Save CA Drumcorps

[CM76]

done

[Jeff DeMello]

Bump

[Bob J]

OK Jeff, you have shamed me into action. I have signed the petition, and will be writing the Gov. later today.

[Willie85]

Done. Took all of 15 secs to C&P into email.

Good luck!

[DCIHasBeen]

I'll definitely sign all that stuff as soon as I get home, can't do it from work. However, I do have to believe that the end of bingo in California would not mean the end of drum corps in California. There are currently a number of top 12 corps who operate with NO income from bingo, one of them being Blue Stars, which could be used as models for other corps who may stand to lose bingo.

While I agree with you, and appreciate the fact that you're supporting this as well, there's one point that should be made ... While it is true that there are a number of World Class Corps that operate without bingo, they are very different operations from the Blue Devils and the Santa Clara Vanguard (and I'm not leaving the Freelancers out for any other reason other than I'm not very familiar with their organization, but imagine much of what I'm saying holds true for them as well.)

Blue Devils and Vanguard are both multi-purpose youth organizations with multiple programs under their umbrellas. BD operates three drum corps, a color guard, twirlers, and a wind symphony. The other organizations that you are referring to don't have that kind of scope ... Which doesn't detract from their value in any way, you do what you can afford to do, it just means that they have different kinds of financial limitations.

Both BD and SCV offer unique, diverse programs with a number of programs that reach a lot of kids ... If push comes to shove and this bill gets signed into law by the Governor, that could translate into the loss of a substantial part of these organizations' budgets resulting in a need to shut down some of the program offerings.

BD is one of few drum corps organizations that operates a feeder corps at the community level (i.e., neighborhood drum corps) ... Little kids from the area can come to BDC and get instruction from World-Class level teachers. If you imagine the opportunities an experience like that can open up for a kid, I think you'll agree that we cannot afford to lose that, or any of the other BD programs.

I realize that these kinds of programs have flourished in California due to once-liberal bingo laws that have not been available elsewhere, but we're talking about using those resources to give back to the community in a way that is directly proportional to the level of income that has been available. We just don't want to see BD or SCV have to give up programs that have been here to serve a combined 100 years, or so, of kids ...

Edited September 5, 2008 by DCIHasBeen

[Bob J]

Done and done.

Thanks Jeff for leading this effort.

[cowtown]

Maybe I’d do it if the letter were in Mandarin pink or is it more of an orange, hmmmm…. let’s just call it salmon. I’m not feeling blue today oh, and a pack of skittles, sour, wild berry or regular only, the chocolate and mint ones blow

What’d you expect, I’m from Chicago, I know what my votes are worth. Just see what 2 packs of skittles can get you !!!

best of luck, dude <--- hey look, I'm speaking Cali-4-y-ian or is that Iowain, should it be bro? I know 'homes' is now considered Nebraskan , oh, I just can't keep up with those west coasters and all their hip, hella, jive

[Mistress Kelli]

If you don't have access to your personal e-mail right now, you can E-MAIL THE GOVERNOR from his website

Contact the Governor

[bobchilds]

OK Jeff, you have shamed me into action. I have signed the petition, and will be writing the Gov. later today.

Good looking out, Jeff. I send letters to all the reps in my area last week. This is important for not only drum corps, but many other worthwhile activities and organizations that depend on bingo.

[cowtown]

well i've been around the country and i've met a lot of kids some kids are smart and some kids are dumb but i don't pass judgement they're just having fun some kids get *uck*d up and others refrain but that's what makes the world so great no one should be the same the kids of the future you can see it in their eyes they must overcome nationality if the world is to survive and we'll sink with california when it falls into the sea oi i'm not from england, je ne suis pas de france ich bin nicht von deutschland and i can't dance well i could saay california it means nothing to me. i despise nationality shouldn't say that you're from north, south, east or west it's humanity that is the best yo no soy mexico, no sano de italia that's all the languages we know and actually we're from canada yes we loe to travel, but we love to see that california border, forever and a day we'll sink with california when it falls into the sea from the mountains, to the prairies from the desert to the sea i'd say california, it means nothing to me i despise territorality i don't care if you're from north, south, east or west live for humanity, forget the rest. yo i'm not from new york, i'm not from boston y'all i ain't from texas and i'm not patriotic cause the only patriotism that we really need is to sink with the world, with humanity and me

Youth Brigade ~ Sink With California lyrics