Yesterday, Gov. Ed Rendell lambasted Philadelphia’s City Council over its refusal to let two casinos start building. According to the Metro, Rendell called them a “City Council with no guts that can be extorted by community groups.”
Of course, the groups in question could be any “community” groups — you know, like Hugs for Puppies. But the implication is that Rendell was referring to the browbeating superheroes of Casino-Free Philadelphia. They, in turn, issued this statement via e-mail about the Guv: (more…)
On Sunday night at the Borgata, legendary mascaraed diva Diana Ross kept the capacity crowd of 2,400 on their feet as she wriggled and writhed her way through the best of her catalog — from her days with the Supremes to her channeling of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues to her stab at being a disco queen — and through a series of garish, glitzy, high-slitted gowns (in which the impressively bottomed 63-year-old still looks damn fine).
Daniel Hunter, one of the organization’s lead sled dogs, says he’d actually prefer a “slap in the face” than agree with the state Supreme Court’s ruling on the issue. “They’re systematically saying, over the course of the last couple months, that the voters of Philadelphia have no authority to deal with this issue,” Hunter tells the Daily Examiner. “Now they’re saying City Council has no power.”
So now it’s power-to-the-people-with-no-delay time. The CFers are planning emergency training sessions and holding a City Hall press conference tomorrow to keep up the spirited push-back against the dastardly casinos and their shady development teams. And, Hunter says, if the groundbreaking does begin sometime in the near future, there will, in fact, be protesters lying down in front of bulldozers and dump trucks and any other large vehicle attempting to drag one piece of metal onto the site on Delaware Avenue. For real.
“It’s a stall tactic,” Hunter says. He personally hasn’t done it before, but he does offer suggestions on how best to Tiananmen Square dat ass: “Be big. Wear something bright.”
SugarHouse began the strong-arming phase of its attempt to erect a casino along the Delaware yesterday by filing a suit against the city in an effort expedite the zoning legislation process so they can get building, damn it.
The casino-thwarting loudmouths of Casino-Free Philadelphia scored a minor victory last night in Scranton when Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board chair Mary Colins actually allowed them to speak. She also denied both SugarHouse and Foxwoods an extension on their $50 million casino license fees. Hooray. Perhaps those chaos classes CFP held on Monday actually worked out?
Both Daniel Hunter and partner-in-foe-dom Jethro Heiko got a chance to address the PGCB for 21 minutes, passionately reiterating the awfulness of Foxwoods and SugarHouse and explaining how personally slighted they’ve been during the whole approval process. Thankfully, no one was arrested or escorted out of the meeting — this time.
Hunter tells the Daily Examiner that last night showed legitimate progress in what had appeared to be a futile battle: “I think actually it’s a big victory because the PGCB and Mary Colins are taking a different stance. Most of us had figured that SugarHouse would get they want. I was surprised to watch the board take in what was clearly new information.”
Hunter added that board members seemed quite flustered when Heiko threatened to block the construction roads with 25 people if SugarHouse continued to get built. Should we be expecting our own little Tiananmen Square on Delaware Avenue? “I don’t think they’ll have tanks, ” Hunter says. “I just think it’s going to be a hard journey for SugarHouse from now on. The easiest path for them is to reconsider.”
Anti-casino stormtroopers are braying “Victory!” after City Council canceled its September 21st public hearing on bills related to SugarHouse’s casino application. A post on Young Philly Politics, quoting shadowy “political insiders,” claims that “SugarHouse requested the delay after they unsuccessfully tried to force the Fishtown Neighbors Association to the negotiation table.” Philebrity piles on the rumor mill by saying essentially the same thing. SugarHouse representatives have yet to return an Examiner e-mail request for comment.
Elsewhere on the spirited protest front, Casino-Free Philadelphia and other community groups plan to swarm a “rules hearing” at City Hall tomorrow to “lobby members of City Council and to ask for their continued support for re-siting SugarHouse and Foxwoods casinos.”
The party starts at 10 a.m., across from the Dunkin’ Donuts at the northeast section of City Hall. Bring your yelling pants.
As published in an e-mail blast two days ago, Casino-Free Philadelphia is planning to aggressively prep protesters for a trip to Scranton on October 2nd to (once again) voice their displeasure directly to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board about the locations of the SugarHouse and Foxwoods casino, the unfairness of the approval process, etc., etc.
The PGCB is adamant that CFPites can’t address the board publicly, but insists they’re not disrespecting citizens’ rights — they’re just following orders. In an e-mail to the Daily Examiner, PGCB communications director Douglas Harbach shared a letter sent to CFP that the board considers the best representation of its position:
At this time, there are petitions pending before the Board for each of these two license holders approved to operate slot machine facilities in the City of Philadelphia. As such, it is inappropriate for the Board to accept public comment regarding the Philadelphia Category 2 licensees.
We welcome you and others to come to our meeting so you can witness the business of this Board. In addition, we will be offering some presentations that I am sure will be of interest. I certainly hope that those individuals for whom you are associated will show the proper decorum expected at a public meeting of this nature.
Harbach told the Daily Examiner yesterday that although the PGCB is aware Casino-Free will be in attendance, the course of action the board will take if there’s another public disruption occur hasn’t been discussed. “We have a lot of important matters here,” Harbach said. “We have regulations that have to be approved, we have presentations some that failed to go off last time, we have our work to do to prepare for a public meeting, which is our obligation first and foremost.”
Harbach added that he feels the PGCB has been and is currently “very transparent” about its policies and how it’s handled the SugarHouse and Foxwoods casino motions.
It’s probably a safe bet Casino-Free Philly feels differently about that fact.
Raucous rabble-rousers of Fishtown unite! The Casino-Free Philly movement, fresh off its highly entertaining “removal” from last week’s Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board meeting, is taking some steps to prep its participants for the next PGCB ambush in Scranton on October 2nd.
In an e-mail blast this afternoon, the feisty CFP mentioned that it will hold some simple direct-action “training” on October 1st to make sure anti-SugarHouse soldiers will be well versed in defending their rights as citizens. Other topics to be covered, says CFP capo Daniel Hunter, include helpful hints on “what it’s like to be escorted out by police” and “what to do if you’re arrested.”
Hunter says he’s not sure if the group will be greeted with the same public stiff-arming as last week, but he seemed hopeful that PGCB board chair Judge Mary Colins would fulfill her promise to “maybe” let them speak. He also tells the Daily Examiner his highly evolved opinion on why the board has been so resistant to public outcries about the impending SugarHouse takeover:
“I think they detest the public. I actually think, as an institution, I think the board has no regard for the public. I genuinely believe that.”
Hunter insists that CFP members are not just a bunch of hopped-up Constitutionalists looking to stir shit up, and that the group is planning this latest (and future) direct action only because every other channel has been exhausted.
Rally ’round tha family, pocket full of shells, etc.
Although the demonstrations between those for and against the SugarHouse (or “SugarHell,” depending on how long you’ve been in the neighborhood) casino site on Delaware Avenue have been contentious, it didn’t turn bar-brawl ugly until this past weekend, when an anti-SugarHouse “peaceful” protester was, apparently, attacked by pro-casino rallyers. Last night’s protest at Delaware and Frankford avenues had its share of Fishtown bluster but didn’t come to blows, unfortunately.
The most interesting part was how, by sight only, you could determine which protester was pro-Sugar and which was anti-. The pro-casino folks tend to be the Fishtown lifers — some replete with various forms of calf tattoos, earrings, work boots and soft-pack cigs. The antis are your Northern Liberties young’uns. (As one pro-Sugar demonstrator pointed out to a scraggly bearded anti-Sugar: “You’ve been here since ‘92? My dog’s been here longer than you.”) Local photog Jonathan Rubin was there and posted his photo account of the event.
That’s what this all comes down too, really: If you weren’t in Fishtown during its really dirty years, you have no right to complain about a casino being constructed a butt-flick from your house. You don’t know real Fishtown riffraff, Mr. Ponytailed Man With a Stroller. The SugarHouse slot-mongers will be nothing compared to what it was like in ‘72.
Foxwoods Resort Casino will pay $1 million to the Special Services District in Pennsport to cover improvements around the area of Reed and Columbus, just 500 feet from the proposed site of its noisy, money-sucking vagrant magnet.
Yesterday, Gov. Ed Rendell lambasted Philadelphia’s City Council over its refusal to let two casinos start building. According to the Metro, Rendell called them a “City Council with no guts that can be extorted by community groups.” 
On Sunday night at the Borgata, legendary mascaraed diva Diana Ross kept the capacity crowd of 2,400 on their feet as she wriggled and writhed her way through the best of her catalog — from her days with the Supremes to her channeling of Billie Holiday in Lady Sings the Blues to her stab at being a disco queen — and through a series of garish, glitzy, high-slitted gowns (in which the impressively bottomed 63-year-old still looks damn fine).
With their latest e-mail blast — “DO NOT BOW TO UNJUST DECISIONS” — it’s obvious that the Casino-Free Philadelphia folks are fired up about the 
SugarHouse began the strong-arming phase of its attempt to erect a casino along the Delaware yesterday by filing a suit against the city in an effort expedite the zoning legislation process so they can get building, damn it. 
The casino-thwarting loudmouths of Casino-Free Philadelphia scored a minor victory last night in Scranton when Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board chair Mary Colins actually allowed them to speak. She also denied both SugarHouse and Foxwoods an extension on their $50 million casino license fees. Hooray. Perhaps those 
Anti-casino stormtroopers are braying “Victory!” after City Council canceled its September 21st public hearing on bills related to SugarHouse’s casino application. A post on 
As published in an e-mail blast two days ago, 
Although the demonstrations between those for and against the SugarHouse (or “SugarHell,” depending on how long you’ve been in the neighborhood) casino site on Delaware Avenue have been contentious, it didn’t turn bar-brawl ugly until this past weekend, when an anti-SugarHouse 
Foxwoods Resort Casino will pay $1 million to the Special Services District in Pennsport to cover improvements around the area of Reed and Columbus, just 500 feet from the proposed site of its noisy, money-sucking vagrant magnet.