invite you to be forward thinking about the future of gambling in the U.S. In 2004, PartyGaming reported revenues in excess of $600 million. They further report that 88% of that came from U.S. customers. They obviously are filling a service that is wanted by U.S. citizens. What if PartyGaming were based in America rather than overseas? Think of the tax revenues that would be generated as well as jobs created. It would not only be a huge boost for our economy, it would keep American dollars in America. As one of your constituents, I can gamble in any of several casinos across a number of states in this country. Why should I not be able to gamble in the comfort of my own home over the internet?
Among my friends, family, and business associates, my view is not in the minority. I look forward to seeing the results of your votes on this bill and similar matters.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Your Name
Your Address 1
Your Address 2
July 18, 2006
The Honorable (Your Democtratic Senator’s Name)
487 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator (Your Democratic Senator’s Name):
I send you this letter today with more concern for the direction and future of this country than ever. I could address many issues in which it seems that our government defies common sense and logic with their actions, but instead I will focus on an issue which has recently been approved in the House, internet gambling, specifically H.R. 4411 Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006. I am aware that this bill passed the house with bipartisan support. I am well aware and educated on nearly all of the suggested arguments for support of this type of legislation, and I would like to expose the holes in a few of the main supportive arguments for this bill and then hear your position.
Many including Congressman Tom Osborne feel that internet gambling is dangerous and will destroy families. While I am aware that in some cases this is true I also can realize that it is not the government’s responsibility or right to protect the American citizens from all things that can be destructive. This idea has been tried before with prohibition and we know how that turned out. Nearly all activities can be done in excess and thus become dangerous and destructive, but it is simply not practical or allowable for a handful of people to make these decisions for the citizens.
Furthermore, some including Rep. John Shadegg either expose their complete ignorance and incompetence or blatantly insult the intelligence of the public with this quote “Passing the ban on Internet gambling sends a clear signal that the era of Jack Abramoff’s influence is over.” I would demand an apology from Mr. Shadegg for such an obvious misrepresentation of the circumstances and insist he take a class on current affairs if I were one of his constituents. Clearly this bill excludes lotteries from its aim, which is where Jack Abramoff’s interest was vested. Accordingly this bill may very well have been supported by Mr. Abramoff and his clients.
Many will make this a moral issue and attempt to claim the Bible as the basis for this decision. Whether one is a Christian and has no problem with this being the basis for any decision or not, it is offensive for people (Senators) to make bad decisions and claim the Bible gives that direction. I challenge anyone to find where specifically the Bible gives them the authority to condemn gambling and not every type of activity which can lead to greed and love of money.
Furthermore, certainly you can see and will reject the overt hypocrisy in this bill. What reasonable basis could you make for the omission of lotteries and horse racing from this bill? This is totally a contradiction of all that this bill is supposed to be about. Clearly I can make a very strong argument for the legitimacy of poker as a skilled based game, but surely no one can make such a claim for betting on horses or picking lotto numbers. Rep. Berkley of Nevada proposed Amendment 1179 to include all forms of internet gambling in this bill, but it failed by a landslide. While I would still oppose the bill with Amendment 1179, it would at least give some logical support to an argument for support of the bill.
Another argument in favor of this bill deals with the issue of Homeland Security. Allegedly, the monies generated by internet gambling could be used in waging the terrorist war on America and its freedom-loving allies. Far and away, the bulk of worldwide revenues generated from internet gambling activities belong to legitimate public held companies domiciled in countries allied to the United States, i.e., the U.K., Australia, and Costa Rica. These companies are, in most cases, more highly scrutinized than Congressional expense reports. Until our federal government can secure our physical borders, please do not even think about securing a virtual internet border!
Lastly, I am enclosing a web link to a recent address Senator Ted Stevens, Chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee (the committee that, I believe, is charged with regulating e-commerce), gave on the floor of the Senate. As I watch this video (despite Jon Stewart’s commentary). I do not know if I am more insulted or embarrassed that this distinguished Member leads the Senate committee that regulates this multi-trillion dollar frontier. I must wonder if he is representative of the Body that will soon be voting on this issue, one that as you can see is very important to me.
http://www.pocketfives.com/5CB3237B-...79D75FD7B.aspx
I IMPLORE YOU TO PLEASE CLICK THIS LINK AND OBSERVE (WITH TREMENDOUS CREDULITY) THE COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP IN ACTION
I would invite you to be forward thinking about the future of gambling in the U.S. In 2004, PartyGaming reported revenues in excess of $600 million. They further report that 88% of that came from U.S. customers. They obviously are filling a service that is wanted by U.S. citizens. What if PartyGaming were based in America rather than overseas? Think of the tax revenues that would be generated as well as jobs created. It would not only be a huge boost for our economy, it would keep American dollars in America. As one of your constituents, I can gamble in any of several casinos across a number of states in this country. Why should I not be able to gamble in the comfort of my own home over the internet?
Among my friends, family, and business associates, my view is not in the minority. I look forward to seeing the results of your votes on this bill and similar matters.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
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