The Slot Thickens

In some cities, if the mayor’s brother was recently indicted for corruption, you would think the mayor would try to avoid any conflicts of interest, anything out of the ordinary. The mayor might not even jaywalk. But not in Philadelphia. Not John Street.

Yesterday, the city and Riverwalk Casino/Planet Hollywood/Sylvester Stallone announced that the casino would be sponsoring the New Year’s Eve fireworks.

The money comes with no strings attached, and John Street said it wasn’t a conflict of interest, but then again, this is John Street. And, as Daily News reporters Damon Williams and Chris Brennan report that, uh, it is a conflict of interest.

Street, during a Penn’s Landing Corp. meeting last December, cast the deciding vote to give Riverwalk a long-term lease on the site so the investors could seek a gaming license.

Yesterday Street met with four of the five casino applicants and will meet with the fifth today to hear updates on their plans and on how they will address concerns of the communities involved.

Sometime in the next two weeks, Street will let the state Gaming Control Board, members of the Legislature and Gov. Rendell know what he thinks of the applicants.

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Sorry, I was banging my head on the keyboard there. But we serfs don’t get to decide things like where casinos should be or who will be the next mayor and whatnot. Hope you enjoy the Riverwalk Casino! But, as Important Officials keep telling us, the show must go on! Because, really, why are we doing it? Oh, of course:

Meryl Levitz, president and chief executive of the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corp., sees the fireworks as a way to boost tourism. “This started in 1991 as a way to celebrate the Bicentennial,” Levitz said.

Casino applicant to fund fireworks [Daily News]
Yesterday: Welcome, Our Planet Hollywood Casino Overlords