January 11, 2008

Turtles, Redcoats Delay Casino

It appears nature and the past are banding together to attempt to stop SugarHouse Casino from opening in Fishtown. The Bulletin reports environmental activists want to check if the red-belled turtle lives at the proposed casino site, because that's a threatened species.

The paper talks to the Casino's communications director, Leigh Whitaker: "We did an investigation during the turtles' normal, natural nesting season. Our study found there was no evidence of turtles nesting or living on the site." Oh. That's not going to work. Let's get to the other one, then.

Daniel Rubin reports American history could stop the casino from building on the site, as a bunch of history nerds think there was a British fort there and want to get a chance to excavate the site first. Nerds are always getting in the way.

Rubin, by the way, also reports this: "If a Revolutionary War fort can't slow the SugarHouse casino, it surely can slow it." Indeed it can.

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May 08, 2007

SugarHouse Casino: Accept Us Or Die

SugarHouse Casino, the winner for the slots parlor license in Fishtown, recently sent out a mailer to "thousands" of Philadelphia residents with the title "More cops on the street? We're putting our money on it."

Get it? Because SugarHouse is a casino and it's going to take people's money, but also some of those gambling losses will go to the state instead. Here's what the above scan of the mailer says:

It's time we make Philadelphia a safer, stronger city.

Putting hundreds of additional police on the streets is a proven way to get Philadelphia moving in the right direction. But that takes money the city doesn't have.

That's where you and SugarHouse Casino come in.

Your support will provide the city with tens of millions in new revenue that can be used to put hundreds of police on the streets and make all of our neighborhoods safer.

In addition, 6,000 new jobs will be created and our schools will receive a guaranteed $50 million in new revenue over ten years, giving our children a chance for a brighter future.

Additionally, SugarHouse has pledged $1 million annually to benefit neighboring communities.

Get it? If you're against the casino, you want Philadelphians to die. I mean, look how safe that family is above, all thanks to SugarHouse Casino.

Battle Over Phila. Slots Heats Up With Sugarhouse Brochure [KYW 1060]

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March 06, 2007

Casino Sends Aliens To Harvest Organs Of Anti-Casino Folks

In their quest to invalidate the petitions attempting to get a question on the May 15 primary ballot banning casinos from the city, lawyers for SugarHouse casino are doing the only thing they can to make the community one day perhaps love their gambling mecca in close proximity to Johnny Brenda's.

The Daily News writes a lawyer from SugarHouse and a private investigator knocked on the door of petition signer Cindy Farlino and showed her the petition she signed, asking if it was indeed her signature. After replying in the affirmative, they then asked to talk to her lawyer.

"I looked at it and said, 'Yes, that's my signature,' " Farlino told the Daily News. "Then they said, 'Do you have a lawyer, because we'll talk to him.' That took me aback, made me feel like I did something wrong."

The woman said she wasn't answering any more questions after the two men showed her their IDs, and the two people hung out flipping through petitions in front of her house before driving away. (And, apparently they popped the hatchback so the woman couldn't get a shot of the license plate. Hopefully the car's spare tire fell out or something.)

Meanwhile, Casino Free Philadelphia filed an appeal against both Foxwoods and SugarHouse, citing "government-sanctioned creation of public nuisances and vice factories." You might think those words are a bit strong, but look at the photo the Daily News ran on the cover: The casinos are sending green mutant men to intimidate the petition signers. It's only fair.

Private eye grills petition signer; Judge to hear casino challenge today [Daily News]

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March 02, 2007

Casino Activists, Casinos To Fight Under Queensbury Rules

Lawyers from Philadelphia casino bid winner SugarHouse have filed suit against the petitions essentially banning casinos from the city, citing "widespread and pervasive fraud" in the petitions.

Pennsport and Fishtown residents worked together earlier this year to get 27,000-plus signatures on a petition for a ballot question to be voted on while citizens choose their next mayor on May 15. Although they only needed 20,000 signatures to get the question before City Council -- who must pass it by majority vote to put it on the ballot -- lawyers for SugarHouse (who chatted with Foxwoods lawyers, too) say only 25 percent of them can be validated, leaving them far short of the 20k total.

While in the Inquirer yesterday noted bisexual/Philly for Change founder Anne Dicker said, "I don't think a grassroots group should have to face this onslaught by corporations," Casino-Free Philadelphia organizer Daniel Hunter has taken on a more chipper tone: "Some people have said this [referendum] won’t stand up in court or that the state will merely come in and take over. The ferocity with which they’re attacking us is a sign that this is a real threat to them."

Okay, so, as expected, the signatures will be battled in court, probably one-by-one and blah blah blah. So where does this take its usual ridiculous Philly twist? Oh, right here: One of SugarHouse's lawyers is also an investor in the casino. And he's, of course, Vince Fumo lawyer and Queensbury rules boxer Richard Sprague.

Casino alleges foes' petitions are fraudulent [Inquirer]
Casino foes smell fear [Metro]
Feb. 9: Richard Sprague To Defend Fumo, Gentleman Jim Corbett

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December 20, 2006

Let The Lawsuits Begin!

Now that the two casino locations in Philadelphia have been selected -- that's Foxwoods, along the Delaware in Pennsport, and Sugarhouse, on the waterfront in Fishtown -- it's time for everyone's favorite Philadelphia tradition: Lawsuits!

City Councilman Frank DiCicco has already announced his plans for a lawsuit against both locations, based on the fact his constituents will like him for it. KYW 1060's Mike Dunn quotes DiCicco:

“There’s total gridlock today. And [with a casino] you raise the level of vehicles by somewhere between two and four million additional vehicles a year. I don’t know how anyone’s going to get to the river.”

God bless the automobile, for giving groups a reason to file lawsuits besides "my property values might go down."

Councilman DiCicco Will Sue [KYW 1060]

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Black Holes Of Money Announced

And the Inquirer Blogspot Slots Blog -- WordPress is free, people! -- announces the winners:

SugarHouse Casino: a 550 million project on North Delaware Ave. at Shackamaxon St. in Fishtown. Project would include 3,000 slot machines

And Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia, a $560 million project in South Philadelphia...

I bet Pennsport residents are thrilled.

Slots in PA: The Vote [Inquirer]

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