A Declaration of Independence from Casinos: Casino-Free Philadelphia

[lmollot]

yah- oand were all gonna be equal- plus i have lots of booze to sell - where was she when families ruined by useless war and rich orphanages & boaring schools/ fathers-who CAUSE childrens compulsive behavior stress behaviors-banks keep making -homeless landless- & we pick on casinos "imoral" targets- why too coward to attack the people who CAUSE the traumas? prevention is the only sane effective solution-do it

[johnnybroadst]

I think the long-term influx of cash and visitors has to be considered. There are trade-offs with every decision. The wisdom of this will play out in the long term, one way or the other. I'm for anything that makes Philly more of a destination for e previously unserved market. Especially one that spends as much money as gambler. I always feel that the presence of casinos is far less dangerous than the poor handling of them once in place.Philly just needs to stay on top of the situation.

[CasinoFreePhilly]

@johnnybroadst Absolutely, Philly does need to stay on top of the situation. It sounds like we're in agreement there. As the Inquirer editorialized this morning, "The vocal casino opponents who fought the good fight did delay SugarHouse's opening. That's a victory of sorts. Now, their vow to monitor inevitable problems stemming from casino gambling in Philadelphia must become the mantra of city officials, too." Hope you'll join us in pressing the city to monitor this.

[johnnybroadst]

...and restaurant chains paint their walls colors that make people want to eat....and movie directors edit trailers to make you think a movie is amazing....and the Army glorifies their operation so young people to sign up....it goes on and on. I'm not sure why it's Sugarhouse's job to be the watchdog for the individual. I have a weight issue. It's not Stephen Starr's fault because his restaurant will bring me whatever I order. And I'm pretty sure a lot of his spots get government "perks"

[CasinoFreePhilly]

@johnnybroadst Indeed, the question is whether the city of Philadelphia should be financially supporting such a business -- and at the expense of things like fire stations, libraries and hospitals. According to Pennsylvania's own study, casinos in Philadelphia will displace more than twice the number of jobs they create -- resulting in a net loss of jobs. Is this really what the city should be promoting?

[johnnybroadst]

Wow. Let's do away with all the bad things and insulate people from danger at every turn....no matter how lucrative it may be, and how much good the additional cashflow can do for the people on the whole.

If these people think stopping the casinos will save problem gamblers and those with addictive personalities from themselves, they're barking up the wrong tree. I can bet games and numbers 25 steps from my front door....and I live in a good neighborhood, kids.

[CasinoFreePhilly]

@johnnybroadst SugarHouse offers free alcohol as a way to stoke addiction among their clients. SugarHouse forces people into bankruptcy in a single night by allowing people to play slots on credit. SugarHouse risks the health of their patrons and workers by ignoring the city's smoking ban.

The issue isn't allowing people to gamble (certainly, people can and should be able to do as they wish). The issue is our city financing a predatory industry that cultivates addiction.