Union workers pack City Council meeting to support proposal for city-owned casino
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Union workers pack City Council meeting to support proposal for city-owned casino
Chris Brennan, Catherine Lucey and Jan Ransom
Members of three municipal unions flooded City Council today to show support for U.S. Rep. Bob Brady's proposal that the city should apply for a casino license.
"We're here in support of a new casino...and having some of the funds for our alleged underfunded pension fund," said AFSCME District Council 33 President Pete Matthews, who represents the city's blue collar workers.
Police officers were also there to show support, with members holding up signs that said: "bet on cops, not millionares."
In Brady's plan, the city would bring in an experienced operator to run the casino and use the profits to fund the Philadelphia School District and the underfunded municipal pension plan.
Mayor Nutter has said the proposal violates the state constitution, but he has taken no position on the plan.
The city's firefighters were also in Council today to protest a plan from Mayor Nutter to annually transfer senior firefighters. Their president, Bill Gault, also said his union supports Brady's casino proposal. Gault said is for any proposal that supports the pension plan.
Comments (37)
There are so many egregious problems with this plan that it's difficult even to know where to start. I'll just mention that Nutter "not having a position" on a plan that violates our constitution is so typical of the liberal mindset. We are living in a madhouse, literally. How can an elected official do anything BUT BE AGAINST something which violates the constitution??? Good lord!!!!!!!!!!— hotelguy- Great, soon we will all work for the city. Happy days are here again.— harbc
- This is a wildly stupid idea. We already are the in the liquor business and the PA State Stores aren't exactly the model of good prices, efficiency or customer service. Will the gov't-run casino also be closed on gov't holidays...like the State Stores are, LOL?— Strongbow
This is the most sensible political solution to building anymore casinos so an outside corporation can export Philadelphia's money to some foreign bank account. It is sensible to siphon off the illegal gambling rackets, operates with impunity, until very recently. Unless you are a paid lobbyist for the black and italian mafia bookie cartels, or an unwitting fool, a city built, city owned casino will keep our money with ourselves. Why we should we give any corporation in this day and age a license to steal our money by granting them a casino license is unexplainable. By stopping the export of money outside of the regional economy and giving the public something they can spend their money on with their own free will, we achieve 2 wins for freedom and liberty. We can fund, build, own and profit from this activity, just like the state store system. Why should be needlessly enrich people who spit on us, even here in these comments. We are not the 47%, we are Americans and we can do whatever we want. We should do what ever is good policy, in this case denying criminal organizations gambling revenue and denying corporate America a chance to export our dollars outside of our regional economy to our everlasting detriment.- "We can fund, build, own and profit from this activity, just like the state store system..."
Wait, what!?!? The State Store system is terrible! The stores are awful, prices are insane and the customer service is nonexistent. I watched 20+ people wait in line at ONE OPEN REGISTER last year around Christmas...while at least 5 state store workers STOOD THERE AND WATCHED. What is this "profit" you speak of?— Strongbow - like it or not, the state stores make the state a TON of money on a year in year out basis. that's why it hasn't been sold off, because they can't figure out how to replace the money it makes. — Ryan
- Not true. They actually consume most of what they make just operating and PA gets less and less each year:
http://paindependent.com/2012/07/financials-show-liquor-board-not-as-profitable-as-state-claims/— Strongbow 
What a novel idea for rescuing the works who'll get laid off when the State goes out of the liquor business.
On top of that a city-owned casino would probably qualify as the largest and deepest cesspool for providing patronage jobs.- Does fat Bob Brady work? How about his union sheep?— Nipsey Russell
- what an outrageous idea! you mean to tell me they want to have the profits of the casino go towards something good like pensions and education , instead of going to the bank accounts of billionaires like god intended?! I can't believe it. that's crazy!— Ryan
- "alleged underfunded pension fund." Yes there are also rumors that Pete Matthews and Bob Brady aren't morons but an actuarial study has been done and it turns out it's true.— bullrun
- City officials and City Council will never stand up to the union's, for the majority of them receive political contributions through the union PAC groups!!!
I've heard a number of elected officials say they take money from political action committees, but it doesn't mean they will vote the way the PAC groups want them to vote!! That sounds good, but in practice is it?? An old English axiom states: "If you take the King's bread, you follow the King's order." So, when a elected official takes money from a PAC, no matter what they say, they're bound to lose some independence!!!— Dadair1 
Since this casino is the MOST STUPID idea in the last 20 years coming out of Bloated Brady (which is saying alot). I'm not surprised the re-treads in UNIONS think it's a great idea. If you told the union re-treads we were turning the river into a swimming pool they'd want a free summer membership for their families as part of their contract.- They do such a good job with the PGW and the Convention Center...what could possibly go wrong? LMAO.— jimmymack
- Between Council and all the Union members I understand combined IQ hit triple digits in chambers today!— Earl J
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Chris Brennan, a native Philadelphian and graduate of Temple University, joined the Daily News in 1999. He has written about SEPTA, the Philadelphia School District, the legalization of casino gambling, state government, the mayor, the governor, City Council and political campaigns. E-mail tips to brennac@phillynews.com
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David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
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Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
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Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
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Follow Chris on Twitter
David Gambacorta spent a small eternity writing about cops, drug dealers and serial killers. Now he’s writing about power and politics – which sometimes reminds him of the old crime beat. He joined the Daily News in 2005. And yes, he knows you’re not quite sure how to pronounce his last name. E-mail tips to gambacd@phillynews.com
Follow Dave on Twitter.
Jan Ransom, a native New Yorker, joined the Daily News in 2010 after graduating from Howard University. She has since written about the difficulty of filing police complaints, tax deadbeats and life after violent home invasions. She joined the Daily News City Hall Bureau in 2011 and has plunged headfirst into reporting on administration budget battles and City Council shenanigans. E-mail tips to ransomj@phillynews.com
Follow Jan on Twitter
Sean Collins Walsh is from Bucks County and went to Northwestern University. He joined the Daily News copy desk in 2012 and now covers the Nutter administration. Before that, he interned at papers including The New York Times, The Dallas Morning News and The Seattle Times. E-mail tips to walshSE@phillynews.com
Follow Sean on Twitter
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