Reactions continue to come in following today's decision by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to appeal a pair of federal court rulings which previously held that the state's 2005 violent video game law is unconstitutional.
Hal Halpin, President of the Entertainment Consumers Association, issued a statement moments ago on the California appeal:
I was disheartened to hear that Governor Schwarzenegger is petitioning the Supreme Court over labeling and sales of video games, especially given the fact that nine similar pieces of legislation have been overturned on First Amendment grounds, costing the respective cities and states much-needed taxpayer funds.
Coupled with California’s $21B economic crisis and the fact that the Governor is about to lay off teachers en masse, it’s shocking to the conscience. This was a frivolous political football back when the state had money to burn. Now it’s out-and-out irresponsibly politicized.
FULL DISCLOSURE DEPT: The ECA is the parent company of GamePolitics.
Comments
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
Here's some more insight into California's budget woes. The governor and state legislature are hamstrung by Prop 13 and California's idiotic voters who decide they want tons and tons of state services but decide not to fund said state services.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-analysis20-2009may20,0,5578614.s...
Of course, dropping an extra $500k to defend a video game bill isn't going to help them.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
And don’t worry people, the God King Obama will not let the Democratic Republic of California fail, besides its too big to fail! And you shall have your over paid workers and keep all services up well raising yours and everyone else’s federal taxes because the people your state used to count on moved to more business friendly states…vile traitors
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
People, the ESA and the ECA shouldn't be even wasting time in defending this cause. It should be a given Video Games should have creative control we should be focusing on causes like is Obama King or Messiah? Or DRM Treaties and other Obama projects when we cannot get it into law we just get a treaty set in place to go around the good old Constitution that we shouldn't have up as it is right now and should replace it with change and make Obama King for life!
Everyone should just sit back and let change happen and if you can’t shut up we should send you to reeducation camps to were you will debate things like Bush Hitler or Satan?
We should be focusing on going after Canada seeing it supports privacy and as the Obama Administration publicly came out and said it was there borders and Canada is fully responsible for the day of 9/11!
Now the Jewish Section of the ESA and the ECA which is all the heads of those departments would love to go and fight the good fight to bring Canada down!
After this legal victory and the ESA will then go after Canada and hopefully defend our Islamic Freedom Fighters against the vile Israel who we shall be nice too since the upper wing of the ESA and ECA are Jewish but they know their place in the Democratic Party and all those who are against us will fall!
For the God King Obama!
Let us destory pirates everywhere, and victory in Canada!
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
What is this, Nutcase Day?
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of Violent
The combined numbers of kills, swears, and nude shots in all the movies with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the lead actor automatically negate any moral argument Arnold Schwarzenegger tries to throw into any political debate. Any one of those is about on par with what's presented in even the hardest-core M-rated games.
Didn't he hit a top list of hypocrites for last year because of this alone? If I remember right, he was pretty close to Slot Number One.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
So we have to fire teachers and police and firefighters but we don't have to cutback on the rediculous lawsuits huh? ><
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
Eeeeeeh....I'd have to say Davis was -but- that doesn't mean I don't think ill of our govenor right now...but still we haven't special recalled this one...
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
He showed so much potential too. When we kicked Davis out, Schwartzeneggar came in and started giving back to the state, funding the programs that Davis slashed, like community colleges.
Then the Crash of '08 hit, and bit us in the ass. That's when Arnie became a monster. Slashing budgets to deal with the economy, he became worse than Davis ever was. Still, I can forgive him for not forseeing that.
But sacrificing jobs and wasting money on this, while we're one of the financially worst states in the country is ludicrous.
It's time to take action.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
Showed potential? He's an ex-bodybuilder for God's sake. The guy cannot have enough intellect to have 'potential'. I realise the Republicans are desperate to pretend that they are not imploding, but Arnie is an example of the entire problem with the party.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
More like Total Recalled! Eh? Eh?
...I'll go sit back down now.
- Stand back! I have an opinion, and I'm not afraid to use it.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of Violent
Schwarzenegger as the govenator has got to be the worst thing to happen to California in recent time. No other govener would wate the state's money and time on a bill that was ruled unconstitutional not once but twice. I hope the supreme court knocks this bill roght down to the ground where it belongs.
http://www.magicinkgaming.com/
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of Violent
I hope it gets knocked down by the suprime court.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of Violent
The Question isn't "Will the Supreme Court rule it unconstitutional?" The real question is "Will the Supreme Court feel there is a need to actually hear the case?"
E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
http://www.theeca.com/chapters_oklahoma
E. Zachary Knight
Divine Knight Gaming
OK Game Devs
Random Tower
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
No, the real question is "Can California survive financially when it loses the case?"
More is at stake here than just 1rst Ammendment rights. In fact, that's the least threat of all.
California is going bankrupt, and Arnie's wasting money on fool's arrends such as these. People are starving because of this guy. WE HAVE TO STOP THIS NOW!!!
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
Yes, because with a "$21B economic crisis", it's this half a million that's going to sink the state. I think it's a silly law, but could we perhaps not dive face-first into the pitfall of becoming hypocrites who demonize everyone they disagree with?
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
Hi, this is the real world calling. $500k pissed away for nothing is EXACTLY the reason California is in ridiculous debt. You can feed, clothe, house, and entertain five, 5-person families for a year with that much cash in most states.
The speed at which we dismiss such vast sums of money is apalling.
I could invest that much and live comfortably for the rest of my life.
Don't write off how ridiculously wasteful our governments, both state and federal, have become.
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
~~All Knowledge is Worth Having~~
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
I'm not. I'm just annoyed by people acting like this, and this alone, is responsible for the debt. And could you perhaps not be such an ass next time?
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of ...
It would be nice to have them hear it just so that we finally have a Supreme Court ruling on these kinds of laws. But, I think it's almost guaranteed that they'll drop it. They would have to be insane to even bother hearing a case about a law that has been struck down TWICE, not to mention the 9 other similar laws that have been declared unconstitutional all over the country.
Heh, good luck to Schwarzenegger though.
Re: ECA's Hal Halpin Comments on California Appeal of Violent
I give it a 90% likelyhood that it will be knocked down.