Pop the Question

Pity the politician who doesn't support the casino referendum.

by Bruce Schimmel

What have people from Pawtucket, R.I., done that Philadelphians can't? Hint: It's a simple civil right that's also been permitted to voters in Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Kansas, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma and Wisconsin.

These states, and others, have let their citizens have their say on gaming.

Through a formal, often binding referendum, ordinary people in all of these places got a chance tell their government directly what they want — and don't want.

Wow, imagine a public referendum on casinos in Philadelphia. Such the revolutionary idea.

Of course, I shouldn't despair over Philly's dearth of democracy. After all, we've got all kinds of nifty rights for all kinds of folks — such as pay to play, zoning by extortion and the ever-popular voting from the grave.

But if I might dial down the cynicism for a moment, let me ask you to imagine the pleasure of walking into a voting booth, pulling a lever and having your say on casinos. Even having your way. It can happen, and I think it will.

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Till now, aside from a couple of surveys, the citizens of Philadelphia have never been heard from. One poll, taken last spring for the TrumpStreet Casino, put neighborhood support at 44 percent, opposition at 43 percent and those who didn't have an opinion at 13 percent. A second poll, just of riverfront communities, got almost identical results.

Hardly a mandate (unless, perhaps, you're President Bush). But what's really interesting is that these polls were taken before the state dropped two casinos on the waterfront. Last spring, when river ward residents were asked if they'd accept two casinos on the Delaware, 64 percent said no.

In another survey last year, for Street's Gaming Advisory Task Force, some 60 percent of Philadelphians likewise opposed a casino near their neighborhood. City Paper's recent online survey now puts opposition to casinos near neighborhoods at over 92 percent.

Philadelphians were asked (kind of), and said no to casinos. But they've still been ignored.

However, you could be asked for real — and this time in a polling booth. You could exercise a right that the governor, the mayor and Sir Vinnie Fumo have shamefully denied you. And you'll be heeded.

Now I know we've heard Mayor Street and Councilman Frank DiCicco, among others, endlessly intone that the commonwealth holds most of the cards, and there's little that Philadelphia can do except to fiddle with the zoning.

But Anne Dicker from Casino-Free Philadelphia (www.casinofreephila.org) begs to differ. And Dicker has a panel of lawyers who say they've found a way for ordinary Philadelphians to be heard.

Currently, it is true that Philadelphia's Home Rule Charter does not let the city stop the state from siting casinos. But voters can kill casinos by amending our charter.

What it will take to get a casino referendum (in the form of a charter change) on the ballot this coming May is to collect 20,000 signatures, plus the support of nine City Council members.

In fact, as of press time, it'll take only eight more council members. DiCicco — who's moaned operatically about his impotence — has just signed on. Aides confirm that DiCicco will vote in council to put a referendum on the ballot.

Other council members can soon expect to be asked for their support. And pity the politician who denies his constituents the right to be heard, especially about this. Because there's a reform slate of council candidates — including Vern Anastasio, Matt Rubin, Mark Stier, Jesse Brown and Irv Ackelsberg — who'd love to use casinos as a sledgehammer.

In the mayor's race, Tom Knox has just endorsed a casino-free referendum, and aides say he's considering a financial contribution. That puts other mayoral hopefuls under the gun.

Beyond that, every organization that cares about civic engagement should also sign on. Media, unions, civic associations, MoveOn, Act Up and any group dedicated to democracy, especially the Center for Civic Values and the Committee of 70: All should open their mailing lists to the reformers and let ordinary people be heard.

Because the citizens of Philadelphia deserve at least as much as the people of Pawtucket.

(bruce@schimmel.com)