Casinos

**The Mollusk** · 10-08-2009, 05:22 PM

After years of putting up a fight, it now seems inevitable -- Old City will be flanked by casinos. I'm disappointed and feel that our civic & government leaders have let us down. This will not be good for our neighborhood and I sure hope it does not interfere the new vision for the waterfront.

**PhillyKev** · 10-08-2009, 05:31 PM

It's been inevitable for years. The only thing that wasn't inevitable was the strained relations between the neighborhood groups and casinos. Thanks to those who instead of partnering with them to insure the best possible results, fought them tooth and nail so that they will now view the neighborhoods as adversaries.

**Hospitalitygirl** · 10-08-2009, 07:11 PM

Originally Posted by PhillyKev

It's been inevitable for years. The only thing that wasn't inevitable was the strained relations between the neighborhood groups and casinos. Thanks to those who instead of partnering with them to insure the best possible results, fought them tooth and nail so that they will now view the neighborhoods as adversaries.

What he said.

**Eames** · 10-09-2009, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by PhillyKev

It's been inevitable for years. The only thing that wasn't inevitable was the strained relations between the neighborhood groups and casinos. Thanks to those who instead of partnering with them to insure the best possible results, fought them tooth and nail so that they will now view the neighborhoods as adversaries.

I share the OP's disappointment in placing crappy slot boxes on the waterfront. I feel totally sold out not by our civic groups, local city government and state reps, but by the PA state judiciary that took all local rights away from us as citizens.

The casinos need to reach out to the neighborhoods and show that they can be of some benefit to the local neighborhoods. As it stands, they're shifting jobs from local neighborhood hospitality businesses into their own buildings. They're creating additional traffic and pollution burdens for the neighborhoods. And, they increase the likelihood that someone in the neighborhood will be harmed by the drunk drivers who will be set loose after they gamble.

The neighborhood citizens and their civic groups will be watching VERY closely for any and all negative impacts that these casinos will have on their quality of life and safety. Sugar House and Foxwoods may have won all the battles so far, but that doesn't mean that the war is over by any means.

**PhillyKev** · 10-09-2009, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by Eames

The neighborhood citizens and their civic groups will be watching VERY closely for any and all negative impacts that these casinos will have on their quality of life and safety. Sugar House and Foxwoods may have won all the battles so far, but that doesn't mean that the war is over by any means.

See, that's the spirit of cooperation that will encourage the casinos to work with the community I was looking for.

**OutOfContext** · 10-09-2009, 10:32 AM

How about tax revenue Eames?

**desolate** · 10-09-2009, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by The Mollusk

After years of putting up a fight, it now seems inevitable -- Old City will be flanked by casinos. I'm disappointed and feel that our civic & government leaders have let us down. This will not be good for our neighborhood and I sure hope it does not interfere the new vision for the waterfront.

The new "vision" sucks balls.

It's a plan that show how much power an untrained but motivated (for their own purposes) populace can come together and permanently scare developers from ever building anything on the river.

ANd produce on of the most one sided anti-growth plans I've ever seen.

Penn Praxis Chapter 2 Verse 7
"and the evil "Develper" shall only build in little blocks cut off from any parking of vehicular traffic and they shall be forced to never build on land they own for we sayeth the land shall be set aside for Yoga and Outdoor Jazz Organic Markets"

**OutOfContext** · 10-09-2009, 10:46 AM

Originally Posted by desolate

The new "vision" sucks balls.

It's a plan that show how much power an untrained but motivated (for their own purposes) populace can come together and permanently scare developers from ever building anything on the river.

You mean kinda like CasiNO?

**desolate** · 10-09-2009, 01:41 PM

Originally Posted by OutOfContext

You mean kinda like CasiNO?

exactly.

Add NLNA, CCRA, CDAG, etc...

**The Mollusk** · 10-09-2009, 03:04 PM

Originally Posted by Eames

I share the OP's disappointment in placing crappy slot boxes on the waterfront. I feel totally sold out not by our civic groups, local city government and state reps, but by the PA state judiciary that took all local rights away from us as citizens.

Well said.

Originally Posted by Eames

The casinos need to reach out to the neighborhoods and show that they can be of some benefit to the local neighborhoods. As it stands, they're shifting jobs from local neighborhood hospitality businesses into their own buildings. They're creating additional traffic and pollution burdens for the neighborhoods. And, they increase the likelihood that someone in the neighborhood will be harmed by the drunk drivers who will be set loose after they gamble.

Exactly. We have enough drunks parading and driving through the neighborhood already. Casinos will only make this problem worse.

Originally Posted by Eames

The neighborhood citizens and their civic groups will be watching VERY closely for any and all negative impacts that these casinos will have on their quality of life and safety. Sugar House and Foxwoods may have won all the battles so far, but that doesn't mean that the war is over by any means.

I sure hope so!

**OutOfContext** · 10-09-2009, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by The Mollusk

Well said.

Exactly. We have enough drunks parading and driving through the neighborhood already. Casinos will only make this problem worse.

I sure hope so!

Do you only respond to the choir?

**desolate** · 10-09-2009, 03:18 PM

No these are the people that think coffee shops and art galleries keep neighborhoods alive.

That places like Johhny Brenda's can support blocks of families.

Basically, well educated retards that grew up in the burbs and moved to the city for the "culture" but keep trying to turn that culture into little isolated villages of like minded and similar wealth progressives who would want nothing more than have this idealized "community were everyone helps out and racist is finally gone since we all have..

Jobs?

Or... they think Fishtown will be enveloped by the Piazza at Schmidts and they can ignore the other 80% of the people that actually make up say a Fishtown or a Pennsport.

Or... I bought cheap and damn you for not helping my plan to turn my block into Rittenhouse.

**The Mollusk** · 10-09-2009, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by desolate

The new "vision" sucks balls.

It's a plan that show how much power an untrained but motivated (for their own purposes) populace can come together and permanently scare developers from ever building anything on the river.

ANd produce on of the most one sided anti-growth plans I've ever seen.

Penn Praxis Chapter 2 Verse 7
"and the evil "Develper" shall only build in little blocks cut off from any parking of vehicular traffic and they shall be forced to never build on land they own for we sayeth the land shall be set aside for Yoga and Outdoor Jazz Organic Markets"

Give me a break.. The new riverfront vision welcomes development, but stresses the importance of a cohesive, well thought out plan along with a set of standards to ensure the new waterfront becomes a destination for the people.. not an unconnected, industrial, under-utilized wasteland dotted with private development.

I don't understand why anyone would be against this plan, vision, whatever you want to call it?! It is meant to make our city and neighborhood a better place to live. Is that such a bad thing?

**OutOfContext** · 10-09-2009, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by The Mollusk

Give me a break.. The new riverfront vision welcomes development, but stresses the importance of a cohesive, well thought out plan along with a set of standards to ensure the new waterfront becomes a destination for the people.. not an unconnected, industrial, under-utilized wasteland dotted with private development.

I don't understand why anyone would be against this plan, vision, whatever you want to call it?! It is meant to make our city and neighborhood a better place to live. Is that such a bad thing?

You ever stop to think that some of us actually believe that the casino is going to be a good thing for the city? Do you even bother to notice there are people who disagree with you?

**The Mollusk** · 10-09-2009, 03:27 PM

Originally Posted by desolate

No these are the people that think coffee shops and art galleries keep neighborhoods alive.

That places like Johhny Brenda's can support blocks of families.

Basically, well educated retards that grew up in the burbs and moved to the city for the "culture" but keep trying to turn that culture into little isolated villages of like minded and similar wealth progressives who would want nothing more than have this idealized "community were everyone helps out and racist is finally gone since we all have..

Jobs?

Or... they think Fishtown will be enveloped by the Piazza at Schmidts and they can ignore the other 80% of the people that actually make up say a Fishtown or a Pennsport.

Or... I bought cheap and damn you for not helping my plan to turn my block into Rittenhouse.

Wow. You couldn't be more wrong.. I'm none of the above and just happen to want a better neighborhood. I guess you just don't really care. That's fine and dandy but why shouldn't Philadelphia have a nice waterfront? I think we deserve it -- not just in Old City, but in Fishtown, Pennsport, everywhere.

**OutOfContext** · 10-09-2009, 03:29 PM

Originally Posted by The Mollusk

Wow. You couldn't be more wrong.. I'm none of the above and just happen to want a better neighborhood. I guess you just don't really care. That's fine and dandy but why shouldn't Philadelphia have a nice waterfront? I think we deserve it -- not just in Old City, but in Fishtown, Pennsport, everywhere.

Do you believe that everyone who disagrees with your opinion "doesn't care" about having a nice community?

It's people like you that made me not even want to give CasiNO the time of day... You're counterproductive and your lot is directly responsible for the **** shacks we're about to get.

**The Mollusk** · 10-09-2009, 03:32 PM

Originally Posted by OutOfContext

You ever stop to think that some of us actually believe that the casino is going to be a good thing for the city? Do you even bother to notice there are people who disagree with you?

Sure. I understand that many people think casinos will be a good thing, and I can see and respect that perspective even if I don't agree with it. My whole point was that I hope the Casinos will do their best to work within the already established vision for the waterfront.

With or without casinos, we deserve a Riverfront worth visiting!

**OutOfContext** · 10-09-2009, 03:34 PM

Originally Posted by The Mollusk

Sure. I understand that many people think casinos will be a good thing, and I can see and respect that perspective even if I don't agree with it. My whole point was that I hope the Casinos will do their best to work within the already established vision for the waterfront.

With or without casinos, we deserve a Riverfront worth visiting!

Don't you see how you could have possible contributed to the watered-down version of the casinos we're now getting? Wouldn't it have been nice to have a NICE casino considering you never had a real chance of removing them completely?

**PhillyKev** · 10-09-2009, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by The Mollusk

With or without casinos, we deserve a Riverfront worth visiting!

Deserve it? Why? For what? For fighting development? For making it unpallatable for the companies and businesses that could develop a nice waterfront to do business here? Thanks to CasiNo, we're going to get exactly what we deserve. A half assed effort at minimal expense because nothing else is worth it. Especially when your construction equipment is vandalized the day after you break ground. What you deserve is a polluted brownfield. Hopefully, despite the best efforts of some, development will happen after all.

**The Mollusk** · 10-09-2009, 04:11 PM

Wow. You guys sure like to argue.. Look, I'm not some big anti-casino advocate who vandalizes their equipment and got thrown in jail for protesting. Nor am I an Old City fancy-pants. Geez!

I just would have preferred a nice park on the river instead of a big, ugly, slot box that will bring more poverty and crime to the place I call home.

PhillyKev, the reason I think we all deserve a nice waterfront is simply because we live here! and pay taxes here! and Penn's Landing sucks! And for the record, the riverfront is already a "polluted brownfield".