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Feb
6
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Hey, remember when Louis DeNaples said that he couldn’t recognize John Street because all black people look the same to him? No? Come on, he’s the casino guy who allegedly lied about his mob ties, and we want corporations to make a ton of money on gambling, not mobsters.
Well, anyway, he apologized.
I want to apologize for the insensitivity of this remark. It was wrong, I shouldn’t have said it, and I am very sorry that I did. It came during the course of an exhaustive day of testimony, and it occurred as I was being shown a number of black and white photographs and being asked whether I recognized any of the individuals in the photos.
When I answered, I was referring to my inability to distinguish the people in those photos, and I just didn’t do a very good job of making that point. My remark really was in reference to the difficulty I was having identifying anyone in the photos.
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dmac | 2:11 PM | 1 Comment
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Jan
11
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It appears nature and the past are banding together to attempt to stop SugarHouse Casino from opening in Fishtown. The Bulletin reports environmental activists want to check if the red-belled turtle lives at the proposed casino site, because that’s a threatened species.
The paper talks to the Casino’s communications director, Leigh Whitaker: “We did an investigation during the turtles’ normal, natural nesting season. Our study found there was no evidence of turtles nesting or living on the site.” Oh. That’s not going to work. Let’s get to the other one, then.
Daniel Rubin reports American history could stop the casino from building on the site, as a bunch of history nerds think there was a British fort there and want to get a chance to excavate the site first. Nerds are always getting in the way.
Rubin, by the way, also reports this: “If a Revolutionary War fort can’t slow the SugarHouse casino, it surely can slow it.” Indeed it can.
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dmac | 11:51 AM | 1 Comment
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Oct
8
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Like a dictator in exile, fake Green Beret and Atlantic City mayor Bob Levy went into hiding — or, rather, “sick leave” — on Sept. 28. Since then, City Administrator Domenic Cappella has been acting as acting mayor, but nobody’s really sure if he should actually be allowed to have that power.
And, so, on cue, a mob of angry citizens stormed City Hall. “City resident” Steve Young led a protest into City Hall, declaring, “Every week you hear of some official going to jail because of being corrupt or some other unlawful issue.” Oh, and he complained about police brutality, too.
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dmac | 11:38 AM | 10 Comments
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Aug
17
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The world’s greatest alpaca farmer/legislator will have a challenge next year: Noted bisexual hottie Anne Dicker recently announced she will run against Vince Fumo for state senate next year.
Dicker, you may know, nearly won a state house seat by running on an anti-casino platform, while Fumo invented the entire concept of gambling and brought casinos to Philadelphia. Fumo was also indicted on 139 counts of corruption earlier this year and has been known to wear a funny hat.
Dicker has a strong anti-funny hat policy, and told the Daily News this: “It’s absolutely ridiculous Vince Fumo is still in office - he should resign. I’ll let a jury decide his guilt or innocence, but his actions have brought a great deal of shame on this city.” Yes! I am certainly shamed by Vince Fumo using state money to install hardwood floors for Frank DiCicco or whatever.
Anne Dicker is expected to lose to Vince Fumo even if Fumo is convicted of murdering a hobo for sport, because that’s how politics work.
Dicker to run against Fumo [Daily News]
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dmac | 10:55 AM | 3 Comments
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Jul
9
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Due to a budget impasse, Ed Rendell has closed all non-essential state businesses. Without a budget, these state businesses are simply impossible to run. Keeping a state park open during this scary time without a budget would rip a hole in the fabric of the space time continuum and fling Pennsylvania into Dimension X.
Ha ha, just kidding. Ed Rendell wants to grandstand and he decided the best way to do it is the hurt as many average people a possible. And so parks, DMVs, museums and other state offices are closed. Fortunately, liquor stores are still open, because although Ed Rendell wants to grandstand, he doesn’t want to hurt any of the state’s profits. Also, casinos remain open due to a court order, because only average people should be hurt, not big corporations. This is America, after all.
Okay, so it’s not like that many people are going to be hurt, unless you depend on the state for, oh I don’t know, a paycheck or something. Oh, and it’s going to kill this one dude:
[Garrett] Bonnema, who is visiting from Bethel, Maine, was greeted by closeD metal gates and orange-and-white traffic barriers when he showed up at Tyler State Park, in Newtown Township, Bucks County. Having been deprived of his walk, he suggested that the budget impasse ultimately could affect his health. “This is how I keep my stress level down when I’m here,” said the 60-year-old Bonnema, who is visiting his mother.
Well, I can see how visiting your mother would raise one’s stress level. Fortunately, the liquor store is open!
Budget impasse closes some offices, parks and museums [Inquirer]
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dmac | 10:22 AM | 2 Comments
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May
21
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Philly’s Ballot Box/Casino Free Philadelphia/Whatever is holding a press conference this afternoon to announce the results of the citizens ballot taken on May 15. (”First citizens’ ballot in the United States since 1963,” says the release.) Looking at it from a common-sense perspective, the results will almost certainly be “Yes” to the “Should casinos be kept 1500 feet from schools and churches” question, as, uh, who would vote in a non-binding election that takes extra time to fill out forms and gives your personal information to strangers unless they were against casinos? Oh, but apparently Frank DiCicco is going to get a city ordinance passed which will mirror the results of the ballot box, so democracy and whatnot.
The anti-casino people are really operating an excellent media campaign, as they’ve even webcasted the ballot counting and will show today’s press conference live on air as well. Plus, they allowed people to vote in, like, Love Park and Dilworth Plaza. (Some people still managed to vote on the question even though it was removed from the ballot.)
The press conference starts at 3 today, although the above graphic says there’s apparently going to be a half-hour pre-show on the Philly’s Ballot Box, hosted by Joan Rivers.
Live webcam [Philly's Ballot Box]
May 16: Anti-Casino People Provide Compelling Internet TV
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dmac | 11:28 AM | 0 Comments
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May
16
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Ballot counting is a really popular spectator sport, I hear.
Live [Philly's Ballot Box]
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dmac | 12:55 PM | 1 Comment
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May
10
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The above was commissioned by Casino Free Philadelphia, the group protesting casinos that — since the question was bumped off the ballot — will be holding its own vote on May 15 asking Philadelphians if they want casinos in the city. (Gee, I wonder who’s going to win the vote.)
The video arrived with a press release from CFP, titled: “CASINO-FREE PHILA USES HUMOR TO HIT BACK AT SUGARHOUSE.” This, of course, prepared me that no humor would be involved in hitting back at SugarHouse. Ha ha! He has a combover! And he’s gambling in a church! I get it!
None of this stopped the release from touting its huge gains among the bloggerati:
Numerous bloggers have supported the casino referendum, including Chris Bowers of myDD.com, Philebrity, and YPP bloggers. Bloggers and online journalists like PhillyIsFunny have used heavy (and sometimes crude) satire to talk about casinos, which such titles as “Council Approves Slots Referendum, Rendell Pees Self” or Philebrity’s “When Cockblocking Goes Wrong: Street Gets His Veto Veto’ed!”
The casinos, confused by this press release, apparently decided they needed to respond with an even lamer idea of their own, i.e. a pro-casino rally yesterday. Yes, a bunch of union workers and guys in suits put aside their differences and banded together to rally for casinos to be built in Philadelphia in what one observer (me) called “the saddest protest ever.”
Coming soon, “older Pennsylvanians” will be protesting for a new lottery instant game featuring Gus the Groundhog, as this will allow them to reap even more benefits from the numbers.
Full Casino Free Philadelphia release after the jump.
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dmac | 2:25 PM | 4 Comments
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