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Sorry, one more PPA post

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  1. FeloniousPunk FeloniousPunk is offline

    Ithaca, NY
    United States

    Posts: 231
    Joined: Jul 06

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 3:04am)

    I have been openly critical on these forums of the PPA for not giving more financial disclosure. I've been particularly critical of kksuited and bluffmagazine as their defenses of this lack of transparency smack of intellectual dishonesty.

    With that said, I want to say that I've done some brief research on the PPA (google) and it is clear to me that PPA is not just sitting around doing nothing. A simple google search on PPA makes it pretty obvious that Michael Bolcerek has been busy creating awareness about the status of online poker and driving the issue into public consciousness. I haven't seen any other organization anywhere have near the same public relations impact.

    I'm not happy about the lack of transparency, but I also realize that creating transparency takes resources and effort. This is a critical time for online poker and clearly PPA needs to use as much of its resources as possible to make an impact on the public perception and legislative landscapes. There is no time to waste. And it does indeed appear to me that PPA is working hard to do that.

    Is there any financial impropriety at PPA? I don't know. Is PPA very effective? I don't know. Is a personal dislike between PPA and 2+2 preventing both of them from doing the right thing with respect to working together? Seems likely, with blame probably in both camps.

    So what am I trying to say in this post that smacks of self-importance? I'm saying that despite my very public criticisms, I think the PPA is a young organization that appears on the surface to be making a real effort to improve the status of online poker. I have concerns, but I also see enough happening from PPA that I give them the benefit of the doubt and support them. If in a year or two's time they still haven't become more transparent, my support may change. But I do recognize that building in that transparency takes time and effort and they haven't been around long.

    Please accept the risks of dealing with a young nonprofit org and support the PPA at this critical time for online poker.

    https://pokerplayersalliance.org/jointoday.php
  2. yeagermyster yeagermyster is offline

    Auburn, WA
    United States

    Posts: 931
    Joined: May 06

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 3:28am) in reply to FeloniousPunk

    If you don't want to pay join for free. I believe it is important that everyone at the minimum join for free so that they have a large membership to show off. The more members they have the more clout they will have.
  3. beanie beanie is offline

    Saint Paul, MN
    United States

    Posts: 6,272
    Joined: Jan 05

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 7:35am) in reply to FeloniousPunk

    nice post
  4. No1CeLtSfAn34 No1CeLtSfAn34 is offline

    Herndon, VA
    United States

    Posts: 867
    Joined: Aug 06

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 7:37am) in reply to FeloniousPunk

    I'm a card carrying member.
  5. 2Slick4u 2Slick4u is offline

    Atlanta, GA
    United States

    Posts: 4,767
    Joined: Jun 05

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 11:49am) in reply to FeloniousPunk

    To date, the public has only heard a couple of comments on national tv concerning the new internet anti-gaming law. As a former marketing/public relations guy, I can tell you nothing has been done to date by anybody ~ the PPA, 2+2, the banks, the transaction companies, the gaming sites ~ to 1.) Inform the public that the rights of all Americans have been curtailed by this new bill 2.) The bill is the height of self-hypocrisy, as it "loopholes" out horse racing and state lotteries, etc. and 3.) Rally the public to our cause so the issue is really out in the open and hopefully our base of support will have increased to the point it has some clout in the halls of power.

    This type of campaign has to cover all the bases: national newspapers, radio, tv ads, speakers who are knowledgable, credible and persuasive appearing on the evening talk news shows. Until the money and leadership appears on the scene to start such a public relations blitz on behalf of legalizing poker, gaining any kind of leverage in Washington is going to be pretty damn tough IMO. 2Slick
  6. beanie beanie is offline

    Saint Paul, MN
    United States

    Posts: 6,272
    Joined: Jan 05

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 1:44pm) in reply to 2Slick4u

    very well said.
  7. Falstaff Falstaff is offline

    Charlotte, NC
    United States

    Posts: 41
    Joined: Apr 06

    Jan 25th, 2007 (1/25/2007 3:18pm) in reply to beanie

    And more to the point, as long as we're all trying to come up with workarounds to Neteller and new ways to get money into the site, why should the sites step up and put their money where their mouths are? If they put out one weekend's worth of rake to the PPA, that would be a massive shot in the arm to that organization's funding, and money = access. Until the sites and the major players put money into the PPA, the PPA will not be able to work effectively for the players and the sites.

    And for the record, I am and have been a member since early last summer. So my money is where my mouth is.
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