Letters | Fighting to find casino alternatives

ITHANK

Daily News

writer Chris Brennan for his Nov. 6 remarks on "Radio Times." He succinctly stated that most people don't oppose casinos - they just don't want them across the street from their homes.

We want responsible waterfront development. We want jobs. But the lack of a democratic, open and rational process of site selection for the Philadelphia casinos has resulted in the current circumstances. We are all suffering the consequences of applicants who will say anything just to get in the ground, including grossly misrepresenting the merits of their projects, or even their feasibility at their current locations. And the truth is, there are viable alternative sites that won't destroy neighborhoods.

Councilman DiCicco has submitted a list of sites to the governor and other sites have been suggested. HB 1840, amending the 10-mile buffer between racinos and casinos, was introduced by Rep. O'Brien. With it, alternatives would be even easier to find.

Also, to set the record straight, Sen. Fumo was asked and agreed to introduce a companion bill in the Senate to HB 1477, Rep. Babette Josephs' casino-buffer bill. Instead, he introduced two bills that leave large areas of the city unprotected by any kind of casino buffer zone. On top of that, this powerful senator claimed to be unable to pass his own legislation!

HB 1477 (as amended), by contrast, offers real hope to Philadelphians that their will, as originally expressed in the referendum that was struck down by the State Supreme Court, may finally be embodied in law.

Shirley Cook, Philadelphia