http://www.CasinoFreePhila.org We seek to embolden one Philadelphia elected official — a Philadelphia politician representing us in City Hall, Harrisburg or even Washington — to publicly adopt the position that casinos, no matter the location, would be bad for Philadelphia.
Learn more about how you can get involved at http://www.CasinoFreePhila.org/declaration
TEXT OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE FROM CASINOS
When in the course of a citys life, it becomes necessary for its citizens to band together and demand that their home be respected and their neighborhoods valued above the desires of the predatory gambling trade, those citizens have the right to expect that their representatives will stand with them and defend their interests.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that our government should serve the needs of the people, that the workings of any government claiming to be democratic must be transparent to all, that initiatives should serve the interests of people, safe and secure in their communities, and not the inverse, and that the good of the people is the standard by which all public policy should be measured.
The recent history of governing Philadelphia is a history of repeated concealment, undemocratic decision-making, and the dismissal of the needs of its people and their neighborhoods. With respect to predatory gambling, this history includes numerous injuries against the public good, including:
* The enactment of Pennsylvanias Gaming Act, without any public input, without any debate, testimony or cost-benefit analysis, in the dead of night, on the weekend of July 4, 2005, without the support of state legislators from Philadelphia and without any condemnation by any city elected official.
* The creating of Gaming Control Board that is packed with political appointees who facilitate the predatory gambling trade instead of regulating it; and that protect the elected officials by acting as scapegoats.
* The inappropriate and unethical conduct of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and its subsequent ruling upholding the constitutionality of the Gaming Act, when it was clearly enacted in violation of the state constitution.
* The Pennsylvania Supreme Courts stripping Philadelphians of the right to vote in a referendum designed to elicit the public voice as to the degree to which neighborhoods should be protected from predatory gambling facilities.
* The refusal to provide information about the background of casino applicants, the design and function of casinos or the costs of predatory gambling in the form of slots parlors.
* The blocking of public debate and discussion on the consequences of casinos to our city.
* The willingness of our government to sacrifice the wellbeing of its people in favor of a predatory trade.
* The neglect of issues of concern to neighborhoods, in the interest of expedient approval of the insertion of casinos into those neighborhoods.
* The failure to understand and appreciate the cultural value and long-term financial potential of good land use development, including heritage tourism dependent on investigating and preserving important archeological and historic resources at sites currently eyed for slots parlors.
* The failure to understand and appreciate the need to protect the natural environment, including our precious Delaware River waterfront.
* The failure to understand, let alone be concerned about, the fact that the predatory gambling trade relies on addicted and problem gamblers, which results in substantial human suffering, family breakdown, divorces and child abuse, bankruptcy, fraud, embezzlement and other crimes, all of which cause great damage to those who never gamble.
* The continued spending of government funds on the defense of the casino industry, and the planned expenditure of funds to provide infrastructure for that industry, while funding for public institutions such as libraries and firehouses are cut.
* The repeated use of closed-door meetings and negotiations outside of the publics view to negotiate deals that benefit the predatory gaming trade at the expense of the rights and needs of the public.
In light of these wrongs done in the name of promoting the predatory gambling trade, we, the undersigned people of Philadelphia, mutually pledge to ourselves our Lives, our Fortunes, our sacred Honor and do declare ourselves opposed to casinos being built anywhere in our city, and demand that our representatives in government do the same.
http://www.CasinoFreePhila.org/declaration
Loading...
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.
johnnybroadst 1 year ago
@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.
CasinoFreePhilly 1 year ago
...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"
johnnybroadst 1 year ago
@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?
CasinoFreePhilly 1 year ago
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.
johnnybroadst 2 years ago
@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.
CasinoFreePhilly 1 year ago