OPT: UCITA & Cypherpunks - We got a plan...

[Declan McCullagh]

Old motto: "Cypherpunks write code"
New motto: "Cypherpunks lobby in state capitols, craft
            'appropriate' policy responses, and identify
            'key players' for 'maximum bang for the buck'"


Old cypherpunk: Hacker, programmer, coder, sysadmin, engineer
New cypherpunk: IRS undercover agent, state lobbyist, Jim Choate



On Tue, Apr 10, 2001 at 09:23:01PM -0500, Jim Choate wrote:
> Well, actually it's a plan to make a plan ;)
> 
> We intend the following:
> 
> -	Identify the several bills (UCITA, UEITA, etc.) that are currently
> 	in the Texas legislature for consideration. We believe this count
> 	is currently at five (5).
> 
> -	Identify pro and con sources of information.
> 
> -	Identify pro and con members of the legislature.
> 
> -	Compare and contrast the various 'positions' and develop an
> 	appropriate 'cypherpunk' responce.
> 
> -	Begin an information campaign that will hit both the traditional
> 	and alternative media in Texas, in particular in the
> 	major cities (ie Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio,
> 	and El Paso).
> 
> 	We discussed letters to media as well as a potential video.
> 
> -	Identify each of the steps that the bills will need to go
> 	through in their consideration in the legislature. The
> 	intent is to identify 'key players' who can be contacted
> 	for maximum 'bang for the buck' so to speak.
> 
> -	Develop a presentation and arrange appointments with legislators
> 	to attempt an 'education campaign'.
> 
> -	Pray for deliverance from the pestilence of God-$ (not that
> 	Cypherpunks have any objection to making money, it's the now)
> 
> To help resolve these issues, in addition to the monthly Cypherpunk get
> together, we will institute a bi-weekly meeting to work further on these
> goals. I will be making the meeting location and time announcements on the
> Austin Cypherpunks and ucita-tx mailing lists only!!!!!
> 
> We also intend to 'beef up' the SSZ homepage. One idea was to create a
> 'bulletin board' (eg WWWBoard) so that interested parties could
> participate in a more long-lived manner than a simple mailing list.
> 
> We also intend to re-write the 'form letter' on the 'Fight UCITA in
> Texas!' webpage. The feeling was that it was too long and not as well
> worded as it needed to be.
> 
> Currently the mailing lists and resources are:
> 
> Austin Cypherpunks
> http://einstein.ssz.com/cdr
> austin-cpunks at einstein.ssz.com (closed to outside submissions)
> 
> UCITA-TX Mailing List
> http://einstein.ssz.com/ucita
> ucita-tx at einstein.ssz.com (closed to outside submissions)
> Note that the mailing list itself is non-partisan. The same can't be
> said for the webpage and most certainly not the cpunks.
> 
> Ta ta.
> 
>     ____________________________________________________________________
> 
>        To speak algebraically, Mr. M. is execrable, but Mr. G. is
>        (x+1)-ecrable.
>                                          Edgar Allan Poe
> 
>        The Armadillo Group       ,::////;::-.          James Choate
>        Austin, Tx               /:'///// ``::>/|/      ravage at ssz.com
>        www.ssz.com            .',  ||||    `/( e\      512-451-7087
>                            -====~~mm-'`-```-mm --'-
>     --------------------------------------------------------------------