Casino Free Philadelphia Launches Operation Transparency

a nonviolent direct action campaign

October 30 - Today citizens and members of Casion-Free Philadelphia gave an ultimatum to the PA Gaming Control Board: make public basic documents relating to the casinos, or we will have to go take them ourselves. This ultimatum was faxed to Chairman Tad Decker from City Hall.

OPERATION TRANSPARENCY is a bold campaign launched by Casino-Free Philadelphia. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) legally has to post transcripts of its meetings on its website. But it has not. It used taxpayer money to determine if the revenue projections by the casino applicants are accurate. But it refuses to make these public, too. * Is the revenue promised from casinos really as much as estimated? * Will the casinos have more of a negative impact on our neighborhoods than a positive one?

We can’t answer these questions without quality information. Our right to know is being violated by the secrecy of the PA Gaming Control Board.

IF THE GAMING CONTROL BOARD REFUSES TO MAKE THESE DOCUMENTS PUBLIC BY DECEMBER 1, 2006 AT NOON, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO TAKE THEM OURSELVES.

On December 1 if the documents are still not public… We will have to resort to nonviolent direct action. December 11 is when we will attempt a Document Search operation in the office of the PA Gaming Control Board.

For a copy of the ultimatum, to sign on to the campaign, and more information: www.casinofreephila.org