Committee Hearing, November 1, 2008

Thank 145 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 you. (Applause.)

Our next witness? MR. McPHERSON: Our next panel consists of Judy Applebaum, Jesse Cohen and Gregory Heller. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Good afternoon. Welcome. Judy, please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good afternoon. I'm Judith Caplo-Applebaum (ph) and I'm President of the Washington Square West Civic Association. With me is Jesse Cohen and Gregory Heller. Gregory is an urban planner. They sit on our Zoning and Governmental Affairs Committee. I would like to thank the members of the City Council for the opportunity to testify this afternoon on 146 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 behalf of the Washington Square West Civic Association. The Civic Association, founded in 1935, represents approximately 600 households and 87 businesses within the area bounded by 7th Street on the east, Broad on the west, Chestnut on the north and South Street on the south. We are here to testify on Bill 11 080741, 42 amending the City Code to provide for a Commercial Entertainment District that would enable a gaming facility as an allowable use in the Gallery. The proposed site for this Foxwoods casino would be about 550 feet from our geographic boundaries. We have not seen architectural planning, circulation designs, nor have we seen any impact studies on this location. My main message today, on behalf of the Civic Association, is to urge City Council to take every feasible measure to ensure that the discussion of siting for gaming 147 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 facilities be as thorough, inclusive, transparent and cautious as possible. We were glad to have a strong delegation of City officials and a representative of Foxwoods present at our annual meeting on October 14th to discuss the potential of a casino in the Gallery. As those officials heard, the members of our community who testified did not represent consensus. However, the tone of most of the testimony reflected an urgent need for much more information and much more discussion. Washington Square West is a community that currently has an unacceptable amount of drug dealing, prostitution and crime. It is also a community that has a large number of small businesses, from Antique Row to Midtown Village. We as a community are especially concerned about the potential impact that a casino may have on our already unmanageable crime rate and the potential impacts on our local economic 148 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 development. There are few models in this country to study the impact of an urban casino. We hope City Council will ensure that the City move slowly and thoroughly, providing as much information as possible so that the people of Philadelphia can objectively assess some of the potential impacts on this project. In particular, we hope that the City will carry out studies addressing transportation and mobility, impact on nearby retail corridors and potential impact on crime in the surrounding neighborhoods. On a separate but related note, we understand that PREIT, the owner of the Gallery, has much larger plans for renovating the Gallery -- (Bell rung.)

I'm almost finished. -- (continued) and transforming Market East into a thriving shopping and 149 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 entertainment corridor. Whether or not a casino is present in the Gallery, we hope that the City Council will act in the best interest of the City and restoring Market East as a vibrant and successful area. The process surrounding the proposed waterfront casinos and the process thus far with the Gallery site has not engendered confidence that the City and Foxwoods are committed to the kind of process that we need to inform our members and to make an informed and objective judgment on the impact of this proposed gaming facility. We hope that if the City adopts the Commercial Entertainment District, that it will do so in order to promote a slow, transparent, inclusive and thoughtful process. With a development as sensitive and with so many unknown factors as a gaming facility, no other approach will be tolerated. Thank you for your time and 150 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 your consideration.

Thank you. Mr. Cohen. (Applause.)

Mr. Cohen. All right. Mr. Cohen, would you please proceed with your testimony.

I'm sorry?

I'm asking Mr. Cohen to proceed with his testimony.

Thank you, Councilwoman. We actually had just our prepared statement, and me and Mr. Heller don't really have anything to add unless there's any questions for either of us from Council.

Very well. Thank you. Any questions from members of the Committee? (No response.)

Thank 151 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 you all very much. Our next panel? MR. McPHERSON: Consists of Joel Palmer, Matt Ruben, Richard DeWyngaert. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Proceed with your testimony. MR. DeWYNGAERT: Good morning.

Good morning. MR. DeWYNGAERT: My name is Richard DeWyngaert and I am the President of Society Hill Civic Association. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to address City Council regarding the legislation which aims to rezone the Market East section of Center City to accommodate casinos and slots. I want to acknowledge the extraordinary effort our Councilman, Frank DiCicco, has extended thus far in trying to safeguard the interest of 152 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Society Hill and the other communities he was elected to represent. You have fought tirelessly for us and apprised us honestly of your view of the ever-evolving circumstances related to the casinos that today lead me to testify before you. So, Councilman DiCicco, thank you for your leadership and your demonstrated commitment to the well-being of the community of Society Hill. (Applause.) MR. DeWYNGAERT: I speak to you on behalf of the Board of the Society Hill Civic Association today, because what happens here can have significant impact on our community. Our Board understands the difficult position in which our elected City representatives find themselves. We know that you did not write the legislation that paved the way for legalized slots in Philadelphia. We also know that the State Supreme Court has repeatedly rendered decisions that 153 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 more heavily weigh the interest of Harrisburg and the casino industry over Philadelphia. We know that Philadelphia, like many American cities, is in a somewhat perilous financial situation. We know that the Mayor may be forced to eliminate many existing programs in order to balance the budget. We know that new revenue streams are sought, and we know that Market East has never been developed in a manner consistent with a vision for the "next great city." We also acknowledge that the projected revenue streams to Philadelphia from Foxwoods and SugarHouse looks pretty good at first glance, but this revenue could come at even greater costs. Society Hill is concerned that -- concerned about zoning that makes casinos permissible in an essentially contiguous area. To conclude hastily that Market East in the middle of Center City is appropriate for slots simply because the 154 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 waterfront is not is flawed thinking and inconsistent with the inspired and creative vision we had hoped would position Philadelphia to thrive in the 21st century. Society Hill, our neighboring communities and our city need a plan that cultivates and seeds sustainable economic growth and development. The Civic Association asks the City to take its time to accurately assess the potential negative impacts experienced by communities proximate to casinos. We must avoid short-term solutions that in the long term may create profound and irreversible problems that compromise the health and vitality of the very communities and historic assets that make Philadelphia unique, a great and enduring national treasure. Society Hill Civic Association implores Council, the City Planning Commission, our Deputy Mayor and the Mayor to slow down and take the time to 155 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 study and completely understand the long-term and broadly considered economic ramifications of the actions the City is considering. (Bell rung.) MR. DeWYNGAERT: Our Civic Association encourages a siting process that begins with good planning principles and which, in the end, leads to an appropriate location for a casino. The current process appears to begin with a specific location. Respectfully, we believe that a rezoning is premature because no plans, studies or impact reports have been conducted and because without the benefit of that information, a sufficient public debate has not occurred. We, therefore, request that you not vote either of these bills out of Committee. Thank you.

Thank you. (Applause.) 156 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Our next witness? Good afternoon.

Thank you very much. My name is Joel Palmer. I am President of Bella Vista Town Watch, one of the communities who are member 8 delegates to the Philadelphia 9 Neighborhood Alliance. 10 The Philadelphia Neighborhood 11 Alliance is not anti-casino. We have, 12 however, worked long and hard with the 13 Councilman, with the City Council, with 14 our state legislators to effect resiting 15 away from the Delaware River. 16 We are obviously pleased by the 17 vision that Penn Praxis, University of 18 Pennsylvania and the City under Mayor 19 Michael Nutter have envisioned for the 20 river and applied the open and 21 transparent process upon which we embark 22 today. 23 Because no casino in no 24 location will ever have zero impacts, we 25 ask that an open, thorough and fair study 157 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 be undertaken to determine what mitigation measures must be afforded and that all concerns of the communities be taken into account, not the least of which is Bella Vista. We are about 900 feet south of the Market East location. I'd like to personally thank each of you, and especially Councilman Frank DiCicco, thank our legislators for the opportunity over the past months 12 to reopen and to review the process under 13 which the casinos that are coming to 14 Philadelphia will be located. 15 Thank you all very much. 16

Thank 17 you. 18

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

My name is Matt Ruben. I am President of the Northern Liberties Neighbors Association. I want to thank you, President Verna and Councilman DiCicco and the rest of the 158 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 members of the Committee, for having a Saturday hearing, which allows more people to come. Very much appreciate that. And I want to echo Mr. DeWyngaert and Mr. Palmer's thanks to Councilman DiCicco for many long months and years of standing up on this issue. Through a quirk of geography and fate, I, too, have been involved in this since December of 2005, as Councilman DiCicco knows, when the first problems of process began. I am here for two reasons primarily today. One is that just as the City of Philadelphia has embarked on a new day of comprehensive planning and a more coordinated, proactive, forward-looking government and the days of a lack of planning are hopefully behind us, so too is it true that the days when civic associations and communities don't talk to each other, the days when we do not come and support and stand up for each other. Those days are long gone as well. And everyone in our 159 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 government and throughout our city should understand that we all stand together. We all communicate. Whatever discussions and arguments we may have -- (Applause.)

-- we too are coordinated and we too are working for planning, and that is why we're here. The other reason we're here is, the NLNA, if nothing else, from the very beginning has stood up on process. And as I'm sure you all know -- and I do apologize. A lot of what you're getting here and what you always get when we have these hearings is the fact that you are having to bear the brunt of a lot of the quite justified anger and hostility that should be directed at the -- laid at the feet of the Governor and venal incompetence and dismissive attitude of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. So I apologize to you for that as well. (Applause.)

Finally, more 160 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 specifically, I think that an issue of process is very important. I understand that the introduction of CED legislation can certainly be the beginning of a process, and we have heard the commitment from the Planning Commission and Council to have an open process. I do think, however, that we all need to remember that once a plan of development is submitted by a casino, if that is done, there is a 45-day clock that starts ticking, and if no action is taken, it is deemed approved. I think the CED process itself, what has been started here, should be considered as an appropriate process to actually do the planning and consider the impacts. Whatever Foxwoods' proposal winds up being, if they submit one, we know it will be 5,000 slot machines and we know that it will be on the 1000 block of Market Street and the Gallery. That is enough to start assessing impacts, to do the economic studies, to do planning. 161 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 So I would urge this Council to at least seriously consider not stopping this process and immediately passing CED, but let the CED phase be the point where we actually do the planning that we're supposed to do. (Bell rung.)

Relatedly, and I'll finish up very briefly, if Council passes CED, what guarantees do we have that Foxwoods going to the Gaming Board to ask for a change of venue, that the public will know what they're proposing? If the Planning Commission works with Foxwoods, what assurances do we have that the public will be able to see any plan of development before that 45-day clock starts? There are many unknowns here. The process has not been detailed or laid out in a way that guarantees full, substantive public input. And, finally, I would urge that this Council also pass a resolution 162 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 urging the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to have any hearings and any documents submitted to it for a request of change of location by Foxwoods immediately and fully and always open to the public. We're happy to take any questions you may have. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Madam Chair, I would ask that Mr. Greenberger, if he could come up and comment on Mr. Ruben's comments about the process. And just if you can, I think that would be helpful.

Alan Greenberger. I'll just repeat what I said before. What we want to do is have an 163 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 interim public presentation to the Planning Commission and, therefore, to the public on the developing scheme long before it's done, followed by a further presentation closer to the conclusion of when the thing is done. We also want to have a public information session outside of the Planning Commission that we have -- we're starting to figure out how to organize and also how to appropriately time it relative to the POD process so that information is brought out sooner rather than later.

First, if I could just briefly say to Mr. Greenberger, congratulations on becoming the Executive Director of the Planning Commission. I think that will be very good for the Planning Commission. Secondly, hearings have people testifying on the record and sometimes under oath, and, again, I think we should at least consider that this CED legislation, the process of considering 164 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 this, could certainly be a longer process that would allow a lot of what you're talking about to happen on the record in front of Council in a place where everyone in Philadelphia is hearing the same thing at the same time from PREIT and from Foxwoods. For example, today, I think it was Mr. Dougherty, or whatever testified from Foxwoods, stated that they were asked to consider the Gallery by the Governor and I believe he said the Mayor and other elected officials, but that's not what we've heard otherwise. So that needs to be cleared up, and this kind of hearing is exactly the place to clear up those kind of ambiguities. And, again, it may be that the Gaming Board meets with the Planning Commission -- I mean that Foxwoods meets with the Planning Commission staff extensively, but where is the public in that? And I think it would behoove the Planning Commission to publicly state in a lot of detail exactly 165 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 what will be required, including anything above and beyond CED, to consider a plan of development submission complete. I think it would behoove Foxwoods to publicly commit to not submitting a plan of development for a certain period of time if the CED legislation is passed. And, as I said, I think it would behoove the Commission and the Administration and Council to sit down and think about whether or not this hearing process, which doesn't have to end today, could be extended to do some of that fact-finding and to develop what I believe the gentleman from the Marriott Hotel testified to, saying that he would not like to see a casino put in or legislated without a more comprehensive plan for development of that area. And I think why not take advantage of hearings and Council and people being on the record to do that and full public openness and accountability.

Thank you. 166 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Those are all good suggestions, and all those things are in the works. We will publish information about goals, expectations, public hearings, and put information out there as best we can to make it available to the public and to let public comment on it.

The Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Just two things for the record. One is, if this bill is reported out favorably today, we still have two weeks before Council takes final action on it, and then you have, was it, 12 days, I believe, for the Mayor to either sign or veto the bill. So we got at least about 30-something days before the final action on these bills would take effect. So in that interim, there's a lot of time for the Planning Commission, working along with my office, the Administration and others, to talk about and deal with some of the issues that you just raised, Mr. Ruben. 167 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 And also I think, for the record, it was mentioned on at least one occasion, if not more, this morning about the Mayor's opposition to casinos being within 1,500 feet of a residential community. My recollection of that was that the Mayor supported the 1,500 foot buffer zone as it specifically was related to the two waterfront sites, because he didn't believe and most of us didn't believe that those were the appropriate sites for casinos. It was not a statement of fact that it would never be within 1,500 foot of any residential community. It was specific to those two sites. And to the best of my recollection, again, the Mayor is more supportive of the Gallery site obviously than he was on the waterfront. But I wanted that to be perfectly clear. It was not a blanket 1,500 foot across the City. It was specific to the waterfront sites, and I just want to note that for the record. 168 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, gentlemen.

Thank you.

Our next panel? MR. McPHERSON: Our next panel consists of Father Tom Betz, Cecilia Yep, George Moy and Ms. So King Kong. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Is Father Betz here? (No response.)

Cecilia, is Father Betz here? Is Father Betz here?

No. Father Betz had to leave, and Angela Chan has been asked to read his testimony.

Thank you. Can we start, please. Kindly 169 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

My name is Angela Chan, and I would like to read a statement of Father Thomas Betz, Pastor of Holy Redeemer Church and School. Holy Redeemer is a thriving church community, with an elementary school for 290 children. In addition, we offer numerous other community services for healthcare, after-school care, recreation and adult education. On many occasions over my 15 years at Holy Redeemer, I have 16 encountered families shattered by 17 gambling addictions. I have seen broken lives, broken marriages and unhappy children, all because of gambling. No 20 good can come from a casino in Chinatown. Not only am I alarmed about the terrible toll that this casino will take on the lives of vulnerable people, people who should be protected by the City government, not sold for tax revenue, I 170 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 am also concerned about the impact of a casino on the neighborhood. There is no 4 plan for traffic and parking and no 5 serious efforts to protect other businesses which make Chinatown a unique commercial neighborhood. The City is in a rush to open this casino, desperately greedy for the tax revenue that is anticipated. I am very disappointed that the City is so impatient to sell families, children and Chinatown for the sake of this illusion. I ask that this casino be relocated away from Chinatown. At the least, I ask that the process slow down so that meaningful dialogue can occur. I am sorry that I cannot attend this hearing due to a prior commitment in Baltimore, but I ask that my concerns be considered. Thank you.

Thank you very much. (Applause.) 171 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Good morning, President Verna and Councilpeople. My name is Cecilia Moy Yep. I have been here many times testifying as an advocate for the Chinatown community, as I have been a resident of the community for over 60 years. Fifty of those years I have worked as a volunteer to preserve, protect and promote Chinatown. I remember Chinatown when there were bars with prosecutes hanging out on every corner, with flophouses in between and alcoholics laying in our doorways. We were known as the "red light district" adjacent to skid row. The community has worked long and hard to improve our neighborhood and make it a decent place to live and work, a place where we and our children can live in a decent environment. I am worried that all this work will be for naught. The community fears the adverse impacts that a slots parlor will have on 172 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 our neighborhood. It's planned just too close, 50 feet away, not 1,500 feet away as required by zoning. Today, Chinatown is a neighborhood with close to 5,000 residents and over 160 businesses. In the past, Chinatown served as a construction site for the building of the Galleries and the Market Street East projects, trucks loaded with dirt going down 10th Street and up 11th Street all day long. We were also a construction site for the Vine Street Expressway, which caused the community to lose 16 percent of our homes and businesses. I 17 even lived on the construction site of 18 the Center City commuter rail tunnel. 19 Right next to my house the dirt was piled 20 higher than my house, and the cement 21 factory for the tunnel was literally in 22 my backyard. Is it no wonder we fight 23 off projects that cause such hardships 24 such as the 9th and 11th Street ramps, 25 the Federal Detention Center, the 173 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Greyhound Bus Terminal and the most recent stadium? The community has endured the impact of construction for all these major projects in Center City, all for the good of the City. We looked on the construction as a temporary situation, even though it lasted for many, many years. The hearing today is for legislation to implant a slots parlor in our front yard. It is a permanent situation that we will have to live with on a daily basis. Can you possibly understand why we feel that this is not good for Chinatown and not good for the City? (Bell rung.)

Oh, yes, we are aware that this will bring revenue to the City. Perhaps more harm than good will result. What if the expectations are not met? What if it doesn't succeed and the tax benefits are outweighed by the increased 174 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 social costs? The Inquirer reports that there are 1,250 calls a month to the Pennsylvania Council on Comprehensive Gambling. This number will no doubt increase with yet another slots casino in the Gallery. Why haven't studies been done to support the proposed casino? The community feels offended that no studies have been done for the environmental and socioeconomic impact this casino will have on our community. It tells the Chinatown community that we really don't matter. Is it a case that's just too bad for the people living there? Will this be an environmental situation that our families will have to live with? We know the City and State needs money, but why must Chinatown always be the sacrificial lamb? Chinatown has already sacrificed many times for the good of the City, but a slots parlor within 50 feet just down the 175 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 corner of our neighborhood is hard for one community, our community, to accept. We know casinos cater to the Asians because they are prone to gambling, as 30 percent of Foxwoods' clients in Connecticut are Asians. This is enforced by the fact that every casino in Atlantic City has an Asian marketing department. It will bring revenue to the City and State, but how many lives will be destroyed by this casino? Families, senior citizens and many of our youth will become addicted to gambling, not only in our neighborhood but throughout the entire City. Chinatown has witnessed many cases of families subjected to marital abuse, bankruptcy, suicide and poverty because of gambling. Philadelphia is known as the City of Neighborhoods, and I don't believe there's any neighborhood that wants a slot parlor. I would even dare to say that all of the City Council 176 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 sitting here today are saying, Thank God it's not in my neighborhood. Why can't the City find an area that is away from all neighborhoods? I also question how City Council could pass this legislation when there's no formal plan for review. What about the traffic? Answer: Everyone is supposed to take public transportation. Well, we all know that will be the day. What about the parking? There's plenty around, but what happens to all the cars that are on those lots now? The City and State are expanding the Convention Center that has no parking and there's no parking in the expansion either. This expected revenue will be from most of the poor people's pockets, who will be the victims addicted to gambling. A slots parlor within 50 feet of our community is hard to envision. I also find it hard to believe that using a casino as an economic development engine 177 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 to revitalize Market Street East will ever be successful when we can't even get any upscale store there now. How does it work out economy-wise. When a man gambles away his $200, he certainly is not going to buy that $200 suit from the local retailer. In less than one short month, the proposal has passed zoning, the Planning Commission and it's now in City Council here today for passage of legislation. Are we to believe that there's no turning back, it's a done deal, that we are stuck with it even though Chinatown opposes it? I appeal to City Council members to give this proposal more consideration. So many factors are not known. We are told that this is a beginning of a process. I don't believe I know of any other legislation that was induced as part of a beginning of a process. It's usually the end of a process.

178 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 City Council should hold up this process and work for the community and, best of all, to find a place in Philadelphia suitable for a slots parlor, if has to be, where there's no 7 neighborhood close by. Where there is a will, there is a way. We're counting on you, City Council, as elected officials by the people of Philadelphia to be for the people and not the owners of slot parlors.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Would our next witness please identify him or herself and proceed. Anyone else going to testify? Mr. Moy? MS. KING (through interpreter): My name is Kong So King living at the (unintelligible). If the casino operate at the Gallery, we will have a tremendous unexpected bad consequence. First, it 179 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 will hurt our next generation. It's a disaster. Second, the crime go up and we will not have our daily peaceful life in the Chinatown. Because of gambling, if one of the family member addicted to the gambling, it will cause a lot of big problem. The family have a broken family, divorce and the children living in the house. It is a really, really bad consequence. It is a disaster. (Bell rung.) MS. KING (through interpreter): Fourth, it will hurt the business in Chinatown because the casino is so close to Chinatown, and then after work, the employee or employer can walk to the casino to gamble, and next day they cannot concentrate to work and then the employee will get fired or employer business will go down. And do you think that that is a good idea to have a casino in the Gallery? And this is a really, really -- it's a big disaster in the 180 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Chinatown. And I hope everybody unite together to object that the casino at the Gallery. Thank you. (Applause.)

My name is George Moy. I'm going to have to apologize for being somewhat disorganized. I have copies of what I intended to testify on. However, it's not my last revision. One o'clock last night my computer crashed. So this is a version that I had originally come up with. Councilman DiCicco, I certainly don't envy the predicament you're now facing. I know you are between a rock and a hard place. I also would like to apologize for the recent behavior of a particular youth. Many of us were shocked and appalled by his rudeness. It was contrary to the respect for authority that is part of our culture. He most certainly did us a disservice. There are 181 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 questions about his ties to Chinatown. However, please do not hold it against us. When I first began drafting this statement, I became aware many people knew very little about the intricate and troublesome history of Chinatown. Given the 110 years of our existence, that a history could not be put in adequate words. Try as I could to be concise, I felt it was necessary that the background facts be provided to those only having a smattering of knowledge of our plight. What is important to me is to respond to those who have expressed negatively of our right to oppose the casino. Statements like, our people should leave the area, or Chinatown is only a commercial district. I felt it was demeaning of our people, I think even touching on maybe racism. What has taken place is unprecedented. Is this hearing being 182 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 fast-tracked simply to fulfill a legal requirement? Are our voices going to fall on deaf ears? Objections to the potential placement of more than one -- I have objections to the potential placement of more than one slot casino in downtown Philadelphia. I don't know the details of the bill. Does it give an opportunity to a second, third, fourth casino to be located there in the future if competition fails that it wants to be in Philadelphia? However, my objections are centered on the following issues. (Bell rung.)

The process: I contend that the process has been compromised. Two, urban development: Chinatown has felt the negative impact of many, many projects in the Center City area. Chinatown has deep historical roots to this area. We are over 100 183 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 years old. Through the process of eminent domain, one-third of Chinatown was chopped off to make way for the projects. Chinatown growth was stifled and the quality of life seriously diminished. What plans are there to ensure Chinatown's survival? Approval of this bill will surely open the Pandora's box. Three, personal, social and economical impact of casinos: I worry about the potential negative personal, social and economic impacts of casinos, especially on Chinatown. How does one put a price on a diminished quality of life? I ask that City Council dig deep and decide if slot casinos are right for Philadelphia and Chinatown. My advice to Foxwoods, if they're still here, is, give very careful consideration of your decisions you are about to make. The emotions that were exhibited at the October meeting in 184 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Chinatown were very real. I was surprised as to how deep they were. Any living thing that is cornered and threatened and no recourse is made available, it will strike out in desperation. Picketing and boycotting are our future options. I hope you can advise us as to whether they would be peaceful. We shall pursue all legal means. And since the Gallery was federally funded, we believe an environmental impact study is a requirement. I just add some notes, just a few short notes. Since Chinatown is only a fraction in size than other communities, will we have equal footing in your consideration? You also mentioned about, well, three years ago why didn't community groups oppose the casino. Well, in my case, three years ago my daughter caught cancer, and obviously my first concern 185 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 was her and her health. At that time, I had to compromise with my wife that I would go to only one meeting a month, otherwise our 55-year marriage would be questioned. Councilman, you have much more legal knowledge than I do. Are there other options open to us? For instance, a referendum. Can we start to initiate a referendum? I mean, this proposal of a casino not being wanted in anybody's backyard has raised the ire of the whole City, I would say. So is that an option? (Applause.)

Just one last comment. In closing, I would like to add that we are thankful to Martin Luther King and Mahatma Gandhi for showing us how peaceful protests can help us right a wrong.

Thank you, Mr. Moy. (Applause.)

The 186 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Chair recognizes Councilman DiCicco. COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you, Madam Chair. Just a couple of comments. To the young lady who is speaking on behalf of Father Betz, I understand after that meeting, your building, the school building, was vandalized with some graffiti. If you need some help in correcting that problem, just call my office and I'll send some people down. Mr. Moy, thank you for your opening remarks. I know that it's not how Chinatown operates. I accept your apology, but there really was no apology necessary. I understand the emotional concerns for this, and sometimes people act out because either they maybe not have enough information or basically just because they oppose something, and I'm fine with that. In your remarks you mentioned something about statements people are making about leave the area or Chinatown 187 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 is only a commercial district, et cetera. I don't know who is making those statements. It's certainly not coming from me, because I believe for the most part I've been part of that progress that has been going on in Chinatown, at least during the years that I've been in 9 office, and I fully support and will 10 continue regardless of the outcome of 11 this legislation. Whether or not there's 12 a casino built there in the end or not, 13 my commitment for as long as I'm in this 14 seat, which is another three, three and a half years, my commitment to Chinatown will remain as was previous to this issue. As to a referendum, we did try that a couple of years ago. We introduced legislation. We were hoping to get on the ballot a referendum that if passed would have said no casino would be able to be built within 1,500 feet of a residential community, a church, synagogue, what-have-you. That 188 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 referendum, we were denied even the right to have the referendum on the ballot by the Supreme Court. So we tried that. We tried to fight that fight. We lost that, and the answer simple is, no, we cannot do a referendum, because the Supreme Court took that right away from us a couple of years ago. But thank you for your testimony.

You raised a question to a previous panel about where in the City might they recommend for a casino. I remember some 40-some years ago that a project was proposed at the 30th Street Rail Station. In fact, one time they said Chinatown ought to move there. Maybe we should have, but it's a little late now. I didn't want to -- now, I don't want to hurt any other community, because I can sympathize with nobody wants it in their back or front yard, but I don't know enough about the area. 189 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 COUNCILMAN DiCICCO: Thank you. Thank you. No further questions. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you all very much. (Applause.)

Our next panel? MR. McPHERSON: Our next panel consists of John Chin, Mrs. Helen Luu, Mrs. Ray Ling Hou and Glenn Hing. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Good afternoon. Nice seeing you.

Hi. Nice to see you.

Who is going to testify first? Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

I'm Andy Toy. I guess I'm first. Good afternoon, Honorable Councilwomen and Councilmen. My name is 190 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Andrew Toy and I'm here to testify in regards to Bills No. 080741 and 080742. As a longstanding Board member of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation and the most recent Chairperson, I have many years of experience and knowledge about the Philadelphia Chinatown community and the impacts of various City-sponsored projects upon the community. And I consider myself a city planner as well. I think that we all agree that the Market Street East area has been in need of improvement for some time now, and we may also agree that the Gallery at Market Street East could use some improvement. What is still unclear is whether that improvement should include a major slots parlor, which is why City Council is contemplating changing the zoning to be designated as a Commercial Entertainment District. Obviously the casino is the reason for designating the area as a CED. 191 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 I would argue that for a change of this magnitude, City Council and the citizens of Philadelphia should know more about what impact -- what the impact of a potential casino would be at the Gallery location. Until now, we have had almost no information relating to the economic, social, environmental, traffic and design impacts of this siting and how the various negative impacts that we know will happen would be proposed to be mitigated. As you know, there are special issues in Chinatown, as well as a place that is a concentrated residential and commercial area that has its unique history relating to government projects, as we've heard, and undesirable uses such as bars and prostitution and social issues such as gambling addiction. If this is the, quote/unquote, right site for the casino, then Foxwoods, the State and the City should be able to produce some evidence as such before we move any 192 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 process forward. And, yes, that will take some time and dollars, but that is part of the up-front risk, just as it was when Foxwoods and other casino operators proposed original sites. We should not guarantee anything before the case is made. That would be putting the cart before the horse. We've had years to examine and discuss the casino proposals along the river. There was much time and a deliberative, if somewhat flawed, I would say, Gaming Control Board process that was spent on the originally chosen sites, weighing the potential costs and benefits and finally choosing them. I would respectfully submit that we need at least to go through a similar process at the Gallery, which is actually closer to a neighborhood than the Foxwoods site. And I would request that the passages of these ordinances be held until a clearer and transparent process is followed. Thank you. 193 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Thank you.

Good afternoon, President, Council and the ladies and gentlemen. My name is Helen Luu. I am the social worker, have a Master's degree license, Pennsylvania license, social worker, and I work for the Asian Community Health Center for years. 11 And since this morning, the testimony 12 this morning, then no one talking about 13 the mental health. 14 But I work in this field, and 15 then let me tell you what is causing the 16 social problem in the Asian community 17 related to the mental health. And in the 18 morning, you heard all the testimony and 19 then the story from the students and not 20 only causing the family problems, 21 divorce, bankruptcy, committed suicide 22 and the missing persons, crime in the 23 community and also the prostitution in 24 the area, but one thing -- let me tell you that one of my -- I have several 194 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 patients that have gambling addiction, and then because the casino going to operate in Gallery, my psychiatrist ask him, What do you think if the casino open at the Gallery? You imagine what is his answer. He said -- this is a gambler, addiction gambler. He said, quote, If I am the Governor, I will close down the casino all in the United States, not only in Chinatown. And he said that close all the casino in the United States. You can imagine that what is the social problems -- causing the social problem in not only the Asian community, in all other community. And talking about the problem he has, because he lost all the money, because he's on the SSI, he lost the money. And he not only lost his own money, he also draw his mother's SSI money. And even mother have $4 in the bank, he still force her to take the $4 out to gamble. And then he had no money 195 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 to eat for two days. And because the problem and then the mental health problem, he need the medication every day, and then now because the health costs going up and then every client have to pay their co-payment, he has no money to pay the co-payment. You can imagine, if he had no money to pay the co-payment, he cannot get the medication. And then no 12 medication within a month, he end up back to the hospital, the psychiatric unit hospital. So can you imagine that one day how much it costs for one day at the psych unit? More than a thousand dollar a day. You can imagine. If we continue to have a casino, I know everybody said, oh, no, you have casino in Atlantic City. Oh, no, that will prevent that -- still have the gambler, but that will prevent it, more people. And gambling more, because they can walk down to the casino. 196 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 (Bell rung.)

So I would ask the City Council to reconsider the bill, because the social problem, the cause of the social problem will be greater than the game, more in the benefit from the casino. Thank you.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Good afternoon, Madam President and members of City Council. My name is John Chin. I'm the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corporation. We are opposed to the placement of the Foxwoods casino at the Gallery site. PCDC as an organization has been advocating for and implementing neighborhood development for Chinatown for over 40 years. We've been improving the quality of life with significant housing and economic and community 197 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 development projects over the years. I would add that many of these improvements were carried out in partnership with Councilman DiCicco and City agencies. Many of the things I have here in my testimony have been said already today, so I'm just going to get right to the point and ask that the Committee on Rules hold the legislative Bills 080742 and 080741, because we believe that Foxwoods casino is the one that should start the process, not City Council. By City Council amending the existing Commercial Entertainment District and proposing the change of zoning for one block on Market Street, you're sending the wrong message to Foxwoods. I am asking you to slow down the process, and it is Foxwoods that should take the first step. They need to perform all the necessary studies on the feasibility of the Gallery relocation. They should perform all the necessary studies on the impact to Chinatown. 198 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Foxwoods should be required to show the business operation and marketing plan. It's been testified previous to this that 30 percent of the gamblers that go to Foxwoods in Connecticut are Asian American. We don't know a lot of things about Foxwoods. We don't even know if Foxwoods is willing to pay a fair wage to its labor force. I understand that there's problems between labor and management in the Connecticut casino. We need to hear from many experts that can speak to the impact of gambling on the vulnerable populations. You've heard one such testimony today. We need to hear experts that can speak to the experience and impact of Foxwoods in Connecticut. These experts should testify before City Council before we take another step along our process. And it was spoken before, this process must include assurances and controls, because at the end of the day, 199 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 if this process goes down the road, it may be too late for this city and this neighborhood to implement certain controls on this process. I thank you for your time. (Applause.)

Good afternoon, Council President Verna and members of the Council. My name is Glenn Hing. I am born and raised in Chinatown. My family has been in Chinatown for more than 100 years at this point. I personally lived through the Vine Street Expressway project, the Independence Mall renewal project, the Gallery project, the Convention Center project, the baseball stadium proposal, and now we have the casino problem. The legislation that you have before you is nothing more than an attempt to accommodate the relocation of the casino from the currently licensed site without proper consideration or planning. It is an attempt more so than 200 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 not to be a rezoning of a small area in the City rather than having a rezoning as part of a master plan. Although Councilman DiCicco would like this to be an open and transparent process, which we would welcome, no plan has been disclosed to this community or any other community to date that I'm aware of. City Planning does not have a plan for the development. Foxwoods has no plan, and it admitted as much today. The owner of the site, the Pennsylvania Real Estate Investment Trust, has no plan, or at least they're not disclosing that they have a plan, because the answer to the question as to how much of the Gallery is going to be used, the answer was they're not at liberty to disclose. So I don't know where this is going. The legislation refers to proposed projects. Yet, no project has been proposed. Before this project -- excuse me. Before the legislation should 201 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 go forward, there should be a plan in place or at least discussed. It has been said that the CED zoning is needed for the casino development. The process is stated to be open and transparent, but what is very apparent is that nothing is being disclosed or even known at this point. If we have the -- if the answer to the questions are we don't know what the plan for development for the casino is, my question to City Council respectfully is, how can they pass, let alone consider passing, legislation which would facilitate the development of a casino when there is no plan or even discussion about the specifics of a plan in place? The last thing I just wanted to mention is just to respond to Councilman DiCicco's comments regarding the 1,500 foot prohibition. He indicated that the prohibition -- the Mayor supports the prohibition with respect to the South Philadelphia and Pennsport sites and 202 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 didn't quite apply or he wasn't aware whether it applied to the Chinatown site. If that's so, I just want to know why a distinction is being made with respect to that and why Chinatown is being treated differently from other communities in this City. Thank you very much. (Applause.)

Thank you very much. Our next panel? MR. McPHERSON: Our next panel consists of Joe Shiavo, Jeff Rush, Rene Goodwin. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Thank you. My name is Joe Shiavo. I'm a resident of Old City, and I'm Old City Civic 203 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Association's delegate to the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance. Since January of 2007, the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance, PNA, is a coalition of 28 community organizations serving 300,000 citizens along the Delaware waterfront and throughout Philadelphia, has worked to reopen the site selection process, with the goal of reducing casino-related impacts on neighborhoods. The PNA is not anti-casino, but has advocated for a 1,500 foot buffer between any casino and residences, schools, playgrounds and places of worship. On September 10th of this year, more than a year and a half of intense, dedicated effort by the PNA and others produced the announcement of the first alternate casino site. A tremendous achievement, previously thought impossible. The announcement of the alternative site was not, however, made 204 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 with any input from or advanced notice to the adjacent neighborhoods. The PNA believes the decisions that led to the announcement of the Market East for consideration should not have been made without prior community input, especially from those closest to the proposed locations. PNA recognizes the need for the resiting process to move forward and that a new process has begun with the introduction of CED legislation in City Council. PNA urges that the process be open, honest, thorough and allowing for real citizen input and reflecting the principle that the outcome should not be pre-determined. The PNA supports additions to the language of the existing legislation ensuring that the communities impacted by the two waterfront sites and the proposed Market East site are integrally involved in the evaluation process, including public hearings and meetings held outside 205 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 normal work hours. PNA requests the legislation be modified to provide a 30-day public response period for every study, design submission, plan of development and modified or amended plan of development. PNA further requests the creation of an appeal process, allowing communities to request an extension of the 30-day response period for good cause. While PNA recognizes the existing legislation requires evaluation of the impacts of a casino development, we want to emphasize the need for independent review and accurate evaluation of the following: A complete traffic study and public transit study that fulfills the scope of work put forth by the City of Philadelphia in consultation with civic groups adjacent to Market East site. (Bell rung.)

A parking plan that corresponds with and takes account 206 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 of the public -- the traffic study; a full environmental study addressing all air, water, light and noise pollution impacts from the facility and all transportation to and from the facility; a study on the likely demographics and origin -- city, region, resident, visitor -- of casino patrons given the specific location and character of the Market East site; a study of likely local crime impacts; a study of the additional costs, short term and long term, of policing the casino area surrounding the neighborhoods and mass transit stations; an assessment of the likely impact of the casino on emergency services infrastructure and response time; a study of the likely economic impacts on the area businesses, including, but not limited to, the area restaurant and entertainment establishments; a tally of all public investment in roads, infrastructure and other hard improvements, including any new 207 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 conditions assumed by any and all of the aforementioned studies and assessments. The PNA further requests that the Philadelphia --

I'm sorry. We're trying to keep to the three minutes. Would you try to conclude your statement, please.

I do. I have just two short paragraphs. Thank you.

Can you make it one paragraph?

The PNA further requests that the Philadelphia City Planning Commission and City Council publicly outline a detailed timeline and procedure to secure a process that is transparent, complete, open and inclusive of citizen input into the evaluation, and that accounts for the possibility that the Foxwoods might elect to consider another alternative location. Finally, PNA requests that the Rules Committee hold Bill 080742 for 30 208 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 days to allow the public to submit language for additional amendments and that the Rules Committee hold an additional public hearing to consider any amendments presented during the whole period. Thank you.

Thank you. The Chair recognizes Councilman Kenney.

Thank you, Madam Chair. Listening to all the testimony and the suggestion that we hold these bills and we get more time and that we do more studies, none of that is going to happen unless the bills get passed, because there's no motivation on their part to pay money, to spend dollars to do studies. The legislation passage would give them some, I guess, inducement or some belief that we're serious about the considering other sites. Then they would 209 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 potentially invest that money into doing all the things that everyone is suggesting that we study. But they don't have to do it, because they can start -- they have enough approvals now to start construction Monday morning at Delaware and Reed. So while I recognize the legislation looks as if it's the first step towards 10th and Market, there's no 12 steps other than Reed Street if the legislation doesn't get passed, because they're not going to sit forever and not build something. And that's what's frustrating, is that all these studies, environmental impacts, traffic studies, crime studies, addiction, all those things cost money. The City is not paying for it, and they're not going to pay for it if there's no chance that they're going to go to this other site, so they just put the shovel in the ground at Delaware and Reed and open up. That's why this whole 210 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 conversation is a bit frustrating and confusing, because they're never going to do that unless this legislation passes.

Then I just want to make sure I understand your statement. It seems that within your statement you're suggesting that the expense of those studies would be Foxwoods' burden to bear.

It would have to be, because they're the ones who have to present the development proposal to the Planning Commission and to City Council, and if we're not happy with it, they don't pass it and we don't pass it. But they're not going to bring us a product, Planning Commission or here, unless the legislation passes, which gives them some indication that this move is possible. It doesn't mean if we pass the legislation, the move is inevitable. It means it's possible, and they're going to start their due diligence to prove to us how they could make it work. They're 211 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 not going to do it unless the legislation passes.

I understand and I appreciate that clarification, but I wonder about the assumption within your statement, though. Would you trust studies that are done by the casino operator? Would you actually use those studies as the foundation of your decision-making process?

We have the opportunity to review those studies and determine whether or not we think they're bogus or they're accurate, and at that particular point in time, we may make a decision to say that it doesn't work, you haven't done your due diligence and we're not passing -- Planning Commission is not passing it and Council is not passing it. Now where do they go? They start digging at Delaware and Reed. I mean, they have everything they need right now to build a casino at Delaware and Reed. 212 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

But wouldn't --

And us holding this legislation doesn't stop that from happening.

But wouldn't you agree that the studies done by the casino operators, both of them, for the two riverfront locations -- the quality of their studies have been challenged, so why would we begin this process using once again studies done by the casino operators?

Because perhaps during this new process, which only starts with the passage of this legislation, that we could come to some agreement on the selection of the people doing the studies. It doesn't necessarily mean -- all this is a blank page yet, but you never get to fill in the blank page unless the legislation passes, because they still have the leverage of Delaware and Reed, which is where they'll go. I mean, that's it. 213 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Thank you. Our next witness?

Good afternoon, Madam President, Councilman DiCicco, members of the Rules Committee, fellow Philadelphians. I speak today not as a member of PNA, although I am privileged to be associated with that organization, but as a Board member for the Pennsport Civic Association. My community runs from Washington Avenue to Snyder Avenue, the east side of 4th to the river. It is the community in which the other Foxwoods site is potentially located. I have always referred to my community as the target community because we are 480 feet from residences. On February 28, 2006, representatives of Whitman, Pennsport, Queen Village and Society Hill were called together for the first time to learn of the proposed Foxwoods development. We were all invited, 214 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 because a development of this magnitude would have wide-ranging impacts beyond its immediate location. That night we began to see that there were many issues to be identified and studied, and so RCU, Riverfront Communities United, came about. As described earlier somewhat by Joe Shiavo, after the license decisions were announced, waterfront communities from both north and south came together to form DRNA, Delaware River Neighborhood Alliance, and as other groups joined because they were concerned about this issue, we became Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance. In October of '06, Pennsport Civic Association hosted a two-day symposium with representatives from almost every city, state and some federal agencies who would have jurisdiction over this proposed development. That experience taught us that there were not only questions not answered, but to a 215 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 large extent, the questions had not even been thought of. It was clear that our work was cut out for us. In the days and nights that followed, we all soon felt we were becoming manic depressives, for one day there would be development that would make us euphoric and the next day there would be something that devastated us. So here we are two years and eight months later. What have we learned? We have learned that one cannot wish away a huge problem such as traffic. Traffic studies done at the behest of Councilman DiCicco and strongly encouraged by communities confirmed that the traffic problems at the waterfront site brought about by a large development were not mitigatable. It became clear that the estimated additional 26,000 cars and buses would not only result in immovable traffic, but also air pollution. And there is that issue of parking of buses and employees. 216 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 We learned that the sewer and drainage system, woefully antiquated and inadequate, could possibly be challenged by the development. We learned it would cost $17.6 million in start-up costs for a police unit to cover both waterfront casinos. So you see, we learned many things. One of the most important things we learned was that at the same time we were fighting for our communities to get answers regarding this development, something wonderful happened. It was known as Penn Praxis' "Civic Vision," and it was supported by the former Mayor Administration and by Councilman DiCicco. It's a vision for development for a seven-mile stretch of land known as the Central Delaware. It is the kind of vision longed for, not only by waterfront communities, but by all who realize the importance of the river to our city's history, future -- past and present history. 217 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 (Bell rung.)

I would not be honest if I said to you I want to lose this wonderful opportunity by building Foxwoods on the waterfront, for this would have a significant negative impact on implementing the "Civic Vision." But I also will not say to you that I want any other communities negatively affected, particularly by lack of good planning and serious consideration of all issues, the kind of issues that two years and eight months of our lives have brought about, for we have paved the way. So where does that leave me and my fellow communities in the south? Well, it still leaves us feeling like manic depressives. But it also leaves us neither opposing nor supporting the proposed Market East site. It does leave us in strong support of our fellow communities' rights to get serious consideration and truthful answers.

Thank you 218 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 for your testimony. (Applause.)

Jeff?

Thank you, Madam President, Councilman DiCicco, Councilman Kenney, members of City Council. My name is -- as you can hear, we've been screaming for the Phillies all week and my voice box is shot. Thank God for the microphone. My name is Jeff Rush and I'm President of Queen Village Neighbors Association. QVNA, together with Pennsport Civic and Whitman Council, represent at least 30,000 households from Lombard Street south to Oregon Avenue. Since 1992, successive Administrations ignored the Planning Commission, and the result was that no 21 planning for the central waterfront occurred. In fact, the only plans for development were exclusively for Penns Landing, and over the last 30 years, those plans were all developer driven. 219 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 For various reasons, all these plans failed in some spectacular fashion. We don't even want to go there. Realizing the error in isolating to Penns Landing in what was otherwise a planning vacuum, Councilman DiCicco in the summer of 2006 persuaded former Mayor Street to authorize a planning process for the seven and a half mile stretch of the central waterfront. This led to the formation of the Penn Praxis Development Advisory Group, which convened in November of the same year. The following month, casinos were announced for two waterfront sites. In the year and a half that ensued, Penn Praxis, with heavy citizen involvement, formulated a vision for the future of the central waterfront. As a member of the Advisory Council, I attended all meetings. The casino sitings ordered by the State were the 800-pound gorilla in the room, but their looming potential presence was largely 220 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 ignored despite the repeated protestations of the waterfront civics and others around the table. Finally, a compromise was reached that pushed Penn Praxis to study all planning on two tracts, one with casinos, one without. Opinions regarding the efficacy of big box vehicle-depended casinos on the waterfront began to shift in no small measure because Mayor Nutter soon recognized how badly a fit this casino paradigm was with the needs of the 21st century waterfront. The Mayor then requested Penn Praxis to assemble a team to undertake a comprehensive and final look at how casinos would fit, and Penn Praxis determined that this type of development on the river was a non-starter. Currently, the citizens advisory group, known as CDAG, is working on an educational outreach, starting with the riverfront communities, whose purpose is to raise awareness of the Penn Praxis 221 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 vision and the continued need for citizen involvement. (Bell rung.)

We are also working on a zoning overlay on the central waterfront that will begin to flesh out plans outlined in the Penn Praxis vision for a revitalized waterfront, one that meets the needs of all stakeholders. All of us here today are trying to protect our neighborhoods, and in the case I've outlined in this testimony, leave a legacy of a waterfront we can all be proud of for future generations of Philadelphians. The process set by the Nutter Administration and this City Council to evaluate the Market East proposal needs to be even more intense, inclusive and definitive than the one that soundly rejected casinos on the river. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. 222 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions? (No response.)

Next panel, please. MR. McPHERSON: The next panel consists of Sylvia Wright, Gabriel Li, Luella Tripp. I would also like to announce that a Mr. Robert Mims left testimony and it will be made part of the record.

I'd like to thank you for this opportunity. I'm new to the neighborhood and I'm new to the process, so please bear with me. On August 15th, my husband and I moved into Chinatown from Mount Airy. We left our four-bedroom home in a beautiful and quiet tree-lined street --

Excuse me. I'm sorry. I don't believe you identified yourself.

Oh, I'm sorry. I'm Luella Tripp. 223 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 We left our four-bedroom home on a beautiful and quiet tree-lined street because we wanted to be closer to our jobs and to the airport, since my husband travels every weekend. We knew we wanted a loft and looked around the Center City area and eventually decided to move to Chinatown because it is so centrally located and we have everything we could possibly need within a radius of three blocks. We have enjoyed our new life here, the convenience of being centrally located and all that is available in our area. However, if there was a casino here, my husband and I would not have considered moving here for one second. Having a casino in this neighborhood will keep responsible citizens like us from wanting to be part of this community. Instead, it will draw those with a wide range of vices, from gambling, prostitution, drugs and crime. Some of this already exists here. We don't need 224 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 a magnet to attract more. I heard it said by somebody recently that the casinos would also provide a family-friendly entertainment center and an educational complex. I must admit I find this to be twistedly paradoxical. Casinos are not a healthy environment for children. The last thing he or she needs is the attraction of lights and slot machines to entice him or her to play the machines. I would suggest that you take that argument off the table right now. I want it noted that I oppose the rezoning of the area around Market East. This smacks of spot zoning, which would conveniently mean the support of the surrounding community, would no 20 longer be necessary for your plans to proceed. You seem to have a sense of urgency, which should not be the case when the impact of your decision is huge to our community. This railroading and infringing your agenda on a community 225 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 that opposes -- this is railroading and infringing your agenda on a community that opposes your plans for a neighborhood. I do appreciate, however, though, the opportunity to be heard today. Thank you. What has astounded me the most in all of this is -- I'm not done yet -- is that this has been endorsed by Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter, especially Rendell. Now, if you remember, I'm new to this. As the former Mayor of our city, he was instrumental in the rejuvenation of Philadelphia, in transforming our city to attract tourists, making it a destination place and now one of the most visited cities in the United States of America. We enjoy this vibrant city because of his unrelenting efforts to improve our city. Now he, along with our Mayor, basically 226 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 want to put this casino in the midst of our city strategically situated between Old City and the Historical District and Center City/midtown. It is like you are undoing all you have done for this great city. I don't get it. (Bell rung.)

We have this beautiful expanse between the rivers and you want to taint it with a casino in the middle of it. It will be a blight upon our city, as you might -- so you might as well just put up a red light. I'm also astonished that you would even consider this in such close proximity to the historical sites, Independence Mall, the Constitution Center, the Liberty Bell, here the birth place of our nation and you want to put a casino at its door. Some of our founding fathers would roll over in their graves. To Governor Rendell, Mayor Nutter and members of the City Council and maybe even some of those from 227 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Foxwoods, if someone was planning a casino on your block down the street on the corner and plans for rezoning were in the works, I guarantee you would be outraged. By the way, there are residents living in Chinatown and many of us -- and there are many of us, and it is not just a commercial district. And as a resident, I do not want a casino at my front door. I appeal to Governor Rendell and Mayor Nutter to reconsider your endorsement of a casino at Market East or any place in Philadelphia. To City Council, I urge you to weigh the seriousness of this decision and not approve the casinos at Market East. With all due respect, I believe that this will be an albatross around your neck, a legacy you do not want to leave to the City of Philadelphia.

Thank you. (Applause.) 228 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Kindly identify yourself for the record.

Hi. My name is Gabriel Li. I'm currently a resident of Chinatown and a student at Temple University. I am here today to petition a bill that has been introduced against our community's will. Both the community and I called our elected officials to slow the process down. We wanted to see the community concerns addressed before action was taken. Rather than waiting, CED legislation was introduced. This was a slap to the community's face. It made it clear that Foxwoods was the priority and not the community. But since the legislation has been introduced, I wanted to point out the weaknesses of the legislation and how it leaves my community in the hands of Foxwoods. The first weakness is the lack of content that will protect the surrounding residential communities. The 229 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 legislation should include requirements on the amount of security provided, design requirements, how many slots our city will tolerate, limits on the hours of gambling. And even with this legislation, we could have made it much harder for Foxwoods to implement their plans. Instead, the current legislation uses vague language that allows Foxwoods to do whatever they want. Also currently in this legislation there is nothing protecting our community against gambling addictions. One of the biggest concerns in our community, Chinatown, was not signs, but it was gambling addictions. The City needs to make it clear on what they will do to prevent gambling addictions before they take any further action. We all know that gambling addictions means profit for a casino, so I don't expect Foxwoods to protect us. But I do expect and believe that our elected officials will protect 230 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 our community members from gambling addiction that causes domestic abuse, broken families and bankruptcy. We elected you to protect us, not corporations. I also wanted to stress today that the proposed site at the Gallery is not a First District problem. This is a Philadelphia problem. The proposed site is in the heart of our city, and all the people from Philadelphia will suffer the consequences of gambling. The effects of a downtown casino will not only hurt the Chinatown community, but it will break down communities all over the City. In addition, if this legislation is not stopped, it will show how broken our government is. It will marginalize the community's voice and encourage the already rampant apathy in our electorate. I wanted to stress the point that any benefits a casino at the Gallery may provide will never outweigh the 231 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 community destruction, addictions and broken families it causes. I know some in our government who have given up and thrown their hands up in surrender saying that we can't do anything. Our own Councilman said that, My fighting days are pretty much over. But understand that a downtown casino is a Philadelphia problem. So I hope the rest of you in City Council have some fight left. Vote against this legislation because you know Center City is the wrong place for a slots parlor. And in addition to that, I have one question for Councilman DiCicco. Throughout this whole process, you have mentioned that you regret listening to people. If you don't listen to the people, who do you listen to?

I don't think you have to answer that. Are you finished with your testimony, sir?

Yes. I have one thing 232 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 to add. If you don't have an answer, I can only assume you're listening to only Foxwoods. Thank you.

That's very unfair. (Applause.)

That last statement was extremely unfair. However, we'll go on with our hearing. The next panel? MR. McPHERSON: William Kosman, Hilary Regan, Mary Tracy, Rosanne Loesch. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

My name is William -- can you hear me?

You'll have to pull the microphone closer.

What? 233 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Pull it closer to you.

Can you hear me now?

Yes.

My name is William Kosman. I am a resident of Queen Village. I'm an artist. And I am here to do three things. I want to explain why I believe Market East is absolutely the wrong site for a casino, and I want to make two suggestions. And in talking to you, I will skim over some of my points, because some of them have already been mentioned several times. I will not talk about traffic, of cars and buses, even though we know that this would be monumental. And also I want to mention, too, that there's been a tremendous amount of research done concerning casinos in cities, and one of the things that is stressed is that casinos do not stimulate business in surrounding businesses. They actually 234 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 suck away business. And this has been documented in at least five books which I've read. If somebody wants a list of these books, I will give it to them. Also, I cannot think of anything more ill-advised than having a casino where alcoholic beverages are consumed in a mall environment where families, young people, teenagers go. I just think this is presenting the absolute ridiculous problems that should be avoided. And also I want to mention that I look upon the City of Philadelphia as the guardian of our nation's historic treasures. I'm talking about Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, et cetera. I believe that if a casino is placed mid point between Independence Hall and the City Hall, it would be a blotch on our city that would never be erased. Once a casino is established in the City, they have a tendency of 235 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 growing, and while Foxwoods says we want to limit a casino here now, if the casino is established, there are always projects for expanding them. I would like to make two suggestions, because I believe in this whole casino debate, we have lacked creativity. One suggestion I would make is that we should look at other possible locations. I know that the Gambling Act of 2004 places certain limitations on us, but I know that the Gambling Act could be amended. One possibility I think we should look at is unused land near the airport. I believe that we could establish an entertainment district in this unused land near convenient off-ramps near -- we could establish bus transportation, rail transportation, and we could have two casinos there with sports venues -- (Bell rung.)

Already? My gosh. -- (continued) sports venues, 236 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 other entertainment, hotels, restaurants. The other suggestion I want to make is that if Market East needs positive suggestions for developing, one suggestion would be of establishing a design, art and craft center. If Philadelphia has one positive image, it is the city of the arts, and we have more than several thousand artists, practicing artists, in the City. If there were a design, arts and craft center at Market East, it would link in with the huge artistic developments north of Market Street. And this city is really flourishing, is known nationwide, partially because of the Mural Arts Program, which is proud to say that Philadelphia has the largest number of murals in any city in the United States. I want to thank all of you for listening to me and thank you for your time.

Thank you, Mr. Kosman. 237 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Please identify yourself the record.

Good morning, members of the Rules Committee. My name is Stephanie Tran and I am representing the youth. The following is a statement that the youth has written that I will read to you. We, the students against the casino, are united to taking a stand and to voice our concerns. We oppose of the building in the heart of Philadelphia, because it exposes youth to addiction and crime. It has a negative impact on individuals and families. It would disrupt the well-being of local businesses, and it would destroy the cultural significance of Chinatown and its surrounding communities. Instead, we believe that the City of Philadelphia should do the following: Have programs to help youth envision a more successful future, 238 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 redevelop Center City to provide a safer and healthier environment and also to enact proposals that will maintain the culture of values and heritage of Chinatown and its surrounding neighborhoods. Thank you for your time. (Applause.)

Thank you. Please identify yourself for the record.

My name is Rosanne Loesch and I am a Board member of Society Hill Civic Association. I'm Chair of their Casino Committee, and I've been working on this issue since January 2007. Many of you on the panel already know me. My civic association testified earlier. Their President testified and asked the Committee not to vote these two bills out of Committee today, and that is the official position of my Board. I am right now testifying as a private 239 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 citizen. I have two concerns. One is having to do with the process and the other has to do with the content of -- or, actually, the actual substance of putting this casino on Market Street. The process concerns me a lot. The top aide to Mayor Nutter today said Foxwoods is in control. I think this is a very frightening proposition, the thought that Foxwoods is in control of this process. These are the dangers: Once you vote this out of Committee today, I have heard that as soon as November 14th, City Council will be voting on this, and let's assume City Council votes on this. After that, Foxwoods submits plans of development for this site. Under the CED legislation, this proposed legislation -- and also in 2006 the same was true -- if City Council -- if the Planning Commission does not act within a certain amount of time once the plans are 240 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 submitted, then it's deemed approved, and that is also true of City Council. The plan of development goes to City Council. After 45 days, if City Council does not act, it is deemed approved. Now, what are the flaws with this? When it goes to the Planning Commission, I had the Acting Executive Director answer a question for me when I asked him, Are you going to consider social and economic impacts when the plan of development is presented? And he said to me, No. He said, That is not our job. I said, Whose job is it? Well, it's the Department of Health and Services. Well, I know that through the Foxwoods and SugarHouse waterfront sites that no one looked at those social and economic impacts. City Council -- once it goes to the Planning Commission, there is a big problem in terms of the public getting the information. The Planning Commission 241 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 works on this stuff for a long time without the public actually seeing it until their so-called -- and it was referred to today -- interim presentation. A 45-day window to do all that, to get it out to the public so that the public can actually see it, is problematic. (Bell rung.)

The second part of the process of going to City Council, again, 45 days for this to be decided upon and then have it be deemed approved if you don't act is a frightening proposition. Just quickly to the substance -- or the content of putting it right there, there's been a lot of talk about how this is going to drive economic development. In the waterfront -- and that Market East is a tumbled down place that we don't like. I will remind Council that with the waterfront, what I heard for the last two years, until 242 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 recently, until Penn Praxis and everything came out, was that the waterfront, who cares about the waterfront. It's a bunch of vacant land. There's nothing there. There's big box casinos. There's the empty SugarHouse refinery, just put them there. Well, of course we found out over a two-year period through citizens acting, through Council listening, through the Penn Praxis program and our Mayor endorsing that, that we can have a much better vision for our waterfront. Why does the center and heart of our city, the historic heart of our city, deserve any less a planning process? So I call for a planning process to take place before any zoning/rezoning, which comes all the way up to 6th and Chestnut, which is Independence Hall, where it would be permissible -- and this is the word that the Planning Commission used at last Tuesday's Planning Committee meeting -- 243 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 permissible to put a casino on that site if someone, an operator, casino operator, introduces a plan of development. A plan of development, we know, if this zoning is passed by City Council --

I'm sorry. I don't mean to interrupt.

-- there's a 45-day --

Excuse me.

I'll just finish.

Excuse me. I don't mean to interrupt you, but you're going far beyond the three minutes.

And I appreciate your listening to my comments.

So please try to conclude your statement.

I will conclude my statement. Please do not vote these two bills out of Committee. This is putting 244 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 in a process that will be unchangeable and permanent.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.

Hi. My name is Hilary Regan. I'm a resident of Northern Liberties. I just wanted to make a couple of quick statements. I've testified here before. I've been told we don't want to discuss the economics in City Council because gambling is coming to Philadelphia and that's just the way it is, but I don't think you can exclude economics, because it is directly related to location, and that you have an obligation to the citizenry of 245 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Philadelphia to understand the social impacts of each site. We brought experts here from around the country, leading publications such as the Wall Street Journal, News and World Report, and even people like Senator Obama have said that they question whether or not gambling is a development tool. And I certainly in this market would also question whether or not any of the development that Foxwoods is planning is going to show up in a certain time period. But it doesn't seem to make a difference what I say or even what some of these experts say. So I thought maybe I would use somebody else's words. You probably don't know, but the reason why Nebraska doesn't have gambling is because of Warren Buffett. He is the leading reason. He has said -- he was asked a question: The amazing thing across the country is, gambling has been promoted strictly on its benefits. 246 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 There is no mention of the addiction or bankruptcies. His response, There's a lot of benefit to the owner. Net, it's a big loser for the citizenry. He also said that he taught his kids at a young age -- he bought them a slot machine and he gave them their allowance, and he said, I collected their allowance, I got all of it back for two months. They learned at a young age that in those days pulling the lever of a slot machine might be good exercise, but it was bad economics. The other thing that he said that I think is very relevant to the decision that you are considering having it, being a casino, inaccessible is a real plus when you are dealing with something that is addictive, that can be addictive. It should not be easily accessible. This is a social experiment. We're the first in the country to do it. 247 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 And I really think that we need to give a lot of consideration to the social impact. I consider this to be Enron economics, and I think part of the problem with the country today, the reason why we're in this financial crisis, is because the cost of our decisions are not an equal part of the conversation, and I would urge you not to vote this bill out of Committee.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Are you part of this panel?

I am.

Thank you. Please identify yourself for the record.

Yes. Good afternoon, Council President, Councilman DiCicco, Councilwoman Miller. My name is Mary Tracy and I am the Executive 248 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Director of SCRUB, the public voice for public space, and I appreciate the opportunity to speak before you today on this issue, which I've really just become apprised yesterday because I've been away. But, as you know, SCRUB is the public voice for public space, and we work to see that all public spaces in Philadelphia will be healthy, vibrant and beautiful. We're best known for our work surrounding illegal and poorly placed billboards, which we've used to address the larger issue surrounding the built environment and public space. And the signage provisions in this Commercial Entertainment District bill are far too generous for its location here in the gateway to our historic district and in really the heart of Center City. And while I think it may really have been an oversight, because the original provisions were meant for down off I-95 and the distances, the heights, the sizes 249 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 of the signage may or may not have been appropriate there, they certainly are inappropriate for where we're planning to place it here. And, for example, currently under the current Zoning Code there, you have two square feet for every linear foot of a frontage to a maximum of 100 square feet. No sign can be larger than 100 square feet in that district. Under this commercial entertainment zone, you have five times, five square feet for every linear foot, plus you can add the sides at two feet. I mean, it's sort of a convoluted summary, adding this side, adding that side. If you're four sides, you only get two square feet on the side ones. But the sum total is whatever the sum total is. It's not -- there's no maximum here. If this is how much room that your building is, times that by five square feet and that's how much signage you'll be allowed. 250 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 You also have, which has been prohibited in every commercial district in the City, rooftop signs, and there's no -- at least there was a height restriction of the one down in -- the ones down by the river. There is no 8 height restriction on the height of the rooftop sign. And we're actually talking about two rooftop structures, each 300 square feet with four sign faces. (Bell rung.)

So I want everybody to start thinking about where the signage is in our Center City Philadelphia and how carefully we have been through the years that less is more, and I think that this particular legislation really is way over the top. Another place where I would point out here is this introduction of electronic signage for the first time into Center City. And so I don't know how many in the Council have been to Atlantic City or Las Vegas, but we know 251 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 that's a very important part of their marketing, are huge electronic signage. But we don't know how bright it's going to be, how big it's going to be, where it's going to be placed, how it's going to be placed. There's no restrictions on that whatsoever, no regulations. It's sort of a carte blanche to the industry. And I think when we start to do that, I think we're sort of being disrespectful to the other businesses that have complied with the sign regulations all these years. And now a new business is coming in and we're bending over backwards to give them everything but the kitchen sink. I think moving this slotting industry into Center City is one discussion. Changing our sign codes and the aesthetic values that we have held so close to our hearts all these years is another discussion altogether, and perhaps should not even be part of this discussion, because the implications are 252 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 just so far reaching, and once they're there, there's no turning back. And I also think there's no 5 definition of what we consider accessory. In the current zoning for there, they pretty much talk about the logo sign, the building ID sign. Accessory, if you get the right lawyers, could mean anything that's sold on the premises. So as we have these electronic signs and we have all this signage that's allowed on these buildings, is it going to be also advertising the socks that are in the stores that are in there or the cigarette -- or the alcohol --

Mary, you have far exceeded your three minutes. May I ask that you please conclude your testimony.

I will, yes, Council President. And then there's just one other thing I think we have to look at, our desire to be a green city. These digital 253 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 signs actually take up -- each one is a carbon footprint of 49 traditional billboards, or homes. One digital 5 billboard emits 108.41 tons of carbon 6 dioxide each year, taking the planting of 7 approximately 4,517 trees. So let's take 8 a look at that in this ordinance. And 9 then, of course, not to mention the 10 driver or distraction and pedestrian 11 safety. 12 So I will sum up by saying we 13 stand at a crossroads here. What is the possible benefit to the City to allow digital signage and increased signage in an historic and architectural gem of Philadelphia? So if possible, let's make those corrections in this bill.

Thank you very much for your testimony. Any questions? (No response.)

Panel 14, Liting Zou, Michelle Truong -- I'm sorry. Fifteen, Dr. Ying, Lai Har 254 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Cheung and Rorng Sorn. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Please identify yourself for the record and proceed, whoever would like to go.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon.

My name is Ying Zhang Lin. I'm the member of the Chinatown Committee Against the Casino. This new organization has over 100 local community leaders and business owners. We strongly and deeply oppose the casino proposal. We stand together with the church, school, senior house, Chinese Learning Center and the medical centers. The current casino proposal is in process right now, but it is already bringing huge fear to 90 percent of Chinatown residents, 80 percent business owner and the majority of Chinese community who live outside our own 255 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 business outside of Chinatown. According to our survey from the 109 business in Chinatown, we find out their fears come from three points. Number one is gambling and gambling addiction. Here is what our business owners said: I beg you not to open a casino close to Chinatown. Two years ago I quit gambling. I quit going to Atlantic City. If you open a casino close to me, I'm afraid I will go again. Second fear is business impact on Arch Street between 9th and 11th Street. There are eight Asian restaurants and a coffee shop. Seven of them oppose casino proposal, and six of them are equity committee member. Here is what they have said: Economy is not good right now. If you set up a casino in our neighborhood, it will make our business worse. Now people come to Chinatown and spend their money here, but you bring a casino here, they will spend their money in casino. I'm a business 256 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 woman, so I'm concerned about the business part. The other says, I personally oppose it because a casino have everything inside, including food and free alcohol. You cannot compete. Third concerns: Crime, traffic and family. People are saying they are worried about their husband, their children and their parents. Here is a father who said, I have two kids. One is seven, one is five. Every day kids are here. If we sometimes ignore them, they will run there. So much undetermined. Even if my business improves, it is not worth it to me. People really are saying they are worried. Eighty percent of business owner oppose casino and 90 percent of restaurant oppose it. I feel confused why we are here discussing something we don't need. What we need is a high school, a medical center, a senior center, a Chinese American museum and a 257 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 marquee and a garden. My question to our Councilman, Frank DiCicco, are you really listening to the people who live and have business in Chinatown? The new committee is -- the Chinese people -- I'm sorry. The Chinese people who live in Chinatown fighting for the casino proposal, our wishing is to have our health, safety and a vibrant Chinatown, which is our (unintelligible) home. Our mission is to stop the presence of a casino on Chinatown's borders. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you for your testimony. Please identify yourself for the record.

My name is Rorng Sorn and I'm the Interim Executive Director of the Cambodian Association of Greater Philadelphia. Thank you for the 258 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 opportunity today to testify and to raise my concern on casino and gambling addiction in our community. I would like to echo Ellen Luu how gambling addiction can have social, economic and health. Again, not just social and economic, but also health impacts that can last generations to come, that can cause City and State government a lot of money. Talking about the social impact, I just want to give a couple examples of domestic violence within our community due to the gambling addiction. A few years back there's a family who's had to deal with the gambling addiction. The spouse was killed. The husband is now in jail. The kids are being displaced. Imagine how these kids have to go through each day, losing their parents and now being misplaced and how this can strain, affecting their mental health and also the education and social while being in 259 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 the long run. So that's one example. Also, every day I've been working in the community for so long, for over years, and I haven't seen any 6 single person who get rich out of 7 gambling. It put these family into a 8 deeper, deeper in poverty. I see people, 9 their car being repossessed, their home 10 being foreclosed. These are families 11 whose -- the father who supposed to help 12 raise the children uses the house, to 13 take the money out of the house to 14 gamble, and then the family is being 15 displaced. 16 So these are the story and the 17 families that are being affected every 18 day. So these children are being 19 affected every day to go through this 20 family violence, the displacement and all these issue affecting them, to ask that that family need the most car and homes, that each family need to live it, but because of gambling addiction, family have to lose those two basic needs that 260 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 they really need. (Bell rung.)

Depression is another issue. That is a health issue that's affecting our community, and it put our family community -- and it's not only affecting our community, it's affecting the whole society as a whole. When a family or an individual is depressed, it will affect not just the home, in the school and the community we all have to endure. (Unintelligible) help these kid is all of us, so that is the long-term effects that we all have to endure. So I just met with the Dr. Evans, the Director of Behavioral Health, the Department of Behavioral Health, and a group of other Asian leaders last Friday. According to him, he said that there's one percent of the City population compulsive gambler, but according to him also, there's only four counselors as certified to deal with 261 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 these addicted gamblers, and in this regard, it doesn't reflect the diverse community even in our city. So not just limited resources. Yet, there's a lack of response to the need of all our community, diverse community, within our community -- in our city.

You're well over three minutes.

So my conclusion is, please take into consideration the long-term effects on our social, economic and health of our society as a whole.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you for your testimony. (Applause.)

Please identify yourself for the record and proceed.

Yes. My name is Lai Har Cheung and I'm speaking as a concerned Philadelphian. But first off, 262 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 I have to say, go Phillies. And why it's so important, why the Phillies winning is such a big deal to me is because why are we sitting here having to discuss this? It seems kind of crazy. It's almost like asking like we are the Phillies and Foxwoods is Tampa Bay. So why would you let them even consider coming into our city at all? It's like it's a no 11 discussion kind of thing.

We didn't. We didn't.

I know, but Foxwoods --

I want to remind you, we didn't.

Why do we even have to sit here? That to me is the thing that gets me so angry, because it's like we know it's going to hurt our citizens. We know it's going to do that and we're still kind of like being okay with them pushing through this thing. I mean, exactly, we don't want them. We 263 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 don't want them to get any further in this legislation. We want them to go. But why I love this city is because etched on our constitutional center walls is a statement from one of our founding fathers that says it is the duty of a citizen to fight back even though the thing that we're fighting back against is our own government, is our right to fight oppression. This is our founding father -- this is Philadelphia. Like you just cannot -- this is like no 14 other city, and this tide of casinos are gaining more and more in every part of the country, but this is the time where we can stand up, where all our leaders and our citizens can stand up and say, You know what, Foxwoods does not have a place here in our community. That's why I love this city. (Applause.)

And when I hear about process, usually when we talk about process, it's always you don't know the 264 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 outcome of the process, but for some reason, we've been told that the outcome has already been decided and that no 5 matter what we say, we're going to have one anyway. So that to me is not democracy. That to me goes against everything that our city stands for. And when our city was the nation's capital, when George Washington was President, this is what he had to say. He said, Avoid gaming. This is a vice which is productive of every possible evil, equally injurious to the morals and health of its votaries. (Applause.)

It is the child of avarice, the brother of inequity and the father of mischief. It has been the ruin of many worthy families, the loss of many a man's honor, and the cause of suicide. To all those who enter the lists, it is equally fascinating, because a successful gamester pushes his good fortune until it's overtaken by a reverse. The losing 265 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 gamester, in hopes of retrieving past misfortunes, goes on from bad to worse, until growing desperate, he pushes at everything and loses his all. Let me translate that for a second. What he's saying is like when you win, you lose. And when you lose, you lose. And let's not get it twisted. Casinos are not a savior. They're not here to come and give us money and give us jobs. Come on. Casinos are a business. They need profit and they need repeat customers; i.e., compulsive gamblers. And why this is so important to us is because we're fighting for our lives here in Chinatown. This is our very lives that we're talking about, and we're going to keep fighting. But to finish his quote, he goes and says, George Washington, our nation's first leader, who knows what he's talking about -- and this has been advice since the 1700s -- In a word, few 266 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 gain by this abominable practice, the profit, if any, being diffused, while thousands are injured. And I also speak to you today as a person who has been injured. As an adult child of compulsive gamblers, I've seen what this can do, and I wish this not on my worst enemy. I do not want any family to go through what my family has had to go through. And I have so much respect for Councilman DiCicco because of what you had to go through, and I know that fighting it is the hardest thing that you're probably going to have to do. Because it takes a lot of courage for me to come and speak, because I don't want to talk about this stuff. I don't want to talk about the hurt. But if it takes that to stop this from going there, I will. Because when I grew up, I thought my parents loved money more than me. Every time they went to the casinos, I thought, You know what, they like money more than me, I'm not worthy. But I 267 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 didn't take into account that they were addicted. And addicted people don't think straight. They just do what they got to do at the risk of their wives, at the risk of the lives of their children, at the risk of their community, at the risk of their jobs. People who are addicted can't think straight and so they make wrong decisions. But you guys, I am asking the clear-minded leaders of our city to prevent the Foxwoods from getting any closer to our family. (Bell rung.)

And I feel like you guys, like for you to understand that the scars that I have gotten from what this has done to my family, I will live with it for the rest of my life. And the scars of what has happened will etch itself on our city. And we are a city of champions and we are a city not used to losing and not liking to lose, and to have this Foxwoods that will make more of 268 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 our city's losers instead of winners is unacceptable. It's unacceptable, and today -- (Applause.)

And today I ask that you place more value on people and their quality of life than on money, because no matter how much money it brings in, is it worth your child? Is it worth your mom? Is it worth your dad? Is it worth your brother or your sister, your grandparents? And I hope your answer is no. Because our family is priceless, and I hope that you say no to the casino.

Thank you very much for your testimony.

Thank you. (Applause.)

We need to take a stenographer break for five minutes. (Short recess.) MR. McPHERSON: The next panel 269 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 consists of the Reverend Chengzong Liu --

Please pay attention. MR. McPHERSON: The next panel consists of Reverend Chengzong Liu, Harry Leong, Robert Schlatter, Ying Zhang Lin.

Please approach the witness table. (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Good afternoon. My name is Chengzong Liu. I'm the Pastor of Chinese Christian Church and Center. I'm here to represent my church and the Chinese churches in Greater Philadelphia. We, the undersigned, voice our opposition to plans to allow legalized gambling in the Gallery in Philadelphia. We believe that legalized gambling will ravage the lives of many individuals and families and contribute substantially to 270 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 the decay in the fabric of our community. We believe the societal effects of gambling at this location so close to residential Chinatown invites disaster to our community. We know that legalized gambling can devastate families and can uncover gambling addiction and its ruinous effect on the individual and their family. We are concerned that there will be a resultant increase in divorce, suicide, bankruptcy and child abuse and domestic violence in the community related to the legalized gambling that the casino will bring. Gambling brings about an increase in crime. We're concerned that the casino will result in the skyrocketing of crime and be detrimental to the family life in our community. We believe a casino will foster an environment leading to increased crime to support gambling habits, and our community, given its location, will be a target. 271 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 We're concerned that gambling will hurt, not help, our existing businesses by siphoning away discretionary dollars that might otherwise have been spent at local restaurants and shops. Other social costs associated with gambling, such as losses due to crime, additional law enforcement costs, gambling addiction treatment costs, and lost work productivity, can also be harmful to our community. We, as members of Christian Church, are called to care for the vulnerable in our midst. We are concerned that gambling is an activity which exploits the vulnerable, the young, the old and those susceptible to addictive behaviors. Gambling often entices the financially disadvantaged with unrealized hope of instant riches, ultimately worsening the plight of our poorest citizens. Research shows that these poorest, who are financially ill 272 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 able to be, are disproportionately drawn to the illusory promise of gambling. (Bell rung.)

We as a church already see this in the attraction of the Asian poor to other forms of gambling in many places, including Chinatown, Atlantic City and Asian countries from which these poor come. For moral, social and pragmatic reasons, we respectfully voice our opposition to the devastating effects a casino will bring to our community. It is a community that we live and serve in. And it is out of concern for the well-being of our community in Chinatown that we sincerely oppose the casino plan in the Gallery. This is drafted by our church and endorsed by the following China churches, including our daughter church in University City, Evangelical Formosan Church of Philadelphia, Faith Hope Love Chinese Church, Lamb of God Chinese 273 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 Church, Love Truth Chinese Mennonite Church, New Castle Chinese Evangelical Church, Trinity Christian Church of Greater Philadelphia, West Chester Chinese Evangelical Church and Wilmington Community Evangelical Church. Thank you very much.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Our next witness?

My name is Harry Leong. Good afternoon, Madam President, Councilman.

Good afternoon.

I am a lifelong resident of Philadelphia and serve as the President of the Philadelphia Suns. We are a grassroots youth group in Chinatown. Since 1972, our mission is to provide educational, social, recreational 274 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 and cultural opportunities to Asian youth and young adults. The Suns are able to support and mentor young people at various stages in their lives by providing various resources and programs to meet their needs while serving our community. As some of the Councilmen may know and are aware, that Chinatown is not only the businesses, it's not only the residents, but it also includes -- it's a hub for the surrounding Philadelphia area. So as the Pastor has mentioned, support in opposition to the casinos has gone across the tristate area, and that's what we see within our community. We're not limited by what -- by a small number of people. We have many people who will be negatively affected by the potential casino in the community. In regard to this casino issue, it's not only about Chinatown. Our Center City should be known for it being the birth place of this nation. It 275 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 should also be the -- it is the center of our city, and for it to have casinos or other such endeavors is not such a great thing. I propose that we do something a little bit more innovative in developing this area, like win more championships, which promotes our economy, as an example, as mentioned before about the Phillies. This expedited process of proposing the CED legislation, without any concrete developmental plans nor feasibility studies, creates a loud warning that we should slow down, that we -- with any major development, there should be due professional care in its progress at every stage. Failing to prepare is preparing to fail. The City needs to have proper studies and plans and not just a proposal, for even to move to rezone the area for a casino. The onus should be on Foxwoods to present detailed plans. 276 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 The City government cannot determine or even address the effects on the family as well. If we look at the many, many studies that are out there in regard to casinos, not only in this country but around the world, we already see the negative effects. (Bell rung.)

So I'm not even going to go there. But as a community, as an organization, the Philadelphia Suns, we stand with many other individuals in Philadelphia who care for the best interest of the City as a whole. We desire to build positive character and integrity in the lives of our youth, teaching them to become active and productive members of society. Casinos go against our vision to build and support a better community. The Suns ask that the City Council not pass the legislation to change the area from Broad to 6th and 277 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 from Filbert to Chestnut Streets to a Commercial Entertainment District.

Thank you. Our next witness? (Applause.)

Good afternoon. My name is Aileen Setiawan and I am the Youth Director at the Chinese Gospel Church. I am in disbelief at the message our government is sending to the young people of this generation. Today is a public hearing to rezone this area to be a Commercial Entertainment District. You define gambling as a form of entertainment. And it's not entertainment. It is a horrible vice which affects -- are ultimately destructive. How can you introduce this activity that you know is harmful to our community? How can you condone an industry based on money and greed? Gambling is predicated on the 278 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 losses, the pain and suffering of other people. If you think it will help revitalize this area, you should rethink that. The casino will take business away. It depresses businesses, diverts money that would be spent on things to stimulate the economy. You think you will gain from this, but how much more will you have to spend on services that result from the negative impact this casino will have on the community? Many of the concerns include traffic, parking and crime, but even more important is the moral impact on the quality of life in our community. You will undoubtedly have an increase in compulsive gamblers. And how will they finance their addiction? Through violence and crime? This is a crime against society, against families, against the very person who engages in this addiction and against God. It does not make sense that the 279 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 government will seduce its citizens and subvert the moral fabric of society. You're supposed to provide order in society, protect the welfare of your citizens and promote public virtue. And why put it in Chinatown where you know that it will enable the Asian community's pension for gambling, leading to a full-blown addiction? You are destroying us. Yesterday was one of the proudest moments in our city's history. I don't think that this casino -- it just would be -- it will cause the citizens of this great city to be ashamed to be a Philadelphian. Thank you. (Applause.)

Thank you. Thank you all very much. Thank you. Our next panel?

Also, Robert Schlatter is a Deacon Board of our 280 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 church, and this is a written statement that's signed by the members, but --

If you'll give it to our aide, we will make certain that it's part of the testimony.

Thank you.

Our next panel? MR. McPHERSON: Our next panel consists of Thoai Nguyen, Ignatius Wang, Catherine Fung and Gary Lee. (Applause.) (Witnesses approached witness table.)

Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record and proceed with your testimony.

Hi. My name is Catherine Fung and I'm an urban studies major at Bryn Mawr College and I've been studying economic development and urban planning for the past four years, and I think that the justification for a casino 281 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 in the Gallery is inherently contradictory. Firstly, throughout this session and in the opening remarks, you've been saying that this land use review process will be transparent and democratic, but by default, several decisions have already been made. There has already been the decision that a casino will inevitably be in Philadelphia, no matter where it is; and then, secondly, that Foxwoods will have complete control over this process and that it will decide ultimately where the casino will go, and this automatically excludes public input from this land use review process. And then, secondly, this -- you cite unsafe conditions and the lack of eyes on the street as reasons for why the Gallery needs to be redeveloped. And what eyes on the street really is is Jane Jacobs' principle that people need to feel public ownership of space in order 282 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 for them to support and protect their communities, and this is known in urban theory as one of the core principles of good urban planning. And it is a necessary condition for people to -- for communities to be able to prevent crime and have their cities be vibrant. And by putting a casino in Market East, by preserving the concrete structure that the mall is currently in and by encroaching on Chinatown, which is already a vibrant community, I think that you would be perpetuating the unsafe conditions and lack of eyes on the street that Market East already exhibits. And then, thirdly, you're right, Market East is in a prime location and it is a transportation hub and perhaps it could benefit from economic revitalization, but a casino is the wrong type of economic redevelopment to take place in this area. It is not going to sufficiently address the economic problems that Philadelphia faces, and 283 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 this area and the people of Philadelphia deserve a better strategy. And what a better strategy would mean is not a casino, not a place that provides a limited number of jobs, with little opportunity to learn other job skills and to advance in jobs. And what sustainable development would be is effective economic development, something that would maybe look like -- something that would help me and my friends stay in Philadelphia after we graduate and not go off to cities like New York, and for people who haven't had the opportunities to graduate from college or even high school or middle school, they should have the opportunities to learn job skills and to have jobs that will allow their advancement, not only professionally but in life. And, furthermore, I don't think a casino would provide the professional growth -- it wouldn't support the professional growth of Philadelphia's 284 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 workforce. (Bell rung.)

And then, fourthly, I think that a casino would negate a lot of the positive identities of Philadelphia. I mean, the casino would be a few blocks away from the Constitution Center, which is a major tourist site in Philadelphia that attracts millions of tourists per year. And Philadelphia has this reputation as the founding --

Please conclude your testimony.

And then it also has -- it's also the next great American city, according to National Geographic in 2006. And what respectable business would want to --

Please conclude your testimony.

-- put their business next to a casino. And so I ask you to reconsider 285 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 the economic implications of this project. Thank you.

Thank you. (Applause.)

The next witness, please identify yourself for the record.

Good afternoon, Madam --

And please try to stick to the three-minute limit. We would like to hear everybody today. Thank you.

Good afternoon. I'm Gary Lee. My family has resided in Chinatown for more than 40 years. My law office is located directly across from the Gallery at 11th and Market. We oppose the location of a casino at the Gallery, and there are several reasons that support this 286 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 position. Number one, the addiction among Chinese and among Asians is greater than the addiction, the gambling addiction, among any other groups. So it will have a severely negative impact that's disproportionate to any other place in Philadelphia where a casino may be placed. Number two, the Philadelphia Gaming Advisory Task Force has produced a report that's over 400 pages, and to locate a casino at the Gallery would be totally inconsistent with the findings in that report. On it says, when asked whether they would be more likely to visit a Philadelphia slots-only casino at either a Center City or a waterfront location, respondents favored the waterfront by a ratio of three to one. In other words, there will be less revenues if the casino is located at the Gallery than if it will be located at the waterfront. 287 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 It also says, Finding: Gaming Act requirements dictating the size and slots-only nature of Philadelphia casinos will make the placement of the gaming facility in downtown Philadelphia a significant challenge. That challenge is not present at any other site. It also says, , The City should not support a casino license application on any tract of land that encompasses less than 3.4 acres of contiguous land. The Gallery site consists of only 3 acres between 10th and 11th and Market. What they're really trying to do here is shoehorn a big casino with its related facilities for entertainment, for retail use into a very small space. Furthermore, the traffic problems that are going to be developed here, that are going to be caused here, are not only those that exist when the casino is in operations, but those that would exist when there are other major 288 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 events, such as the Flower Show, such as the Auto Show. It's already congested with those two events. It's going to be worse if the casino is built at the Gallery. Also, a casino at the Gallery will result in fewer union construction jobs, because the scale of the project is going to be less. It's going to result in fewer -- in less revenue to the City, because if fewer patrons go to the Gallery site, it's going to mean less of the profits that are supposed to be given to the City to be added to the City's budget. Finally, any kind of -- the way Ordinance 080742 is constructed, it would permit -- it would make it more easy for there to be a casino located on Arch Street because that is considered within the bounds of that ordinance. (Bell rung.)

The ordinance changes the zoning requirements for a casino that 289 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 will be located anywhere from 6th to Broad, Chestnut to Arch. At the very least, if you do want to report these out of Committee, that area should be confined only from 10th to 11th, Market to Filbert, which is the exact site where this casino is supposed to be located, to prevent any possibility that it will be expanded into other areas of Center City or to Chinatown. Thank you.

Thank you. (Applause.)

Good afternoon. Please identify yourself for the record.

Good afternoon. I'm Ignatius Wang. It's not by design I'm the last one. I have already submitted a letter to Councilmembers hand-delivered last Thursday to your office. I'd like 290 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 to enter that letter into the record of this hearing. What I'd like to discuss at this point is really explore the possibility of giving the community and the City more time. This 40-day default approval period is scary, very scary, and that is why so many people are very emotional in this hearing. I'd like to ask the Committee and the Council to give the community and the City more time. We have a lot to celebrate in the coming days. Yesterday we had the biggest parade in the history of the City, and we are supposed to be celebrating more today and maybe next week. And we have Election Day coming next Tuesday. That is very, very important to the City and also to our nation and the world. And we have Thanksgiving coming. That is tradition of the country. And we have holidays coming for our religion and we also have a new year. And, of course, the best 291 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742 celebration of all is next January the 20th when we have a new occupant in the White House. And we need to spend all that time to celebrate, and at the same time, the community and the City needs to have time to prepare, to examine, to explore, to look at this legislation that is before you today. So I would urge the Committee not to vote this legislation, these two, out of the Committee, and give the community, give the City, give everybody more time, and at the same time, we can enjoy our lives and celebrate the victory that we had for the championship. (Applause.)

Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Our next panel? MR. McPHERSON: Our next witness is Joe Eastman. And I'd like to announce that a Michael Wakely had to leave. He left his testimony, and that will be made part of the record. 292 11/1/08 - RULES - BILLS 080741 & 080742

Mr. Eastman, I see that your testimony is rather lengthy.

Three minutes.

If you can abbreviate this.

I promise.