World of Pageantry

(From Dave Gibbs, Blue Devils corps director)

Good Morning,

Hi all. We have the most significant threat to our charitable fundraising efforts to date. It is SB1369. It is on a FAST Track and we have been told it is going to pass. WE NEED YOUR HELP TODAY!!
http://info.sen.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquer ... B&site=sen

SB1369 if passed will destroy charitable bingo as we currently know it. It is a special interest bill being pushed by the gaming tribes in the State, Catholic Church, Elks Club and the California Association of Nonprofit. California Association of Nonprofit (CANP) has supported this without any conversations with most if not all charitable bingo games. They claim to represent non-profits and they DO NOT. They have obviously have decided to support only few powerful charities while helping to devastate the majority of community based long running non-profits.

This bill started out as a bill addressing student lunches and was gutted Monday to allow something they are calling "remote caller bingo". This would allow certain organizations to link their statewide facilities together via satellite, cable, internet, etc. to play games with jackpots reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars. This in essence would only make this possible for churches and clubs and other bingo games could NOT participate because you would have to be under one charter to take advantage of remote calling. The rest of the bingo halls, such as The Blue Devils and hundreds of others existing bingo halls across the State would not be allowed to use this technology and therefore would be run out of business quickly.

The tribes are supporting the bill because it also does away with all electronic bingo currently being used in the charitable halls. To give some perspective, Thunder Valley nets a million dollars a day, and a bingo hall on Florin Road Bingo distributed 1.5 million dollars for all of last year! We are not a threat to the tribes and yet they want more and more. We support Indian self reliance but why do they want to put our GREAT hard working charities out of business. What is fair about any of this. Who will replace the revenue we distribute by local charities? Unfortunately the answer is no one.

So this is a double hit for all charities. Electronic bingo will be outlawed and now the traditional paper bingo game will NOW be threatened by MEGA bingo games from the Catholic Church and Elks clubs. And fraudulently being reported by the California Association of Nonprofit as good for all charities. IT IS NOT!!!

One last thing, don't believe the stories you are hearing in the media right now about SB1369. They are being paid for by the same group trying to push through the bill. All we are asking for is a delay until the next legislative session to give time for all sides to work something out that doesn't cripple some charities for the sake of others. This bill will be heard any day. PLEASE pick up the phone and call anyone you know in the legislature and demand a no vote on this destructive bill.

Here are a few names and faxes. Please call or fax. Email is not being effective. I would also FAX ALL California State senators and specially call and fax your local senator and assembly person.

PLEASE FORWARD this email on to ALL you know. ANYONE in California that supports charities and The Blue Devils!

Darrell Steinbery -- President of Senate
Fax: (916) 323-2263
State Capitol, Room 4035
Sacramento, CA 95814

Karen Bass - Speaker of the House
P.O. Box 942849
Sacramento, CA 94249-0047
Tel: (916) 319-2047
Fax: (916) 319-2147

Blue Devils Representatives

Assemblyman Mark DeSaulnier
Chief of Staff -- Christine
916-319-2011

Senator Tom Torlekson
Chief of Staff -- Richard
916-651-4007

Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. Members Fax numbers are:

Curren Price, Chair--916.319.2151
George Plescia, Vice Chair--916.319.2175
Charles Calderon--916.319.2158
Mike Davis--916.319.2148
Kevin De Leon--916.319.2145
Noreen Evans--916.319.2107
Bonnie Garcia--916.319.2180
Kevin Jeffries--916.319.2166
Lloyd Levine--916.319.2140
Tony Mendoza--916.319.2156
Anthony Portantino--916.319.2144
Jim Silva--916.319.2167
Nell Soto--916.319.2161
Alberto Torrico--916.319.2120
Van Tran--916.319.2168


Senate Government Organization Committee members Fax numbers listed below:

Dean Florez, Chair--916.327.5989 fax
Jim Battin--916.327.2187
Jeff Denham--916.445.0773
Tom Harmon--916.445.9263
Gloria Negrete McLeod--916.445.0128
Alex Padilla--916.324.6645
Ed Vincent--916.445.3712
Patricia Wiggins--916.323.6958
Mark Wyland--916.446.7382
Leland Yee--916.327.2186

California Association of Nonprofits

Ken Larsen
Public Policy Director
(916) 402-1335, ext. 204
klarsen@CAnonprofits.org

Alan Strand
Interim Executive Director
(213) 347-2070, ext. 206
astrand@CAnonprofits.org

Thank you for supporting the 50 years of The Blue Devils. Here is hoping for 50 more. PLEASE help us know!! TODAY!

Dave

---------------------------
David Gibbs
Executive Director
The Blue Devils
4065 Nelson Ave
Concord, CA 94520
925-689-2918
http://bluedevils.org

A bit more on this ... my hubby is a candidate for school board out this way and knows a couple of political types. He wrote to an aide for a State Assemblyman to get more info and further direction, and here is the aide's response:

You should direct people to write the Governor. This bill appears to be going along party lines, with the Dems supporting and the Republicans against. [Since] there are more D's than R's ... it [appears it will] pass and be forwarded for Arnold's sig. He will make the ultimate decision.

So ... Not only should you write your Assemblyman or Senator (especially if they are a Democrat and vote to pass this and you disagree with that) to let that Representative know how unhappy you are, but you should also write to the Governator and tell him your feelings, not just for the Blue Devils but for any Booster Group using this type of fund raiser!