Odds On A Casino Vote

The editorial on casinos in today's Inquirer gets it exactly right: Philadelphians deserve a chance to vote on gambling. Whether they get what they deserve will be decided tomorrow by 12 good people on City Council. The legislators are scheduled to vote at 10 a.m. on a Frank DiCicco-sponsored ballot initiative that would greatly restrict the location of casinos. If the measure gets 12 votes, then the question will be included on the May 15 primary ballot.

The referendum wouldn't actually outlaw gambling in Philadelphia. But it would specify that casinos must be 1,500 feet away from the nearest residential area. That rules out both Foxwoods and Sugarhouse, the winners of Philadelphia's two slots licenses, as well as the three losers - Trump, Pinnacle and Planet Hollywood. But there are still five sites on the Delaware waterfronts that would meet the 1,500-foot rule. In last week's Daily News, Society Hill Civic's Paul Boni made a good case that there are other, better locations for casinos. A city that cares about controlling its destiny would have insisted on choosing the sites, not leaving it to the operators, the Harrisburg pols, and a roll of the dice.

Even though slots seem like a done deal, there's ample precedent for putting the question on the ballot. In virtually every state where gambling has been legalized, the public has been given a say. Here in Pennsylvania, the state legislature approved the monumental change in the middle of the night on July 3, 2004. I distinctly remember during the run-up to the primary election that year receiving almost daily campaign mailings from Sen. Vince Fumo. Not a single one even mentioned the impending vote, even though he was the chief author of the gambling bill.

If council does approve the ballot question, be prepared for legal challenges. The status-quo powers didn't want the public involved in gambling decisions in 2004, and they don't want people involved today.