Citizen's Group to Governor: Decker Must Go

Casino-Free Philadelphia today called for the immediate resignation or removal of Thomas A. ("Tad") Decker, the current Chairman of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB).

In a seven-page letter hand-delivered to the office of Governor Ed Rendell the group stated, "He has abandoned his role to protect the people and is siding with the casino industry's profit, no matter at what social cost." The letter was also sent to state legislators on the Gaming Oversight Committee, which was created under public pressure to oversee the PGCB.

Last Thursday the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board sued the City of Philadelphia to stop a Philadelphia citizen-initiated referendum from going on the May 15th ballot.  That referendum would set a standards for where casinos are built in the city, keeping any casino from being built within 1500 feet of a school, a place of worship, or a home.

This attempt to stop citizens from voting on this issue, the group said, was the "tipping point" in their decision to ask for his dismissal.  Part of the letter reads: "Such political sparring, let alone bullying, should not come from the Chairman of the Gaming Control Board.  Let the casinos sue if they want to - they have enough money.  But why is Mr. Decker so afraid of letting the people voice their opinion?  And where does Mr. Decker get off telling the elected members of City Council what they can and can't do?"

The authors of the letter say they went through "great lengths" to show due consideration to the situation and to be fair to everyone involved.

"We never imagined having to go this far.  But Tad Decker's reckless abandonment of his role as public servant has forced us to this position.  He has decided to protect casino profits over our neighborhoods, our places of worship, and our children," said Daniel Hunter, a West Philadelphia member of Casino-Free Philadelphia.  "He has driven the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board into the ground and now there's a complete lack of trust by the public."

According to a recent poll by the Lincoln Institute of Public Opinion Research, forty-five percent of poll respondents said the performance of the Gaming Control Board has made them less likely to be supportive of slot machine gambling (http://www.lincolninstitute.org/focusSURVEYa.php).

The citizens group cites an improperly-handled relationship between Decker and the Philadelphia law firm of Cozen O'Connor, which represents the successful applicant HSP Gaming, known as SugarHouse.  Decker was managing director of the firm before becoming Chairman of the PGCB. Although he recused himself from voting on SugarHouse's application, he has admitted he met in the weeks leading up to the December 20th decision with his former firm. According to the law, transcripts from these meetings should have been made available.  Casino-Free Philadelphia has supported a lawsuit challenging the legality of Decker's recusal.

The group does not outright claim corruption, but does assert that the improper meetings with the law firm, along with other improprieties, "further suggest a corrupted system."  The revolving door between the casino industry and the regulatory bodies that are set up to govern them has been demonstrated in other cities, says the group.

The letter to Governor Rendell concludes, "Because of [Tad Decker’s] near complete abandonment of the people, we believe he has run the worst regulatory body in Pennsylvania, one that protects profit not people.  He should resign or be removed immediately."

Over 1,100 citizens have sent faxes through Casino-Free Philadelphia asking Governor Rendell to press the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board to back down from its attempt to take away citizens' right to vote on the referendum.

Full letter with rationale attached below.