This is a call to action for Saturday, November 1, 2008, which is when City Council is having a special Saturday hearing on the slots parlor proposed for Market Street.
City Council is trying to zone Market Street for a casino district. They are trying to rush this through even before Foxwoods discloses its plans. There have been no designs, no impact studies, no nothing. Yet, Council still wants to rezone this area - and fast.
If we are going to have two casinos (and that's a big "if"), we demand an open and transparent planning process that rationally looks at the entire city and decides where the two casinos should go. That's right, we need a process for both Foxwoods and SugarHouse. Instead, Councilman DiCicco and Mayor Nutter think we should rezone first, and ask questions later. This is crazy, and we won't stand for it.
Here's the When, Where and How:
When and Where:
On Saturday, November 1st -
At 9:00 am sharp we'll meet under the Chinatown Gate at 10th and Arch Streets.
At 9:15 am sharp we'll start marching to City Hall.
At 10:00 am the hearing starts at City Hall, Room 400 (4th Floor)
If you can't make it to the Chinatown Gate in time for the march, then just meet us at City Hall by 10am. If you can't make it by 10am, then get there whenever you can. Stay as long as you can. We understand this is a Saturday but it's also very important.
And now for the How:
We want you to be there with you own identity. If you are a member of town watch, wear your town watch shirt. If you are a member of a union, wear a union hat. If you have a banner for your neighborhood group, bring it. By wearing stuff that shows our own identities, everyone will see how broad the opposition is to a casino in the heart of Philly.
Today we are sending a letter to Mayor Nutter about the November 1st hearing. It's a very important hearing that he needs to attend. Check out the letter here.
We also need your help. We need you to download fliers, print them, and distribute them anywhere and everywhere. We need you to forward this email to friends. We need you to call 5 friends and personally invite them to the march and hearing. Any questions? Want to help out even more next week? Contact Lily@casinofreephila.org.