Casino news source: Newsday - http://www.newsday.com
Casino protesters force early end to state gaming board meeting
By DEBORAH YAO | AP Business Writer
4:53 PM EDT, September 12, 2007
PHILADELPHIA - Anti-casino activists disrupted a state gaming board meeting on Wednesday and forced an early adjournment, signaling that the bitter grass roots battle against two city slots parlors is far from over.
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board meeting was halted about a third of the way through its agenda after about a dozen activists and residents spoke out against the proposed Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia and SugarHouse Casino.
"Casinos are going to bring economic ruin to Philadelphia," said Karim Olaechea, a member of Casino-Free Philadelphia, right before security escorted him out of the room.
The activists spoke out after the board's new chairwoman, Mary DiGiacomo Colins, touted the financial benefits of authorizing gambling in the Commonwealth. She said over $8 billion has been wagered in Pennsylvania slot machines since November and the state is on track to realize $1.7 billion in annual tax revenue.
Residents and activists have fought to keep casinos out of Philadelphia since the board awarded gaming licenses to the two companies in December.
One of the winning projects is backed by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which runs the huge Foxwoods Resort Casino on its Connecticut reservation and wants to build a casino in South Philadelphia. Neil G. Bluhm, a billionaire developer from Chicago, is the biggest investor in SugarHouse, which is to be built in the city's Fishtown neighborhood.
Both sites are on the Delaware River waterfront, not far from row upon row of brick townhouses.
The two casinos' winning bids were challenged in court by a rival applicant that lost out on a license. Last month, the state Supreme Court rejected the challenge.
Now, opponents are focusing on trying to force the casinos to build farther away from residential areas.
They are lobbying city officials against giving casinos the zoning changes and building permits needed for their waterfront locations. An unexpected ally had been the Philadelphia City Council, which has to approve the zoning changes.
In March, the council unanimously approved a ballot question proposed by casino opponents to prevent slots parlors from being built within 1,500 feet of schools, homes, places of worship and public gathering places. The ballot question was struck down by the Supreme Court before it could be voted on.
Foxwoods recently said that, unless it gets the permits, the gaming license is unusable.
At Wednesday's board meeting, gaming officials repeatedly tried to stick to business.
The meeting was halted when three casino opponents were escorted out of the room. The meeting was restarted, but regulators were quickly interrupted again by a handful of angry residents.
"All we want is a time to speak," said Chuck Valentine, who was wearing an "I (heart) Fishtown" T-shirt, his voice ringing out in the room. "Madam chairman, should we come to the next public meeting?"
The gaming board declared several recesses, asking the residents to sit down and observe proper decorum. When attempts to quiet them remained unsuccessful, Colins tried to engage in a kind of who-could-speak-louder contest with the residents.
"How are you today? I think you have to speak a little louder," Colins said to the next speaker, amid a low rumble of chuckles in the room as the residents continued to speak.
After a while, the chairwoman could take no more and called for adjournment.
Michael Izzo, chief financial officer of the Pennsylvania Harness Horsemen's Association, was one speaker who didn't get to talk to the board. He said he's grateful to the state for reviving racing.
"Racing has been depressed for so many years. Now, there's a resurgence," Izzo said. |
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