| Sign up | Log in | Forgot Password |
Governor Ed Rendell told South Philadelphia resident Gaetano Piccirilli on October 9, 2007 he was giving up on his two month old effort to get the casinos to move.
Please take five minutes to write the Governor and ask what steps he took to get the casinos to move.
We know that Rendell wrote Foxwoods and SugarHouse a letter in which he asked them to move, but they "politely declined." We know that the Governor did not convene a blue ribbon panel on resiting as many had asked him to do. Did the Governor do anything else?
These seem like obvious questions but the Governor didn’t address them in his letter, despite the fact that 456 residents had asked him for a detailed report on his efforts to find new locations for the casinos.
For something this important, we deserve more than a three paragraph letter sent to a third party. As our Governor Ed Rendell is sworn to protect all Pennsylvanians, not just the casino owners. In their way, casinos are as dangerous to surrounding communities as a nuclear power plant. The least our Governor can do is to tell us what he did or did not do to help move the casinos a safe distance away from our neighborhoods.
Copy this simple message, then click here:
Dear Governor Rendell:
Nowhere else in this country have casinos been permitted to locate next to residential neighborhoods--only in Pennsylvania.
Please let me know what you are doing to right this wrong by relocating the casinos away from my neighborhood. I know from your letter of October 9 that you wrote the casinos and suggested that they move. What else did you do?
According to this Inquirer story from August 3 you promised neighborhood leaders that you would:
Please provide me with specific answers about what you did to keep each part of your promise to neighborhood leaders by October 22, 2007.
Casinos and neighborhoods do not mix. Councilman Frank DiCicco provided you on August 9 with other locations that would allow the casinos to make money, but also protect neighborhoods.
As a responsible and respected public official, I expect you to protect me and my family by requiring casinos to locate at least 1500 ft from all neighborhoods. Rep. Babette Joseph's House Bill 1477 would turn this common sense requirement into law. Since you say you have no power to force the casinos to move, I respectfully suggest that you take steps to obtain this power by making the passage of House Bill 1477 your number one goal in the legislature.
Thank you for your past support of Philadelphia's neighborhoods and for people--especially children--who live in them.
Thanks for taking the time to ask Governor Rendell what he has done to help move the casinos.
Mary Stumpf, Faxbank Manager
marstum @ gmail.com
