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Residents to city: we need your help with casinos
By Ed Goppelt
Thursday, 05/04/06
(1146710449893)
In a sign of mounting citizen concern about the introduction of casinos into residential neighborhoods, seven community leaders have publicly called on the city to help residents with the state gaming board and with the casino applicants.
"Philadelphia's residents and local businesspeople need ongoing support from the city if we are to have a chance of safeguarding community interests when dealing with the Pennsylvania Gaming Conrol Board [PGCB] and the casino operators," wrote the leaders in a letter delivered to the city last week.
14 state and city officials were copied on the letter.
Two recipients responded within 24 hours of receiving the letter: Shawn Fordham and Councilman Frank DiCicco.
Fordham offered to meet with the letter's authors minutes after receiving it on his blackberry.
Fordham is the former director of the Philadelphia Gaming Advisory Task Force (PGATF). He does not hold any official position with the city, but is expected to head the Philadelphia Gaming Commission (PGC), the successor organization to the PGATF.
On April 27--the day he received his copy of the letter--Councilman Frank DiCicco fired off eight letters to the Mayor and state leaders. Four of the five casinos proposed for Philadelphia lie in DiCicco's district. Two will eventually receive licenses from the state.
Four of the letter's six requests concern problems residents have run into with the state gaming board. The other requests call for the activation of the city's Gaming Commission by May 15. The commission is supposed to serve as a single point of contact for residents seeking the city's help on casino issues and for community representatives to be included in the commission.
"We need more time, information and resources to properly study and respond to the casinos proposals," wrote the community leaders including Matt Ruben, President of Northern Liberties Neighbors Association, Jethro Heiko chairman of NABR in Fishtown, and Ed Goppelt, founder of Hallwatch, among others.
The gaming board has been criticized in the past for not providing the public with timely information about the casinos and for discouraging public participation at its hearings.
The community leaders asked for the city's help in persuading the PGCB to:
DiCicco repeated each of these requests in his letters to state officials. "I hope it resonates throughout Harrisburg," said DiCicco in an interview. "I believe the community should be part of the process."
So far there a few signs that DiCicco's message is getting through. "None of the folks I have sent letters to have I heard back from," said DiCicco.
In his letters to officials DiCicco did not ask them to respond by a certain date. "There is nothing I can do to force them to respond," DiCicco explained.
DiCicco enjoys a close relationship with one of the state officials he contacted: state Senator Vincent Fumo. In past news reports, Fumo has been described as DiCicco's political ally and mentor.
In his letter to Fumo, DiCicco wrote "I strongly encourage you to amend the gaming act to postpone casino licensing until at least June 1, 2007."
But here again, DiCicco appears to have failed to get the attention of even a friend and ally. Fumo spokesman Gary Tuma hadn't heard of DiCicco's letter when Hallwatch called. DiCicco said he had not discussed his letter with Fumo prior to sending it.
The Gaming Board has repeatedly said it intends to issue licenses for stand alone slots parlors by December, 2006. Tuma said Fumo doesn't think the Gaming Board's timetable is realistic.
Rather the Senator thinks political gamesmanship involving the Governor's race as well as the sheer work load involved in evaluating the casino applications will push back licensing until June, 2007. There is therefore no need for legislation postponing casino licensing.
"Senator Fumo thinks there will be a deliberate effort on the part of the republicans to stall casino licensing until after the November election," said Tuma. "He doesn't believe that the republican appointees [to the Gaming Board] will allow Governor Rendell to claim credit for that before the election."
"Any license requires the approval of all four legislative appointees and one of the governor's appointees," said Tuma. As a result, a single legislative appointee to the Gaming Board could block a license by withholding his approval.
Meanwhile the seven community leaders have been unable to reach ex-city official Fordham to set up a meeting.