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Faxes Sent to Vincent J. Hughes

Letters

From:	T
To:	Senator Hughes
Date:	Friday, 06/27/08
Subject:	Please support John Perzel's bill to eliminate parole and early releases for violent criminals

In the fallout three violent criminals who shot a Philadelphia
police officer, who later died, some time ago, this needs to be
a wake up call for politician in Harrisburg to eliminate parole
and early releases for violent criminals. One way to do that is
to support John Perzel's bill that would eliminate parole, thus
making violent criminals serve out their entire sentences. It
would go a long way of making the streets everywhere much safer
due to criminal being in jail for a long time to come.

Tamir Adams-El
Overbrook

Dear Senator Hughes:

Native American language being used as code was made famous by
the Navajos in WWII. Their service was recognized with medals
in 2000. However, members of other Native American tribes also
used their languages as unbreakable top-secret codes in WWI and
WWII.

Choctaws were the first to use their Native language as ‘code”
to transmit messages on the field. Ironically, these men
voluntarily served this country and used their own language to
help win the war six years before the Native American
Citizenship Act. It is also ironic that at the same time the
Choctaw language was being used to benefit the war effort,
Native languages were being banned in government schools.

All of the Choctaw Code Talkers are now deceased. Only a few
living children remain. Recognition of these men is needed now,
before the children’s generation is lost. HB 4544 and S 2681
allows a gold medal to be presented to each tribe, with a
silver duplicate medal presented to individual Code Talkers or
their families. Bronze medals will be sold by the United States
Mint, and all costs will come from the revolving fund for such
activities of the Treasury, with no appropriations necessary.

The honor is long overdue.

Copy of Legislation
http://thomas.loc.gov

I am writing today to inform you, in no uncertain terms, that I
expect House Bill 2420 to pass, and to go into effect in time for
the 2010 census and the subsequent statewide redistricting.

Gerrymandering is an extremely serious problem in the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that robs voters of fair
representation. The fact that Philadelphia has some of the most
gerrymandered districts in the entire country makes this issue
that much more important to me, and to many people I know.

I imagine you are already familiar with all the facts, and why
the bill should be supported, but I'll provide some documentation
anyway:

http://www.avencia.com/Portals/0/Press/2006_11_02%20Inquirer_Gerrymandering_original.pdf
http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/20080510_Chris_Satullo__You_can_help_to_kill_the_evil_gerrymander.html
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/20080503_Chris_Satullo__Stop_the_gerrymander.html

Dear Governor Rendell:
Please stop pressuring City Council to bend to your will!
They know what their constituents want, and we don't want the
state butting into our business! It is hard enough for them to
do their job without your interference - especially when it
comes to deciding where to put casinos! They are not
financially supportive of our local economy, (this is not Las
Vegas) and will cause traffic congestion, put local business
out of business, create gambling addiction problems, crime,
bankruptcy, and alcoholism that will cost us additional taxes.
Please take this into consideration.
Thank you.

Dear Governor Rendell:

Again I write to state that the fusion of gambling and
government interests is a terrible mistake. Whether it's the
city government or the state government that is bonded together
with the gamblers makes little difference in the long run.

I believe it is courageous of Mayor Nutterto hold up the
construction of the casinos in Philadelphia. I hope he keeps
the casino interests on hold for a long time.

Dear Governor Rendell:

I am very disappointed to hear that you want to invalidate the
hard work our Council members have put into listening to their
constituents about the casinos. We love our town and have great
ideas for how it can grow. Siting casinos where they are not
wanted is a recipe for major disrespect for you.

Moreover, in the primaries last May, we had the most democratic
of elections about the casinos with the Philly Ballot Box
initiative and it overwhelming showed people don't want to see
casinos in the proposed two locations. Please listen to what your
constituents are saying and work with us to find alternatives.
Regardless of where you site the casinos in Philadelphia, jobs
will be provided.

Thank you.
Adam Eyring
East Falls

Dear Governor Rendell:
I am writing as one of the 1.5 million constituents of our
courageous City Council led by Councilman Frank DiCicco and our
elected representatives in the General Assembly (Senator Fumo,
and Representatives O’Brien, Keller and Josephs) and of our
newly-elected Mayor Michael Nutter, who are united with PNA in
an effort to re-site the casinos.

Your intemperate and misplaced attack this week is not
appreciated by the residents of Philadelphia, who have worked
for over a year to relocate the two casinos in Philadelphia away
from neighborhoods.

You, and the casino operators, stand alone in the way of moving
these slots parlors to more appropriate locations. Please direct
your efforts, and the considerable goodwill you have as the most
popular politician in Pennsylvania in the last thirty years, to
finding a better location for the casinos and for creating a
waterfront which will be a valued legacy to good planning and
good government.

Respectfully,

Dear Governor Rendell:
How about a casino where you live? No casino in Phila! Ever!@

Dear Governor Rendell:

Michael Nutter and city council are acting in the best interest
of Philadelphians by taking a closer look at the impact that
Casinos would have on our riverfront. To allow these entities to
hastily be approved would be a disaster for this city given the
scope and location of each of the proposed projects. It's ashame
that those who govern have forgotten that they represent the best
interest of their consituents, NOT special interests. It's OK if
these special interests loose millions because they can afford
it. The people of philadelphia cannot!!

Dear Governor Rendell:

I am writing as one of the 1.5 million constituents of our
courageous City Council led by Councilman Frank DiCicco and our
elected representatives in the General Assembly (Senator Fumo,
and Representatives O’Brien, Keller and Josephs) and of our
newly-elected Mayor Michael Nutter, who are united with PNA in an
effort to re-site the casinos.

Your intemperate and misplaced attack this week is not
appreciated by the residents of Philadelphia, who have worked for
over a year to relocate the two casinos in Philadelphia away from
neighborhoods.

You, and the casino operators, stand alone in the way of moving
these slots parlors to more appropriate locations. Please direct
your efforts, and the considerable goodwill you have as the most
popular politician in Pennsylvania in the last thirty years, to
finding a better location for the casinos and for creating a
waterfront which will be a valued legacy to good planning and
good government.

Respectfully,

David Butler
448 Krams Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19128-3310
d.m.butler@dbut.net

Dear Senator Hughes,

My family is considering having the (full name above) Citizens
Crime Commission administer our reward ($25,000) offering for
information regarding the death of our son.

As you have apparently worked with this organization, we felt
that you could let us know if you have found them to be
trustworthy and professional in your dealings with them. Is
there any advice you could offer us before we contract them to
handle this for us. http://www.crimecommission.org/
Respectfully,
Thomas and Kathleen Graff

Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:
Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:

I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of committee before the end of the year.

HB 1477 is common sense legislation that deserves your wholehearted support. I
urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of committee at your next committee meeting.

Thank you.

Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:

The Bible calls me a "pilgrim" and says that I should
"abstain from fleshly lusts" and that my way of life should
be free from greed. I loathe the construction of casinos
in Philadelphia. If need be the United States Constitution
should be amended to be more friendly to the true religion
taught in the Bible, so we could all find joy reflecting on
God's mighty works rather than worrying whether some gambling
addict will sink even lower in sin and prey on children too.

As politicians stoop to any level to raise money for
themselves and their programs, their prestige will grow
even lower, except for positive Christian guys like Mike
Huckabee who stand up for righteousness.

HB 1477 creating a buffer around the casinos is a step
in the right direction, but you should do more.

Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:



I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of committee before the
end of the year.

The two Philadelphia casinos have refused to consider moving to
other more suitable sites. House Bill 1477 would protect
neighborhoods by requiring casinos to locate at least 1500 feet
away from any residence, church or school.

I expect my elected officials to look out for the best interests
of me and my family. Most especially, the General Assembly must
take steps to protect the children of Pennsylvania and the
neighborhoods in which they live from casinos.

HB 1477 is common sense legislation that deserves your
wholehearted support. I urge you to vote House Bill 1477 out of
committee at your next committee meeting.

Thank you very much for your time,
David Oberdoester

Dear Gaming Oversight Committee Member:

Philadelphia, especially center city, has come a long way in the
last decade. It was growing to be a cultural center where young
professionals and families would like to live. So, it saddens me
to see two casinos and maybe more in the future devastating the
growth of such a vibrant city. Short of stopping the influx of
casinos altogether, I urge you to please support keeping casinos
as far away from residential neighborhoods as possible.

--Cynthia Leung

Dear Mayor Street:
The land being signed over to these casinos is not yours to
give. Technically, it is state land. While you will not
personally have to wake up to it every day, the impact from
these gambling houses will be far-reaching and almost wholly
negative to the surrounding communities. Philadelphians are
struggling so much already with crime and pollution that I
shudder to think what the city will be like with the Casinos
factored in. We can learn a lesson from Atlantic City: the
people who are brought in by the prospect of winning big money
fast ARE NOT the type of people you want to come to your city.

It is a smack in the face to every man, woman and child in this
city that these land grabs are being pushed through by your
administration so quickly and with such little input from the
citizens that it will impact the hardest.

Show some respect for the people whose lives you are
endangering in the name of a bit more tourism revenue.

Sincerely,
Josh N.

Dear Mayor Street:

Dear Mayor Street:

I am concerned about the Commerce Dept.'s decision to hold a
public hearing Nov. 15 on SugarHouse Casino's application to
build its facility on state-owned riverfront lands. SugarHouse
has invoked an obscure state law in the hopes of obtaining from
the City that which it has thus been thus far been unable to
obtain from the Commonwealth.

I'd appreciate it if you could get back to me with answers to the
following questions before the hearing:

* Why not postpone the hearing until after Mayor Nutter takes
office in January since he is the one who will have to deal with
the casino issue for the next 4 years, at least?
* What are the terms under which members of the public may
address the hearing?
* Which officials will make the decision about whether to grant
SugarHouse permission to build on state riparian lands?
* When do you expect a decision on the license to be made?
* Is SugarHouse Casino expected to testify at the hearing?
* Does the Commerce Dept. consider impacted residents to be
interested parties for the purposes of this hearing?
* Will the hearing be videotaped and, if so, when will such
videotape be available to the public?
* Does the Sunshine Act apply to this hearing?
* Do the procedures found at 2 Pa.C.S.A. Section 551, et seq.,
apply to this hearing?

Thank you for considering this request that you clarify certain
aspects of your hearing. I look forward to hearing from you.

Dear Mayor Street:

Please hold off on any decision about the SugarHouse land
acquisition until Mayor Nutter takes office. The next mayor will
have to deal with these issues for years to come, he should make
the appropriate decision.

Dear Governor Rendell:

Don't let the casinos ruin our beautiful neighborhoods!!!
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:


support resiting both casinos more than 1,500 feet away from
neighborhoods if viable sites were identified
urge the casinos developers to consider such sites
make state resources available to enable the process
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.

Dear Governor Rendell:

I've read that you've given up trying to re-site the casinos out
of their South Philly neighborhoods. You were mayor for 8 years
and earned a reputation as a political leader who cared about the
city's future. These casinos will degrade the quality of life and
help impoverish the residents nearby. Would you buy a house near
a monstrosity of a building with all the attendant traffic?

Please redouble your efforts to put pressure on the corporations
before this travesty is finalized. These casinos will be a
terrible legacy from you to the residents who will suffer for years.

BD

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