Nutter says city will create "no barriers" to casinos

Opponents to the proposed Philadelphia casinos are up in arms about Mayor Michael Nutter's recent statement that the City will create "no barriers" to their development.

But the Mayor's Office maintains that legally, there is no other choice.

Three weeks ago, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court appointed a "special master" - Common Pleas Judge John Herron - to mediate a dispute between SugarHouse Casino and the City.

SugarHouse had claimed that Nutter was purposely stalling its project because he was opposed to the casino's riverfront location, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Therefore, "we decided there is no legal basis to block Sugarhouse or move them from the riverfront," senior adviser to the mayor Terry Gillen said.

She added that the mayor has been in support of the relocation of Foxwoods from the riverfront to Eighth and Market streets - Nutter helped get zoning changes for the project passed last fall.

Still, she said, Nutter believes that gambling is "not a great economic strategy," but since the City is faced with a legal requirement for two casinos, "we are doing whatever we can to put them in the best place possible."

Officials of Casino-Free Philadelphia, a group in opposition to Philadelphia's casino development, feel Nutter's statements are at odds with his campaign promises.

"It's a direct turnaround on his campaign," organization member Brendan Walsh said. "He had anti-casino statements in his campaign literature."

Casino-Free founder Jethro Heiko agreed.

"Citizens should hold him [Nutter] accountable and not take what he says as law," he said.

Walsh and Heiko said they have been impressed by turnout at the organization's town hall meetings around the city.

"The crowd is very diverse," Heiko said. "People are getting more and more involved."

There were about 100 people at each of the first two meetings, in Center City and the Philadelphia Riverwards, he added.

Now, plans are underway for an informational event for Penn students at the Rotunda on April 15.

The event, led by College senior Lauren Ladd and College junior Jeannie Tso, both Casino-Free interns, will "let students know how gambling has affected students in the past," Ladd, a Daily Pennsylvanian staff member, said.

According to Ladd, items on the agenda will be providing examples of students affected by gambling in other cities; explaining that gambling can be addictive, how casinos would affect Penn students and the history of casinos in Philadelphia.

"It's an opportunity to get involved," Ladd said.

*This article was edited at 3:15 p.m. on 3/31/09 to remove references to the internal financial status of the casinos made by senior adviser to the mayor Terry Gillen.

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