Jan23 |
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Anti-Casino Activists Fought The Law, And The Law Lost
A district judge yesterday acquitted the 14 anti-casino activists of all charges. They were arrested on Dec. 11 for attempting to learn things about the casinos coming to their neighborhoods. The district judge, Joseph Solomon, later managed to shit all over the casino process to boot! “Their intent was to go there to get information that they had been previously denied,” Solomon told the Associated Press. “I didn’t feel it was appropriate for the gaming board to deny what I perceive to be public information.” Take that, millionaires and politicos! How are you going to live with yourselves on your giant pile of money! Oh, wait. The decision came on the same day that Chester’s new casino opened. It wasn’t due to open for another day, but the state gave them the okay to start raking in the dough and there were apparently already people waiting outside even though it wasn’t going to open for another day. There was a couple hundred people stacked up and looking to come in,” a Harrah’s exec said. “I guess they must have just hoped.” Ain’t casinos grand? Anyway, this acquittal is a great thing. That’s right: No charges for my favorite anti-casino activist, Jethro Heiko. And, really, it’s good to see all these people released: They commited no crimes. Well, maybe crimes of fashion, but “NO DICE” hats will be in one day, I swear. Chester slots parlor opens one day early [Daily News] |
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I am flattered to be your favorite although I feel a bit like I am being overshadowed by Beth (my friend in the No Dice hat in the picture). Thanks for the ongoing coverage of what we are up to. It has been a busy time and not just on the anti-casino front. I have been doing a bunch of work with IVAW, an amazing national organization of vets, active duty soldiers and conscientious objectors, headquartered in Philly and working to end the War and Occupation in Iraq. That work is through the http://www.ActionMill.com which I started last year with my friend Nick. My work with Casino Free has been volunteer work and highly rewarding at that. We had a great meeting last night at the Old Pine. The petition drive, check out http://www.casinofreephila.org, is going great. We need to recruit hundreds of volunteers in the coming week to collect signaures so Philadelphians will have a say on whether they want casinos located in neighborhoods. I am also raising some money so that we can bring on some organizers so send in your checks or make donations on line. This is going to be a great year. Jethro