| Sign up | Log in | Forgot Password |
Opinion
Casinos may harm, not help Philadelphia economically
Posted by Frederic Murphy
Wednesday, 01/23/08
(1201108477422)
|
The two casinos licensed for Philadelphia--Foxwoods and
SugarHouse--say that they will benefit our local economy. Should we
believe these claims before the casinos are built?
I have looked at the casinos’ claims. They are long on promise but will be short on delivery. Over the past 30 years I have done economic policy analyses and I have examined economic impact statements written in sup ...Read entire story |
Opinion
So Long Saylor: Vote "NO" on Supreme Court Justice Saylor
Posted by Daniel Hunter
Tuesday, 10/30/07
(1193755365657)
|
The guy who stole your vote, does not deserve yours: On November 6th, vote NO on Justice Thomas G. Saylor On November 6th, Casino-Free Philadelphia urges you to go to the polls and vote NO on Supreme Court Justice Thomas G. Saylor. We take this extraordinary step because Justice Saylor supported the completely undemocratic manner in which casinos are being forced on to our city. His sup ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Gaming Board: we don't want to hear from citizens
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 09/12/07
(1189628093982)
|
Webmaster's note September 13, 2007--a problem with being a participant in a story is that you miss a lot of the action. This Daily News report, while somewhat condescending in tone, paints a fuller picture of what happened than what I wrote below in the heat of the moment. I an ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Did Fumo keep his promise?
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Tuesday, 07/24/07
(1185302596286)
|
July 24, 2007 State Senator Vincent J. Fumo RE: Your legislation to protect neighborhoods from casinos (SB 1031 and SB 1032) Dear Sen. Fumo: As I understand it, you promised to introduce legislation designed to keep casinos out o ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Planning Commission does nothing
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Monday, 07/23/07
(1185217807709)
|
The Planning Commission last week put off approving zoning for the Foxwoods Philadelphia Casino until its next meeting on August 21, 2007. The move followed a four hour meeting on July 17, 2007 during which neighbors kept up a steady stream of insults, commentary and humorous barbs directed towards the Casino's representatives and to a lesser extent the Planning Commission itself. Foxwoods r ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Request for Foxwoods Casino Plans
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Tuesday, 07/10/07
(1184072635522)
|
July 9, 2007
Ms. Janice Woodcock Re: Request for Foxwoods Casino’s Plan of Development Dear Ms. Woodock: The Planning Commission will consider next week whether to approve the Plan of Development for Foxwoods Philadelphia Casino. On behalf of the ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Why I am withdrawing from my casino law suit
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Wednesday, 04/25/07
(1177504510253)
|
Seven weeks ago I filed a law suit with other community leaders in challenging the decision of the state Gaming Board to locate two Las Vegas size casinos in residential neighborhoods. At my direction, my attorney filed ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Existing Zoning Would Prohibit Any North Delaware Casino
Posted by Catherine M. Recker, Esq.
Tuesday, 04/03/07
(1175608473428)
|
The Commonwealth, through the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and Sugarhouse Casino have shut their eyes to a local prohibition against siting a casino on North Delaware Avenue. In the first legal challenge to Act 71 brought by Pennsylvanians Against Gambling Expansion, the Supreme Court unequivocally restored the right to control zoning issues to the localities in which the Pennsylvania ...Read entire story |
Opinion
"I'm going to fight this war until the end"
Posted by Councilman Frank DiCicco
Thursday, 03/08/07
(1173386545790)
|
Councilman DiCicco made the following remarks on Council's floor this morning concerning the need for the City of Philadelphia to protect its citizens from the two Las Vegas size casinos planned for the Delaware riverfront. Since last week a lot has happened on the gaming issue and I want to take this opportunity to bring all of you up to date and to give you my thoughts on it. ...Read entire story |
Opinion
An Open Letter to the Philly Casino Investors
Posted by Anne Dicker, Jethro Heiko, Daniel Hunter
Friday, 03/02/07
(1172844296882)
|
Today Sugarhouse Casino's lawyers "in collaboration" with Foxwoods Casino's attorneys announced a challenge to the 27,254 citizen signatures supporting a Charter Amendment. These signatures were gathered across Philadelphia by city residents seeking to give Philadelphians a chance to vote on whether or not casinos should be built nearby residential neighborhoods, schools, places of worship, and ...Read entire story |
Opinion
My Request to Senator Fumo
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Friday, 10/20/06
(1161360065726)
|
October 20, 2006
Senator Vincent J. Fumo Re: Request to be included in the legislative process Dear Senator Fumo: If I understand your web site correctly, a new Senate amendment will restore my rights and those of the City I live in to regulate casino zoning and safety. While I assume you sincerely belie ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Ed, we need your help
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Thursday, 10/12/06
(1160651904259)
|
The following is my letter to Governor Ed Rendell asking him to talk sense to the Gaming Board. Hon. Edward G. Rendell VIA FAX 1-717-787-4590 Re: Public access to the Gaming Board’s case files Dear Governor Rendell: I am deeply concerned about whether the Gaming Board will provide the public with mean ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Taking away Philadelphia's power to regulate casinos
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Tuesday, 09/26/06
(1159280188537)
|
Letter to State Senator Vincent J. Fumo. September 26, 2006 ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Philadelphia Judges Strip Community Associations of Standing
Posted by Mary Tracy
Friday, 07/21/06
(1153493945988)
|
Court decisions handed down this week by Philadelphia Judges will have a chilling effect on the longstanding rights of community organizations and neighborhood groups to appeal variances granted by the Zoning Board. Common Pleas Judge Joseph Dych ruled that: “…citizens of Philadelphia are no longer afforded standing to protest zoning decisions based upon their status as taxpayers.” ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Homeowner to Gaming Board: let me speak
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Sunday, 06/25/06
(1151267487982)
|
A Philadelphia homeowner has invoked his right to address the Gaming Board at its next public meeting. "Please let me know by 5:00 pm, June 26, 2006, how the Board intends to meet its legal responsibility to provide the public with an opportunity to comment at its public meetings," wrote Jethro Heiko in a letter to Gaming Board Chairman Tad Dec ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Gaming Board must get serious about providing public information
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Monday, 06/12/06
(1150127748860)
|
"Until I dealt with the Gaming Board, I've never had a problem obtaining a transcript of a public hearing held nearly two months in the past." So begins a letter by Hallwatch webmaster Ed Goppelt to Gaming Board Chairman Tad Decker and his colleagues on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
Since its creation the Gaming Board has consistently failed to provide the public with the i
...Read entire story |
Opinion
Letter to Senator Fumo & Others
Posted by Ed Goppelt webmaster@hallwatch.org
Wednesday, 05/31/06
(1149078950563)
|
Webmaster's note: the following letter was faxed to 46 city
and state legislators today. Senator Vincent J. Fumo's copy of the
letter is shown here because, perhaps more than any other official,
Fumo is responsible for bringing legalized gambling to Pennsylvania.
In a press release, Fumo describes himself as "
...Read entire story |
Opinion
The Inquirer's Casino Coverage
Posted by Ed Goppelt
Monday, 05/22/06
(1148323427515)
|
500 Philadelphians turned out on Saturday to protest the introduction of a Las Vegas sized casino into one of Philadelphia's residential neighborhood. Although the demonstration against the proposed Foxwoods casino shut down traffic on Columbus Blvd. for the better part of an hour, you wouldn't know any of this if you read the Inquirer. On its face, the failure of the Inquirer to cover a ...Read entire story |
Opinion
Gaming Board policy silences dissident Philadelphians
Posted by Ed Goppelt (webmaster@hallwatch.org)
Thursday, 05/18/06
(1147964879248)
|
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board continues to make life difficult for Philadelphians who question the wisdom of placing large Las Vegas sized casinos in their residential neighborhoods. Although two of the Philly casino applicants--Foxwoods and Pinnacle--have yet to provide neighbors with detailed traffic studies, the Gaming Board has shown no willingness to postpone its June 2 deadline f ...Read entire story |
Opinion
The Gaming Out-of-Control Board
Posted by Diane Berlin
Thursday, 04/27/06
(1146172918787)
|
CasinoFreePA today called for an immediate investigation of the hiring and administrative practices of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. CasinoFreePA coordinator Dianne Berlin reiterated her organization's request in the wake of the fourth arrest of a Gaming Control Board employee in less than ...Read entire story |