From Kellie Patrick Gates:
In the moment before everyone rose to leave for the evening, a member of Casino Free Philadelphia stood and shouted that everyone should return to the Convention Center for tomorrow's Commerce Department hearing on whether to grant Sugar House Casino riparian rights. (The hearing is at 2 p.m.)
The casino issue loomed large over the entire meeting. When Harris Steinberg present the plan he said that the most contentious part was the development piece. "We know there are many people who do not want casinos," he said. Someone in the crowd yelled, "It's not an option." And then from elsewhere, "Yes, it is." Leading the anti-casino speaker to yell back an expletive.
Steinberg said: "Let's get through the next couple of slides without this room erupting."
Comments (4)
I don't get it. Would these anti-casino people rather have empty trash strewn lots filled with rats, litter and crazy vagrants? No, can't have casinos and the jobs and income they produce. That would make too much sense. The anti-casino crowd is off the charts crazy and should be considered dangerous and a threat to public safety. I've heard reports of pro-casino people living in Port Richmond and Fishtown who have had their tires slashed and one person even had property damage done to his house.
Why does the media local portray the anti-casino folks as heroic types when they are employing tactics favored by terrorists? They are thugish creeps who trying to hold back progress in Philadelphia.
I've had enough!
Posted by JM | November 14, 2007 10:39 PM
Posted on November 14, 2007 22:39
Mmhm..As it was stated elsewhere:
"The casinos are a big issue, but Penn Praxis can't let this vision get bogged down in the casino fight because it'll completely obscure the larger points they're trying to make. And if you predicate this whole plan on *not* having casinos, then it's likely to be dead on arrival"
Luckily, PennPraxis knows this, and hopefully both sides of the casino war knows this too.
Posted by Sean DL | November 14, 2007 10:49 PM
Posted on November 14, 2007 22:49
Mayor John Street, Governor Rendell and Sugarhouse casino held a closed-door unpublicized meeting to develop the strategy to give away 11 acres of public land, a strategy that unfolds today in Room 114 of the Convention Center. This planning process celebrated transparency and the public's right to participate and know what its government is doing after all that is good planning.
That standing up to let the public know about a public meeting that concerns the implementation of the riverfront plan that 4,000 residents participated in could be called an act of terrorism is absurd and demonstrates how desperate the very few pro-casino folks have become.
There are 52 days left in Mayor Corrupt Street's administration. He is a lackey for Rendell and the casinos. We will continue to stand up whenever necessary and testify to the needs of this city and to do what is best for our city and our neighborhoods. This plan is meaningless if it does not guide development and that includes the need to resite uses like 10-story tall, 5000 car parking garages and casinos that go against the values of the plan, period.
I am glad I stood up to tell the public what they had a right to know, it is something the organizers of last night's event should have announced in the spirit of planning our riverfront.
Posted by Jethro Heiko | November 15, 2007 6:53 AM
Posted on November 15, 2007 06:53
I totally identify with the issues that Casino-Free Philadelphia stands for. They are fostering democracy in this town and in this state. I hope they succeed. One way to resolve this would be to have a public referendum. Why is the government so afraid of that? The public officials are too chicken to either raise taxes or trim their budgets. We need new leaders.
Posted by david berns | November 16, 2007 10:59 PM
Posted on November 16, 2007 22:59