This was just sent out by Poker Players Alliance. It is from one of the lobbyiest that accompanied me during my recent trip to Washington DC to speak to Members of Congress about the regulation and licensing of poker in the United States. It touched my heart to know that they were, in fact, listening.
Donna Blevins
Dean of Poker Mindset Academy(tm)
Washington, DC Lobbying Update
June 16, 2011
Barnes and Thornburg"I've been a lobbyist for the Internet gaming industry since before the Poker Players Alliance was established in 2005. First, we were fighting against a prohibition bill, now we're fighting for a poker licensing and regulation bill. Throughout all these years, the policy arguments have been mostly the same… I thought I knew just about every facet of the arguments supporting online poker. Then I met Donna Blevins, the PPA's state director in Florida.
For those of you who don't know Donna, she is one of the brightest personalities you'll ever meet. That personality really shines when she tells her stories to Members of Congress and their staff about how she has used poker to work with our injured troops returning home from the battlefield.
This is when I became aware of another compelling argument for why the government is just plain wrong to prevent us from playing poker online. During the recent Capitol Hill fly-in organized by the PPA, Donna explained to Members of Congress that some of these young men and women who have suffered traumatic injuries that require years of therapy can augment their rehabilitation by employing the cognitive skills and analysis that is central to poker strategy.
While I can't do Donna's story justice, I can assure you that it got the attention of numerous Members of Congress and staff members on Capitol Hill.
So, as Donna advised me as we parted ways following the last of our joint meetings on Capitol Hill: keep fighting, but keep smiling. We are right on this issue, and we have to keep fighting with the help of the PPA so that Donna, the veterans with whom she works, and all of us who want to play poker in the privacy of our homes without unnecessary and unwarranted government interference are free to do so."