HB 222 Officially, Really, Dead

Marvin C

Since I won’t see legal gambling in Texas in my lifetime, we need to do everything to make sure Mr. Perry is defeated in next year’s election. He has killed any hope of legally playing Texas HE in Texas and is killing the horse breeding business. He has to go.

Larry T.

I agree Perry has got to go next year! I am so sick of politicians shoving worthless legislation down our throats,spending our tax dollars on BS & taking care of non productive citizens of society and allowing illegals to roam our country sucking down tax dollars in social services!!!

Now we have our own governor ignoring the will of Texans! I will not vote for him and I hope that all Texans vote him out of office next year.

http://pokerati.com/about-us/#danm DanM

***He was able to spend a few minutes discussing why it should be allowed to proceed***

Kevin, I didn’t get to hear Jose’s spiel … any more details on what he actually said, or how people responded? Who made the bad puns?

Kevin Mathers

I’m hoping for the state house to be updating the video archive soon, the bad puns were done by a female legislator (Pruitt I believe).

http://mojobison.blogspot.com Mojo

So any word on the full-blown casino bill?

Kevin Mathers

That bill died Tuesday.

pokerpolitics

So you don’t like politicians who waste our money but you want Perry gone, whos policies of low taxes and limited government has seen fantastic economic growth in the state of Texas which has in large part insulated us from much of the economic disaster the rest of the nation is enduring.

Look, I would have loved to be able to play legal poker in Texas as much as the next guy but unless you have the maturity of a 7th grader this is not an issue that will make you vote one way or another.

Would you prefer to have Californias state government which is awash in social spending that has bankrupted the state and whos tax policies has destroyed business?

Or perhaps you would prefer the state of Michigans government where collusion between the unions and local governments has destroyed the states main industry.

Or maybe you would like New Yorks government which is taxing everything from soda to iPods to fund their leviathan style welfare state.

My point is:

Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it.

http://www.chiefexecutive.net/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=&nm=&type=Publishing&mod=Publications%3A%3AArticle&mid=8F3A7027421841978F18BE895F87F791&tier=4&id=D8BB1C4F12AE46EF9B7647E09E3253A6&AudID=F242408EE36A4B18AABCEB1289960A07

Kevin Mathers

Since they’re still in session at the moment, check out http://www.house.state.tx.us/media/chamber/81.htm in the morning. Menendez spoke around 6:10pm CT for reference.

http://wisehandpoker.com scott diamond

We elected the Govenator here in Californis after impeaching the then Governor Gray Davis who raised DMV fee’s and taxes to help with economic hard times.

I cannot begin to tell you what the beloved Arnold has done to this State. Unemployment ALl time high…DMV fee’s doubled on April 1st Foreclosures ahead of every State but one. Foe awhile we were not receiveing our State Income tax returns.

BuT he loves the Indian casino’s …he is taking a ton of their Money too. He also likes Poker!

pokerpolitics

California is a paradise of liberalism.

It wouldn’t matter if Ron Paul was the governor, when the congress refuses to let go of the insane levels of socials spending your hopeless. The exodus of business from California started long before Arnold took over but he has done little to nothing to help the situation. California’s leaders have created a toxic enviorment for business and consequently business has left.

Look at the state legislature! It consists of nothing but big government apparatchiks who have been driving the state into bankruptcy for over fifteen years.

Now they are letting the enviornmental whack jobs destroy their agricultural industry as well. I would move.

http://www.JohnnyHughes.com Johnny Hughes

This bill was defeated by a partnership of Oklahoma Indian tribles and Texas Baptists. When I was a kid, we played Cowboys and Indians. Now kids should play Baptists and Indians.

Kevin Mathers

For those that want to watch the death of HB 222, go to http://www.house.state.tx.us/fx/av/chamber81/051409b.ram and fast forward to the 5 hour 15 minute mark.

Bundas

Ok … I have not been in TX since I moved to Vegas 2 years ago.. but I would rather not see anymore reports that a new bill in TX will legalize poker.. Every year we follow this and every year something happens to bust the bubble of the TX poker hopeful.. Next time it comes up it shouldn’t be followed until the day the bill passes… NO ONE in TX should complain any more about not having poker… if they really wanted it pass everyone would have been on the steps DEMANDING the passage of one of the many bills that have been put forward…
But I think it comes down to that the religious and conservative can get more organized and that is what the politicians see so they think that the masses want these bills shot down.. I guess getting a bunch of poker players together to get organized is just to much to ask..

But it can also be Dan’s fault because no body really likes him… I’m kidding Dan.

http://www.arizonacardclub.com Ken

How can you Compete with a Governor, etc who gets Millions from the enemy?? This has nothing to do with the people not taking an initiative. Do you honestly think that our emails and phone calls do not make a difference?? If we were to rally on the steps for days and days we would look even more stupid because the Gov would sit back laughing and say “Show Me The Money”! Was our opposition on the steps demanding this doesn’t pass?

Bundas

Ken , I understand just frustrated…. the truth is if money can get things done and not the power of the people then the system is broke… but the thing is if it is the Gov he should get ZERO votes next time but he will and the shitty cycle will continue..

lets all Move… I hear Mexico has a new flu and they are very Poker friendly (Kidding)

Brutacus

I think our best shot at getting rid of Perry is to support Kay Bailey Hutchison in the primary election. I highly doubt any Democrat can beat him as an incumbent in the general election. That being said, the last I had heard, Hutchison was not a proponent of gaming in Texas either. So most likely, we would then need to vote for the Democrat opponent in the general election.

In reference to PokerPolitics, I don’t want to turn this into a big political discussion since that would be off topic but I will respond with two points. 1. Perry is no friend of the taxpayer. He has raised taxes every year (the biggest and most harmful is the Margin Tax he created, he’s also stated he will support the increased gas tax this year-hopefully he’ll change his mind). 2. It isn’t reasonable to argue that we have to either have Perry or some complete incompetent like some of the other states in this country (incl CA and MI). We should seek a better candidate in all matters.

I would also point out that anti-gaming (or poker specifically) is not a conservative issue as some factions would have everyone believe. True Conservatives believe in raising revenues by increasing the tax base and supporting tax generating enterprises. Something that Perry has proven time and time again that he is not willing to do. He would rather raise taxes on individuals. While he’s not a liberal, Perry is definitely not a conservative and never has been. He’s an opportunist and his allegiance follows the money.

http://www.arizonacardclub.com Ken

Bundas, I understand your frustration as I am right there with you.. I truly believe the system is broken. Where is the Integrity and honesty these people say they have but once they get into office they are different people.. I am truly frustrated with the System. I hate being negative too so enough is enough.

Hopefully Rep Menendez can get together with his “buddies” and come up with a solution that is agreeable to everybody. Maybe by then, Gov. Perry will be long gone.

http://www.JohnnyHughes.com Johnny Hughes

We pay the rake in Oklahoma, where some Indian folks who were mistreated long ago can bribe our phony Governor, who threatens to secede in order to pander to the T-bag protest folks that believe in freedom for everyone but poker players. Poker is just as illegal in Texas as it has always been, but our image is better.

David Alexander

If and when it’s time to promote a PRO poker playing politicians…

Let me know…

I own BanditSigns.com…

My guess…. I could donate some Bandit Signs (yep, that’s what those signs on the streets are called) for the opposition..

These guys simply partake in legalized bribery…

Got nothing to do with what the people want…

What’s the difference between this and puttin’ money on horses
out at the track…

Same thing…..

If your smart you can make money and if your a novice.. well you know…

David Alexander

Hey Johhny Hughes….

Not to be too brash…

I don’t cry over spilled milk…

But, I actually am Chickasaw….

And our land was basically “stolen”…

In fact…

My dads land in Duncan Oklahoma
has been “indirectly” stolen as well by the
BIA (bureau of indian affairs)

By a thing called… fractionalization
We can’t divide our land without removing
it from the trusts…

Which makes it unsellable, unbuildable
etc…

I’m not happy that Poker isn’t in Texas
personally…

I hate driving there and hour and a half
getting up hundreds in and hour, two or three
and then wanting to stay longer..

Because the drive is so far…

(seems my stack never lasts when that happens)

I am happy that We (the chickasaws) have more
Casino’s than any other tribe..

(No, I don’t see any of the money.. I would have
to move to oklahoma… part of the BIA regulations)

And even on indian land the money is taxed…

Isn’t not supposed to be.. it’s supposed to
sovereign land… as like a separate nation..

I think it’s more of a case of us having
a government in Texas that can be bribed albiet
“legally” and the Chicaksaws and Choctaws…

Playing the game… to protect what left of ours
and build businesses etc…

It’s a much bigger poker game..

Just wish they vote it in… give the cHickasaws
some land…

and lets play closer to home the game I love.

http://www.texaspokerrevolution.com/ irishmike

Oh yeah, there’s a lot of angry folks in Texas. I’m one of them. But I’m not going to let anger cloud my judgment. I’m not going on tilt. We just gotta shake it off and go to the next hand. Or the next session. We just went live with the new website dedicated to poker reform here in Texas. If you wanna get involved and do more than just talk about change. Join the Texas Poker Revolution @ http://www.texaspokerrevolution.com/

Card Chucker

I just watched the video (thank you Kevin for providing the link) and saw the lame comments made. They used the same horrid dry joke twice and the folks in the house actually giggled twice. The question was asking if three of a kind 2′s (referring to HB – 222) would beat a full house. Well, I suppose we have 1 out if there’s any streets left. How redonkulous. How about we teach Warren Chisum and Vicki Truitt how to play the game with their lobbied money. Then again, Vicki could be tilting since her district is just north of Grand Prairie and she rather the Southlake housewives blow their wad in her district. -FML-

pokerpolitics

The point is that I think many of the poker players are so single minded that they would rather have some liberal numb skull over Perry even if the person would drive our state into bankruptcy as long as he supported legalized gambling.

You can cite whatever bs you want but the fact is Texas has about as strong an economy as any state in the nation. Texas has more fortune 500 companies HQ in its state than any other state in the union.

Is Perry perfect? Absolutely not. But I don’t think there are more than three or four govenors in the entire nation that I would trade him for, if that.

To pretend that our state is not in good shape relative to the rest of the nation; or to act as if the state has not done well under Perry’s leadership is totally dishonest.

David Alexander

There is a different reason for that poker politics..

We had a downturn in our real estate back in 2001…
So, we had already lost alot of value there…

That is the reason the crunch isn’t as strong here…

YET… it ain’t over… I imagine it will spur upward
through the summer and then get hit again this coming winter..

Although, it’s still affecting businesses left and right..

I have 2 of my businesses that have lost over 30% revenues monthly.. Since last November…

And have had to cut hours for our employees… (sadly)

So, don’t think it hasn’t hit us pretty damn hard…

Eventually cash reserves dissappear.. and so, without a plan..
Poker could have kept money here… slot machines would bring money here…

Instead for a Mil… or so…it apparently can be allowed to leave our state…

pokerpolitics

I run a business as well which is seeing a roughly 20% decrease in revenue.

I guess you have chosen to ignore the word “relative” in my statement.

The housing market needs to drop inspite of what Krugman, Zandi, and the rest of those idiots says; a deflationary period is needed to correct the credit based excesses of the past. The bust is not the thing to worry about it’s the boom.

There is simply no disputing that Texas has created a superior enviroment for business (in comparison to most other states) and that is why I would be very careful before I thought about voting our current states leadership out of office.

David Alexander

Let’s see Texas has the close to the
highest property taxes of any
state..

especially Non-owner occupied..

Also a Franchise tax on Gross Sales…
of a businesses….

The only reduction allowed is cost of goods
sold…

ie… you have a $5,000,000 in sales…
and cost of goods of 1.5 mil…

You are Taxed on 3 mil…

Luckily it is in the works of shelving
that…

That franchise tax will drive businesses
out of Texas not keep them in…

I recently moved the production of one
my businesses to another state..

Yes, the housing does has adjust itself..
but, not for the reasons you think…

I’d be glad to talk about this privately..
(real estate is one of my primary businesses,
and has been for 13 years)

Will kill it as a discussion on this forum..

pokerpolitics

So basically your asking me to ignore the poll of CEO’s who for four years in a row have named Texas the #1 state in the country in which to do business. Yes we have high property taxes but we are also one of just a few states to have no state income tax, thats a big fing deal!

One of the lower rates of unemployment in the nation.
Middle of the pack in sales tax (on higher end).

All things considered and especially when put into the context of other states I would be very hesitant to get rid of our current states leadership.

David Alexander

CEO’s don’t pay
franchise taxes….

Business owners do…