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"I'm going to fight this war until the end"
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.
On Friday, City Council provided another opportunity for our constituents to voice their concerns over gaming. As a result, Council's Committee on Law and Government voted unanimously to report the gaming referendum with a favorable recommendation.
Simultaneously, City Council's independent attorneys were completing our appeal to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. That appeal was filed on Friday afternoon. By Monday afternoon, four additional appeals had been filed – three by constituent groups and one by Riverwalk Casino.
Things seemed to be going well until Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the City Solicitor filed a Motion to Strike the "City of Philadelphia" from City Council's appeal. In his opinion, City Council exceeded its authority when we adopted a resolution that, and I quote, "Authorizes City Council to retain outside counsel to commence legal proceedings on behalf of the City of Philadelphia" end quote.
Maybe he's right. Maybe a unanimous vote by City Council, all of us representing our respective constituencies, maybe that's not enough to retain counsel on behalf of the City. Maybe that's strictly within the purview of the Mayor and the Solicitor.
Unfortunately, neither the Mayor nor the Solicitor has decided to stand up for our constituents. Despite admitting that the State process was flawed. Despite being unhappy with at least one of the decisions. Despite Gaming being only another example of Harrisburg trampling on the City's right to Home Rule – just like the State take-over of the School District, the Parking Authority and the Convention Center. Despite all those things, this Administration and our Law Department have chosen to passively accept the State's intrusion rather than fight.
I want all of my constituents to know, and I'm asking all of you to join me in saying, we will not abandon you. We will continue to fight for you. Because it's time for someone to defend Philadelphia for the sake of Philadelphians.
Something else happened on Tuesday, too.
The petitions that were gathered to place the gaming referendum on the May ballot were ruled invalid. Some people would like us to use that ruling as an excuse, as cover, to ignore our constituents' will.
Councilman Goode, however, said it best last Friday. The residents of Philadelphia deserve to have their voice heard on this issue. Maybe they'll support the initiative and maybe they won't. Either way, they deserve a voice. And if our State Representatives and Senators don't agree to give them a voice, then it's our job to insure that they're heard.
I find it ironic, because we're going to stand up for our constituents, we're going to be accused of "running for the hills." Of course, we need to remember that those words are coming from the people who sent private investigators and attorneys door-to-door. They're the people that dragged an elderly blind woman out in the snow for dramatic effect. They're the people that, when their own petition was being challenged, they had a very friendly judge allow them to withdraw their witness and their evidence by making a very friendly suggestion and ruling.
For the record, and I want it to be heard in the Law Offices of Philadelphia, in the halls of the capitol, in the woods of Connecticut, and perhaps most importantly, in the streets of Chicago, it's those tactics that guarantee that I'm going to fight this war until the end.
And I'll be asking all of you to join me in voting in favor of the referendum next week.
It's time for someone to stand up because we're the last line of defense.