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Faxes Sent to Gary A. Sojka

Letters

From:	G
To:	Mr. Angeli, Ms. Colins, Senator Costa, Mr. Coy, Mr. McCabe, Representative Readshaw, Governor Rendell, Mr. Rivers, Mr. Sojka
Date:	Thursday, 07/17/08
Subject:	Pittsburgh Casino

Dear Gaming Boardmembers:
As a voting, tax payer I am urging you (The Gaming Control Board)
not to rush into giving Barden and Neil Bluhm control on the
Pittsburgh Casino. Mr. Barton casino license should be pulled.
Mr. Barden had no right to sell something that he doesn,t own. He
should have talked to the board before moving forward with Mr.
Bluhm. I feel that a investigation should be done to ensure the
voter of Pa. that honesty and integrity of the parties involved
will be for the voter of pa. and not for a couple of party members.
Also I feel that the bidder back in 2006 that bid for the casino
license should be contacted to see if they want to continue with
Mr. Barden Casino or start all over and use the building that Mr.
Barden started into a new hotel, that could be used for the sport
center and casino guest.

Thank You
Pa. Voter

Please no casinos near my house!

Dear Gaming Boardmembers
What would be involved to have Slot Machine Repair taught to
adults at our Technical School. Can you let me know if this is
possible? Thank you.

William Krzemien
Continuing Education Supervisor
North Montco Technical Career Center

Dear Gaming Boardmembers:

I am writing today to express my strong opinion against building
casinos in Fishtown. I Grew up in Fishtown, and own a business
here. I love my area and wouldn't ever consider leaving it until
now. I feel my opinions and other residents voices are not being
heard. Most people in our City/area are against the building of
these toxic casinos.


Philadelphia is so rich in history, and is a place people take
pride in their neighborhoods. I think the building of New huge
casino's, will destroy what makes Philadelphia a great family
oriented, historical valued, laid back, working class, City of
Pride.

Take away all the effort and residents opinions, and you will
turn my area into a crime ridden, gambling addicted, traffic
congested, named "party town"... just like the Atlantic City,
and Las Vegas. Why must we accept this as the only option?
Atlantic city is 1.5 - 2hr drive from Philadelphia, why must we
have this negativity in our own back yard? Are you ready to turn
Philadelphia into a classless place, you will be moving the
loyal, family oriented, pride filled people from their homes, to
find a less toxic place to live. Consider my opinions, as well
as my neighbors who are against the building of these Casinos in
Fishtown. Find another location that is appropriate to that type
of negativity, not where families, churches, schools have been
located for a century. Thank you for your time.

Dear Gaming Boardmembers:

I implore you to vote out HB 1477 that is sponsored by house
representative, Babette Josephs, to keep any gambling casinos, at
least 1500 feet from residences, schools, churches,playgrounds
and community centers,along Delaware avenue and Columbus Boulevard.

I feel the welfare of children,families,small businesses and
restaurants would suffer greatly with the presence of gambling
casinos in this area. Besides traffic nightmare, along Columbus
Boulevard and Delaware Avenue, there would be increased crime.
prostitution and drug trafficking. The revenue of small
businesses and restaurnants would decrease sharply and last but
not least the value of our homes would drop dramatically. This
would negate the hard work and sacrifice of many people to create
a safe and secure environment for thousands of citizens in this area.

I beleive that placing casinos in these areas would eventually
have a serious destructive social and economic effect, not unlike
a tsunami, that would start along the waterfront and advance
westward to Broad Street, and to the rest of the city! And this
in the birthplace of this country, in close proximity of
Independendence Hall, the Constitution Center, the Liberty
Bell,etc--all important and vital symbols of America.

Please take the appropriate action to see that this never
occurs! Thank you!

I would like to formally declare via this letter my strong
opposition to the decision to remove the referendum from the May
15 primary ballot and express my disbelief at the unfair and
undemocratic manner in which this whole process has been handled.
I am deeply ashamed that this state's officials would exclude
considering the opinions of the people who will be directly
affected by the proposed casino sites.

I moved to South Philadelphia five years ago. While most of my
friends who were starting families abandoned the City to move to
the suburbs, my husband and I decided to remain committed to
urban growth and revitalization in Philadelphia and invested in
this City by purchasing a small home on Snyder Avenue. My seven
year old daughter now attends a small parochial school that is
located on the corner of Moyamensing and Reed streets, a mere
FIVE blocks from the proposed site for the Foxwoods casino. I am
not only concerned for her safety, but for her quality of life as
she grows up in this neighborhood.

I plead with both the City Council, the Governor, the Mayor and
the Gaming Commission to reconsider the Foxwoods site--at least
for the sake of my daughter and the other children who live and
attend school in South Philadelphia.

Dear Gaming Boardmembers:

I am a resident of the Fishtown neighborhood in Philadelphia.
These days this neighborhood is often associated with the
future location of the Sugarhouse casino, but I want you to
know about the great things that have been happening here in
the past several years, that are now threatened by this new
casino.

In a city that has lost a quarter of its population since its
peak, Fishtown is a neighborhood that has been growing with an
influx of new artists, student and working professionals.
Houses are being rehabbed, new restaurants are opening, new
businesses are revitalizing the Girard Ave corridor. Now all of
this is being threatened by the prospect of a giant Casino in
our neighborhood.

Why would anyone want to move into a neighborhood where traffic
chokes residential streets. Where drunk people will be
stumbling around at all hours of night. Where prostitutes and
pawn shops become part of the landscape. We were never given a
chance to say if we wanted this at our doorsteps. There was no
statewide referendum like in every other state that legalized
casino gambling. When our city counsil unanimously placed a
referendum on the May 15th ballot, we finally thought we'd get
the chance to have out voices heard. Again, our right to vote
was taken away. I am not against casinos or gambling, but to
put a casino in a residential neighborhood is blatantly
irresponsible. If you believe in true democract and the ideals
upon this country is based, please give us back our right to
vote.

Sincerely,
Roman Strakovsky