Still time to derail the slots

Over in the Inquirer Opinion section David McKenna got run for an insightful piece on next steps in the struggle against slots. Here it is below and the full article here>>.

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Far from being an economic windfall, casinos make problems worse.

By David McKenna

The casino express is chugging toward Philadelphia, and local politicians are greasing the rails.

Mayor Michael Nutter speaks of the need to expedite the approval process for a slot-machine parlor in the old Strawbridge's building, two blocks from Independence Mall. City Councilman Frank DiCicco introduced legislation to welcome a terrible redesign of the SugarHouse casino proposed for the waterfront.

At one time, both of those men sided with community groups fighting to keep casinos out of the city's neighborhoods. But they flip-flopped this year, citing the failure of their half-hearted court challenges as well as empty threats from a few legislators in Harrisburg.

Casinos make little economic sense, and they would exacerbate the social problems already plaguing the city. Candidate Nutter understood this back in 2007, when he wrote, "I do not support gambling as an economic development tool or as a way to fund ongoing government programs, no matter how worthy."

Read the full article >>