Get over it, Rendell, in effect, said last week to thousands of Philadelphians who see the foolishness of plunking down two slots parlors on prime waterfront property. But could his haste to crush this idea signal that he recognizes it just . . . might . . . fly?

Sure, it's still a long shot. But Democratic state Reps. Mike O'Brien and Bill Keller and state Sen. Vincent J. Fumo have proposed a process that, clearly, could be used to break the logjam over building the Foxwoods and SugarHouse casinos.

First, they would lift the state's ban on building a city slots parlor within 10 miles of Harrah's in Chester and Philadelphia Park in Bensalem. That would open up locations across the city. Then, the state Gaming Control Board - which issued the slots licenses nearly 18 months ago - would work with the casinos, local and state officials, and city residents to come up with alternative sites.

Moving the slots parlors closer to the airport makes the most sense. That would free up the waterfront for development along the lines of the recent PennPraxis study, which called for "dense, urban, walkable, waterfront neighborhoods" that let the city reconnect with the Delaware.

Whether or not it flies, the O'Brien-Keller-Fumo idea provides an opening for Mayor Nutter and his planning guru, Commerce Director Andrew Altman, to get proactive about new sites. A feasibility study by the city could identify alternate sites, lay out the pros and cons, and better inform the debate.

Of course, the casino owners are with Rendell in opposing any relocation of their current sites. And they seem to have a compliant ally in a state Supreme Court, whose previous rulings have allowed the casinos to all but trample the city's planning procedures. (To further pave the way for SugarHouse, the court is being asked to sweep aside decades-old rules on the granting of riverbed rights.)

Court rulings, however, won't erase the obstacles and objections to building on the traffic-clogged waterfront. City Council's hearing last week on Foxwoods noted that the casino, as yet, had not offered to contribute toward likely sizeable increases in the city's policing costs due to its operation.

Meanwhile, Nutter has appealed the court's recent decision to trump zoning rules in Foxwood's favor, contending the 2004 slots law itself prohibits the Supreme Court's order that two streets be turned over to the casino.

With revenue coming in from the seven slots parlors operating in the state now, homeowners and city wage taxpayers already are in line for tax relief. There's plenty of time to choose better casino locations for Philadelphia.