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Community leaders denounce Fumo amendment
By Ed Goppelt
Thursday, 09/28/06
(1159482491119)
A half dozen community leaders held a press conference at Broad and
Spring Garden today to denounce legislation which would strip the City
of its power to regulate the casinos within its borders. The state
Senate voted 50-0 yesterday to pass Senate
Bill 862, a 149 page grab bag of various gambling reforms.
The leaders objected to an 11 page amendment by state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo of Philadelphia which takes away the City's power to set zoning and safety rules for the casinos. Fumo's amendment also takes away residents' right to raise casino related issues with the City zoning board.
View a video of excerpts from the press conference:
In a press release yesterday Fumo blamed the state House of Representatives for taking away the City's zoning power and portrayed himself as having restored some power to the City by virtue of having included a few dimensional restrictions from the City zoning code for casinos.
Community leader Vern Anastasio suggested in an email that Fumo may have engaged in a bit of political theater with his proteges Councilman Frank DiCicco and Jim Kenney. "This entire political stunt insults the intelligence of the people of this city! Who dares to stand up and tell the truth?" wrote Anastasio.
At least for public consumption the two City Councilmen and Senator Fumo are on opposite sides of the issue of whether the City should retain its zoning power. Councilman DiCicco recently set up a web site, fightforphilly.com, which opposes Fumo's amendment but which neglects to identify Fumo as the author of, and moving force behind, the zoning preemption amendment. Instead the web site directs visitors to contact Governor Ed Rendell. DiCicco's campaign committee, which owes Fumo's campaign $20,000 according to public records, paid for the web site.
Matt Ruben, chair of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association Casino Committee described SB 862 as "a pernicious land grab and a potential destruction of quality of life for those us who live on the riverfront and throughout the City."
Anne Dicker, of Neighbors Allied for the Best Riverfront, described the degree of community opposition to the legislation: "I have 50 of 288 letters written to Sen. Fumo and Ed Rendell over the last 48 hours demanding that they not strip local zoning control."
Rene Goodwin, Chair of Riverfront Communities United, joked that "politicians are like diapers--they need to be changed often and for the same reason."
Mike O'Brien, victor of the democratic primary for state representative of Fishtown and other river wards, said "I've been in Harrisburg for 2 days. You're making an impact. You're doing a good job." O'Brien was referring to the letters
The Rev. Jesse Brown of the Multi-Community Alliance, A. J. Thomson of Fishtown Neighbors Association, and Richard Thom of Olde City Civic Association also addressed the press conference which included representatives of KYW (read KYW's report), City Paper and one TV station.
Neither the Daily News nor the Inquirer sent any reporters. The two papers are located 14 blocks away from the site of the press conference.