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I received over 200 messages from ya'll regarding the testimony during the December 18, 2000 Commissioners Meeting. This is the day the TLC explained to the Commissioners why they suspended my faxes. Needless to say, I can not post all your messages. It felt really great to know that everyone of you support and agree with me on this issue. Not one person wrote that they felt the TLC was correct in their actions. And YES - I will fight to get my faxes back.

If you did not read the TLC's explanation, click here.

This message was sent to the TLC

To Whom It May Concern:

I have been watching the situation between your commission and Ms. Nettles for some time now, and feel I can no longer hold my tongue.

First off, let me state that I do not know Ms. Nettles except through her Lotto Report page and publication, I just do not like to see someone bullied by anyone else. And that is exactly what your commission has been doing. It is inexcusable that an "official" entity like the Texas Lottery Commission would attack an individual in this way. Of course, this isn't the first time a state agency has felt it had the right to walk all over someone and get away with it; I'm also just as sure it will not be the last time.

I was sickened as I read the transcript from the December 18, 2000 commissioner's meeting. Apparently, Keith Elkins thought he was talking to a room full of idiots, and possibly, from the lack of any rebuttal on their part, he was correct. I liked the way he bent the truth to fit his own personal agenda. I really wish I could have been there. I would have had more than a few questions for Mr. Elkins. It was obvious he took Ms. Nettles' absence as a green light to go on a tangent, making up "facts" as he went. He wants people to feel sorry for the TLC - sorry, I'm not buying it! Ms. Nettles is the only victim in this situation.

What this all boils down to is the TLC doesn't want anything to do with someone that may question any of its practices, ethical or otherwise. No agency, state, federal or other, is above scrutiny. Everything needs a set of checks and balances, and it sounds like the TLC needs a healthy dose of both. Perhaps a good seminar on ethics in the workplace for your members might be a start. I believe ethics is a four-letter word to the Texas Lottery Commission. John C

My heart felt thanks for taking your time to write such a letter. You will never fully understand the impact it had on me.

By the way, that Dec. meeting where Keith Elkins singled you out, and explained that after singling you out, he researched other people he could add to the 'exclude' list; is blistering testimony against the TLC's practices. I think you should contact the Attorney General and call his attention to this proof of interference with your' business. The criteria used to exclude you would also exclude any newspaper that runs editorials or political cartoons, or any media that runs 'consumer action' stories --- that's everybody!

I took the liberty of creating a lottery dictionary and I thought you'd enjoy it.

Integrity. A word the commission uses freely but lacks having itself.
T.L.C. Texas Looses Creditablity or The Lottery Cipher
Keith Elkins. A midget prick con man whose been well trained in speaking forked lies.
Linda Cloud. A brainless Floridian who counts chads for a lack of anything better to do.
Kim Kipling. A prevaricate.
TLC Press Release. An incomplete, misconstrued and misdirected epitome, not intended for activists to scrutinize.
Lotto Texas. 25.8 million ways to get fornicated 54 times.
Texas 2 Step. A future hiway 70 robbery.
Dawn Nettles. Courage, character, truthfulness and intergrity.
The Lotto Report. A functioning news organization.
Don. A knight and shining armour.

Referencing your faxes, perhaps the players should come together and insist on shutting the lottery down. Then you wouldn't need any faxes. You go girl.

Signed - A Fellow Journalist From A Major Metropolitan News Organization.

(This brought a smile to my face. But I'm not sure it will be a laughing matter at the TLC. And for whatever it is worth, I hesitated on including it but my sense of humor won out. Playing the lottery is a game and those of us who play, laugh too. I'm not posting it as a means to hurt anyone - even the TLC.)

.... I have been reading your web site with interest for quite some time. After reading the transcript from the December 18, 2000 meeting, I find I no longer wish to keep quiet. I urge you to gather all your documents .... come to Austin .....

.... visit the Sunset Advisory Commission, the Travis District Attorney, the Texas Rangers, and the Texas Press Association.....

.... go to the lower floor (basement) of the Capitol and talk to anyone who will listen ...

This is the best advise you will receive. Just sign me - A Friend.

Thank you for taking your time to write me - your message has a very special tone to it and I am listening and I will take your advise. And readers, this may be the answer on who you can write or what you can do too.

I've just read the article you posted regarding the December, 2000 TLC meeting and I would like to comment on one small item. The part of the meeting where they talk about the "855" requests made to the particular division in a given year. If you figure on that count (the 855), and factor in the number of "working days" in the year - by my calculations (Please correct me if I am wrong), it amounts to approx. three (3) requests per day....and that could not use up all or even most of their time. It would certainly seem to be manageable by one person, EASILY ... but, again, correct me if I am not even close on that one point. I found the article interesting as always when I read your posts. I think that your faxes SHOULD be re-instated immediately, as the TLC's information SHOULD ALL BE PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE AND disseminated and EASILY OBTAINABLE AT ALL TIMES and to quit these shenanigans by their (the TLC) officers.

... Lots of work in your' comments to the 12-18 minutes, and very nice. What you need now is a trial by jury. The best jury available to you is the media, and of course the non biased media is always looking for someone to roast over an open fire, preferably someone in government; and preferably for public good. ...

From the transcript of the meeting, I'd say they are "out to get" you. I hope that you'll follow through on this to have your faxes restored. All of the transcripts that I've read show just how slanted the members of the TLC are in their thinking. Most of what they say in these meetings is "technically" correct, but a long way from "honest." It appears that this is just another bureaucratic committee that will do anything they can to make their point of view the "right" one. I also have a question concerning their definition of "groups and organizations." Would they count each correspondence as a separate
"vote" if we used GET REAL as our organization? Or is it better to invent our own? This might be a question that would best be answered on your web site for all to see.
Keep up the fight. There are a lot of us that are standing behind you on this. Duane

Reading Keith Elkins testimony made me sick to my stomach. I just want to know how they get away with this? I was disappointed that the Commissioners did not make them recognize you for what you are. How disappointed I am in our judicial system.

As always, they are WRONG. This entire incident is disgusting. Keep up the great REPORTING, you are the only one I trust.

... I check your page daily and really enjoy all parts of it - especially the predictions. Good luck with your fight and it may sound a little corny, but I really believe that the good "guy" finishes first, even if it takes a while ;-) And you are definitely one of the good "guys." ....

.... Can you tell me how what steps must be taken to get rid of the management staff at the Texas Lottery. I believe it's time we got rid of them. This is the last straw as far as I'm concerned.....

... May I suggest that you provide links to the appropriate officials so we can write them with our complaints. It's obvious writing the commission is a complete waste of time. It's time for changes ....

Great idea and I'm working on it ... as you can imagine, the TLC won't tell me who that would be!

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