Rendell to broach site change for Philly casinos

Developers say they are committed to building along river. July 6, 2008 Gov. Ed Rendell said he will meet with the developers of two proposed slots parlors to discuss moving the projects from their planned ...

[Pro Gun]

The only way these casinos can be legally re-sited is if the casinos voluntarily agree.''

Who allowed this to be written? Don't the citizens have a say? Let it to our crooked legislature to pass legalized gambling in this state. They all need to be thrown out.

[Sure Thing]

An allowable alternative site should be under the river with the legislators doing the construction.

[elektra]

Philly is an impossible city to access. Traffic patterns are horrible whether taking 76, 676, or 95. It is no place for a casino, not now, not ever. Philly has a homicide per day. Camden is one of the most dangerous areas in the country. Why on earth would anyone put a casino in Philly before the violent crime rate is brought under control? Not long ago talk of help from the state police and national guard was floated in an attempt to help bring the city crime under control. It defies logic and speaks directly to political interests. Many business interests have moved west of the city due to high taxation. Casinos are going to change this, somehow? I don't think so and so do the majority of the people living in and making a living in the city. All of the cat 2 licenses should be re evaluated... if the decision process was corrupt, it was corrupt for all, not just a few.

[Billy Givens]

Everything that elektra, Jamison, PA, says about SugarHouse and Foxwoods in Philadelphia applies equally to the Sands BethWorks casino in Bethlehem, PA.

Whereas Philadelphia's citizens, voters, and taxpayers have a mayor and legislators with the courage to represent their interests, the incorrigibly corrupt "Lehigh Valley" hasn't the first representative at any level of government with the political courage to stand up against the money and political influence of Sands BethWorks Casino owner Sheldon Adelson.

These representatives include Pennsylvania 136th Legislative District's Robert Freeman and his Republican chalenger Ron Shegda in this year's general election in November - both of whom I am opposing as an Independent candidate for the seat.

[snowman Allentown PA]

I thought that the pennsylvania crooked gambling board was to make these decisions. Is this goofy,fathead eddie, so fullof himself that he now thinks he is the regent of our commonwealth? What a fling joke.

[comment]

1. These casino's will abandon Philadelphia and ask for permission to build in the Pocono's closer to the New York crowd and develop Pocono's into a destination resort area that it once was.

2. I think this is the route to go (Poconos as concentration of Casinos). Too late for Bethlehem, Adelson was smart enough to get shovels in the ground.

Jamming two casinos into Philadelphia was the brain child or Rendell to escalate real estate prices for his friends who have build condos along the river. However, the political infighting for who gets money in their pockets has delayed and now will cause them to be the big losers in the Casino Fiasco under Rendell.

3. Once again, it shows how Rendell has absolutely no consideration for what the electorate wants, but all decisions are made on how it will benefit his friends and supporters.

4. If you want to see how it works, look at how much money the Commonwealth via different retirment funds has allocated to Independence Captial Partners and affiliate real estate invesment firm Lubert-Adler Partners, LP. Rendell is making his budddies near billionaires via state money to mediocre funds. I guess if your a friend of Rendell like Dean Adler or Ira Lubert then you are laughing all the way to the bank on how stupid Pennsylvanians are.

If you ever wonder why people go into politics for the wrong reasons, Rendell is the poster child. People should really understand what happens to their tax money and who benefits when there is lack of visibility in government.

[Lizard King]

elektra, you don't even live here and you're comments reflect that. What do you really know about the people that live here? More professionals are moving here every day. More businesses are beginning to relocate back into the city. Just take a peak at the construction going on in the city. While there is a crime problem that is being dealt with, living in the city is a such draw now that gas prices are $4.00+. Many of us that live in the city can ride our bikes, walk, or take public transit and don't have to drive or move our cars for days/weeks. Our home values also appreciate far faster than those in most suburbs. In fact, home values here never really even dropped when the bubble burst. Access to the arts and entertainment is at our fingertips. Almost everything you could want is right here. But you must be like the typical suburban person that watches the 11 p.m. news and then thinks that it's like that on every corner. It's best people like you just stay in the burbs where no crimes occur. It's always the people that don't live here that are the naysayers. But that's ok because we wouldn't want your kind here anyway.

[comment]

Having lived for 3 years in Philadelphia and 3 years in Gladwyne, on my return to USA, Philadelphia would be very low on my list of places to live in the USA, actually behind Bethlehem.

Philadelphia is a mismanaged, corrupt, s-h-i-t-h-o-l-e. I think I will stick with my coop in New York and possibly even move west to San Francisco or even Chicago.

Philadelphia is an undistringuished city except for its place it holds in American history. There is nothing cutting edge or entrepreneurial about the businesses or business people there. Having worked there with a large private equity firm, no matter what the deal, there was always some Philadelphia insider looking to coattail on the deal to make easy money without putting any money up, for supposed, "networking and political connections." Our firm passed on all these as a form of collusion and bribery and sent these guys out the door with, "Thank you, we think we will pass."

Philadelphia has lost 500,000 people over the last 50 years and continues to decline in population, despite a mini upsurge in real estate actvity from 2002 to 2006.

The Lehigh Valley, Bucks, Chester, Montgomery are what drive employment growth in Eastern PA and also for the whole state. Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Erie, Scranton, Reading are all essentially dead stagnant cities.