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State Politics
Yesterday, on the PA House Floor, Representative Mike O'Brien, whose district includes Fishtown (where the SugarHouse casino is expected to open), introduced an amendment to Senate Bill 711 — the gambling "reform" bill that also seeks to introduce table games like Blackjack and Poker — that would require Pennsylvania casinos to pay an additional 1 percent tax on gross table gaming revenues. The revenue would go straight to the county hosting that casino.
The amendment passed.
Whoopee, right? Everybody wins! Except the casinos, but they've won so much already they shouldn't mind.
But wait — there's more.
In all counties but one, that extra revenue will go to the county itself. This will not, however, take place in counties "of the first class." That designation, of course, applies to only one county: Philadelphia. Rather than Philly getting the cash directly, the money will be distributed to non-profit organizations "for the benefit of the immediate vicinity" of the casinos.
Who gets to pick which nonprofits get the money?
Interestingly, that will fall to a special seven-member advisory board, of which a majority of members will be picked by Rep. O'Brien, the sponsor of the bill, and State Senator Larry Farnese, whose district includes both casinos. City Council, the mayor's office, and the casino will each get to pick one representative, too.
With a combined majority of representatives on this board, incumbents O'Brien and Farnese will, presumably, have considerable influence over how and where the money is allocated — not bad come election time. Who, among incumbents, doesn't want a new pot of money to play with? Not that there's necessarily anything untoward in any of this.
Still, something about this jogs my memory. Wasn't there another state senator who liked dolling out money to a favored local non-profit? Then it turned out that he was getting free power tools and stuff? Then both he and the non-profit became the subject of investigations?
What was his name? Rhymed with "You know?"
Anyway, that's old news, right?
[...] CityPaper: …[A]n amendment to Senate Bill 711 — the gambling “reform” bill that also seeks to introduce table games like Blackjack and Poker — that would require Pennsylvania casinos to pay an additional 1 percent tax on gross table gaming revenues. The revenue would go straight to the county hosting that casino. [...]
This is crazy! If this means that the Reps would control the SSD money and that it would be used for organizations and such outside of the current SSD parameters, this is totally unacceptable. I have stayed out of the frontline battle either pro or con for the Casinos since, personally, I think the debates about having these casinos in the City should have been done before any sites were chosen, licensing was awarded and money spent. There should have been a ballot question so the citizens of this City could have had their say beforehand instead of going at each other's throats after Pandora's box was opened. The process was flawed from the beginning! Having said that and watching the work that those in the Fishtown Community have done to work out an agreement and process with SugarHouse, I think it's in poor taste and reeks to have politicians, whoever they may be, take conrol of any money...too much room for political interests. Let it be a Community Board!!
Let me get this right. I am quite confussed. State Rep Mike O'Brien & Senator Larry Farnese NEVER WANTED THE CASINOS BUILT. They would not even listen to the Pro Casino neighbors of Fishtown and surrounding neighborhoods. BUT, NOW they want their hands to control the Community Develope Money. Sounds real fishy to me. Hmmmmmmmmm. Who are they making deals with? You know that Fishtown will not see any money, jobs, etc if we stand by and let this happen.
The communities immediately affected by the SugarHouse Casino has spent months working with the Casino to create a Community Service District that would oversee the Community Development money, with a Board made up of COMMUNITY MEMBERS. Now the POLITICIANS are once again trying to control the money, which will mean the Communities affetced won't see the money, just the groups that support these politicians... this is a back door grab for "Special Interest" monies to be dispensed by the POLITICIANS.
These two politicians fought long and hard to stop the creation of jobs, funding for the community, internships, and economic development that was garnered in the CBA. And now they are putting their hands out to grab the money to be dispersed to their special interest groups (aka political supporters). These two proclaimed to every media outlet that would give them an inch of print that they wanted NOTHING to do with SugarHouse other then to fight it....and now they want to grab the money...totally disgusting, hypocritical, and frightening. We know how this works
Not surprised these two want their hands on the funds that will be used for the communities hosting the casino. Hmmm, which one of there friends will benefit??
You must be kidding? Here is a State Representative & a Senator that were totally against the Casino to begin with. Mr. O'Brien fought until his last breath, then they add this to another bill being presented. Wake up Philly, our elected officials are NOT looking out for us. Our History in the past 20yrs has shown they are looking in mirror, and looking out for themselves. I think Fishtown better wake up to the Folgers, and protest this issue. This is as blantant as it gets to a conflict of interest. I have only read this article and already I am shaking my head, since all of us PRO City/PRO jobs and PRO Sugarhouse, has fought for this project to move forward, then this? The very element that is against it all comes in and is permitted to decide what money goes where,??? is it me? is there something I'm not getting. Please someone tell me what I am missing here?????? We must have a say in our City, it doesn't look like we do. People, get your head out of the sand, Mr. O'Brien & Mr. Farnese are not looking out for FISHTOWN. They have proven that on several occasions, and in our presence at our own meetings we have SEEN and heard where they are coming from. And I can tell you first hand, it is NOT the benefit of Fishtown. We must unite and discuss......
Another back door issue slid in issue if I ever seen one. Why wasn't this PART of the Addmendment shared publicly as was the orignal portion????????? 1 guess.........
[...] is whining after you’ve lost. But! The PA House is making googoo eyes at table gaming! And in this post on The Clog, Isaiah Thompson details the ways in which, even when the casino thing in Philly may start make [...]
"Not that there's necessarily anything untoward in any of this..." This is sarcasm, right? A bill's own sponsor exempts his own city from receiving revenue directly to give himself greater control of the funds. God, this shit never ends.
The excellent review, all as always.
How time flies â just a couple of hours ago, I was writing about the long-standing deadlock over Philadelphia's fiscal relief bill in Harrisburg - and then, about half an hour ago, the deadlock seems to have ended, with the Senate passing the bill, without amendments, 32-17. (KYW reports that Mayor Nutter made an "emotional" call to his cabinet to order them to "kill Plan C."
That means â not that we're even slightly surprised â that Nutter won't, in fact, shut down every branch of the Free Library, close our courts, and lay off hundreds and hundreds of cops.
Over at Philadelphia Weekly, my colleague Joel Mathis responded to my own assertion that nearly everybody â Nutter, the media, Harrisburg itself â was enacting a kind of mass bluff, and suggested:
"Well, if itâs a bluff, maybe it worked."
I don't know. Maybe it did work. But I wonder if Mayor Nutter didn't hurt his own credibility â not with Harrisburg, but with us.
If Plan C was a bluff â and I think it was â that means that there was either another plan, that we didn't know about, or there wasn't, and Nutter fully expected the passage of this bill.
If the former is the case, shouldn't Nutter have told us about the real Plan C? Shouldn't Council have been weighing in on real contingency plans, rather than holding their breath together?
If the latter is the case, it means that our institutions â library branches, police, etc. â were props in a political theatrical production.
And Philadelphians will remember that the next time that cuts rolls around.
All that being said, some congratulations are in order â to Philly, and to Mayor Nutter. May he go for a nice bike ride or something back home in Philly.
"shouldn't Nutter have told us about the real Plan C? " um, maybe you need to look up the meaning of bluff, huh?
What Plan C could there have possibly been? There's no money folks.
What Plan C could there have possibly been? There's no money, folks.
OF COURSE IT WAS A BLUFF! Please! The whole thing was ridiculous. Explain to me how he was going to shut down the courts? Seriously? With thousands of people awaiting trial/sentencing? Were we just going to empty the jails? And, of course, stop arresting people, 'cause there'd be no cops. Bullshit! And we'll just stop picking up the trash. Right. Think that was going to apply to his neighborhood, too? Or City Council's? Not bloody likely. Shutting down libraries and parks wouldn't surprise me, 'cause we've got F'd up priorities, but I didn't EVER hear him talk about layoffs in the Revenue Dept. Hmmm. The whole thing was grandstanding, partly to give him him a way to screw the unions, and partly to make the jerks in Harrisburg feel important and in control. It's all a bunch of crap. Hey, Mike and Ed, GROW A PAIR. You don't want to be unpopular in Harrisburg, so you're gonna screw Philly? Nice. I knew a guy who always said "you're talking out your ass, 'cause your mouth knows better". There's your "plan C." PS: Can someone explain to me how NOT funding the (already under-funded) pension plan actually helps anybody? Isn't that just leaving a bigger mess for someone else to clean up in the future? Like I said, nice, real nice.
Alternate title: "Nutter Hurts Philly Retailers Even More" People shopped outside the city to save 1%. Now the threshold has been cut in half. When my bills are more than my income, I cut my spending. Of course I don't have people trapped in my living room who I can just tax, either.
My read on the "bluff" the impossiblity of not funding the courts would have built in a little more time for Harrisburg in terms of back and forths with PICA. If the city was going to make a play for an emergency alternative tax plan it would have also given Nutter more ammunition to say "he was forced". The problem with that is the PA Supreme Court Mastrangelo that stops the city from passing new taxes mid-fiscal year is very well established. Its not just been cited by dozens of subsequent decisions here in PA but actually been cited several times in other states. Also what people fail to understand, the cost of the courts would have made Plan C significantly more short of money so in terms of the impact on citizens, there is no chance that "the bluff" would have made the impact less severe.
[...] laid off a bunch of policemen, and gotten rid of trash pickup, and… wait, these things seem awfully well-chosen to piss Philly residents off), here’s a beautiful statement necklace for your favorite librarian. Each one is made of [...]
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| esquire.com |
Esquire has been doing these really entertaining "75" lists to commemorate their 75th anniversary. Today, they blasted out a list of the 75 Best People in the World and they give it up for our very own Ed Rendell, who makes the list along with George Clooney, Britney Spears and Rahm Emmanuel.
About the Guv, they said:
Because he proves that not every macher need be a pig or a prick.
They forgot: If he had his druthers, he'd probably still being sit up at the 700 level.
Now tell him to pass a goddamned budget already and he'll really deserve that spot.
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