As a result of Bob Orme's explanation (and further details you added)of the issue differences between You Marty and Neal, I do now apologize for calling them "yes" men. However, that was not the main point of my post.

I really must respond to your comment "None of us is trying to tell you what economic decisions you are allowed to make". Excuse me, Jim, but when you decide that dealers and customers cannot buy slabbed chips at the Convention, Club Auction, or Club magazine, you are absolutely taking away economic decisions I can make. You have tried to spin the issue, but the reality is pretty obvious. Now understand something. My position is mostly theoretical. I don't think the ability to buy or sell slabs at the upcoming 2001 Convention is very significant. I seriously doubt that anyone is going to submit chips for slabbing in the first place any time soon. It may take ICG years to get anything going, if they succeed at all. My concern is that years from now, that choice may matter. I think dealers that support the club by paying hundreds of dollars for tables should have a right to sell chips without slabs, in slabs, or baked in jello if they so choose.

Another spin that needs correction is the idea that "You will be "free" to do so 365 days of the year over 99.9999+ % of the globe, 361 days of the year over 100% of the globe and 365 days of the year in 99.9999+ % of all possible advertising venues. Just not on our convention floor, not in our club auction and not through our club magazine." That just shows what little understanding you have of the chip market. Those 4 days out of 365 are damn near the only days that matter. The annual Convention and Club Auction constitute a major portion of chip sales during the year, especially for people who live away from Las Vegas. When you throw in the Club magazine, it takes away nearly every possible REALISTIC venue to buy or sell chips in a convenient way. Sure, in theory, one could print up a list and do a mailing to all 2500 club members. However, the cost of doing that is prohibitive. That's why we have conventions and a magazine. The point of joining a club is to have access to like minded members. Your proposal takes that away to a great extent. Why can't you be honest about that? (This is not an attack on your character, it is an analysis of the potential effects of your policy.)

A final word about "government". Yes, the CC>CC is a private organization. However, it is bizarre for you to infer that the position you are running for is not a legislative body. The last time I checked, the elected board can make rules and regulations which GOVERN us. Therefore, the positions of President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, etc. ARE THE GOVERNMENT OF OUR CLUB. How can you deny this? I never said it was the same as the United States government. I didn't think I needed to point that out. My dictionary's definition of government is "the act or process of governing, especially the political administration of an area.". That definition is not in conflict with the intent of any of my statements. I stand by my comment on Prohibition. The lesson there is that banning something never works. All it does it create a black market or worse.