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to promote civic engagement in the Philadelphia region.Can we really start over on the casinos?
Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 at 12:28 pm - by Matt Campbell. Filed under: Casinos.
Image by Jeff Kubina
In December of 2006 the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board awarded 11 casino licenses. Two of them were for Philadelphia. In the board’s statement it expected Sugarhouse Casino to be open by April 2008 and Foxwoods later that year in November. The site for Sugarhouse is still flat except for a lot of dirt shuffled around. (looking for archeological valuables) and Foxwoods is even further behind after it agreed to consider a new site in the downtown Gallery Mall.
So this brings me to The Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial on Sunday “Start Over.”
Given the fierce opposition and costly litigation, the time seems right for all of the parties to go back to the drawing board. Re-opening the slots process isn’t ideal, but it’s better than continuing down a dead end.
Bottom line, if the city is going to be stuck with legalized slots parlors, it should at least get the locations right.
But are things really that messed up? Would the Gaming Control Board even go along with this? I left a message with the board but I won’t be surprised the answer I get is “When hell freezes over”. So between now and I’d like to get your take on a few things just to see if this is something worth exploring.
a) Should Philadelphia appeal to the state and ask to retake the test? (Since we didn’t like the results of the first site selection lets start over)
b) If we were able to do it all over again where would the two casinos go?
c) Do you think the anti-casino folks are standing in the way of shovel ready jobs?
d) Should Philadelphia block casinos even if it means breaking a state law regardless of the legal costs and political repercussions?
While you’re thinking about your answers, here are a few other recent developments on the effort to bring two casinos to Philly.
The city has spelled out what the process is for Foxwoods to get local approval. Keep in mind, this is just necessary paperwork, it’s the Gaming Control Board that will decide if Foxwoods can build at The Gallery Mall instead of in South Philly.
Earlier this month the folks at Sugarhouse threw a fit and pleaded with the PA Supreme Court to get someone to poke the City of Philadelphia with a cow prod to get their permitting process going.
January 21st, 2009 at 4:09 pm
Here are my responses:
a) I’m sorry but I don’t understand the question. What test?
b) Why immediately talk about location, when the first question is whether we should have casinos in Philly? If we are going to open up the law, let’s have a conversation about the fundamental questions.
c) If anyone wishes, here is a manual to help you get involved: https://salsa.democracyinaction.org/o/2168/images/CFP_NVDA_manual.pdf
d) Was it against the law for the colonists to Declare Independence from the British Crown? Seriously though, Philly can “block” casinos as you say, or, as another tact, elected officials could talk about changing the Gaming Law. If we can amend the Gaming Law, then there would be nothing to block.
I’ll close with a paragraph from Obama’s Inaugural Speech, as follows:
“What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them — that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works — whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. Those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held to account — to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day — because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.”
So . . . let’s get to work.
January 22nd, 2009 at 5:16 am
Hi Paul. Thanks for chiming in. I always appreciate your thoughts. Oh, when i wrote “a) Should Philadelphia appeal to the state and ask to retake the test?” I meant should we ask the Gaming Control Board if we can repeat the casino site selection process.