Tuesday, April 18, 2006

As reported by the Philadelphia Daily News: "Keeping accurate score of
public support or opposition is hardly an exact science. But based on the
first full day of public commentary on Philadelphia casinos, it's a safe bet
that the Foxwoods casino faces the most daunting battle for public support
in the high-stakes bid for one of two state licenses. "During yesterday's
hearings, 13 community groups and about 30 individuals addressed the state
Gaming Control Board in the second of three days of public hearings.

"The testimony focused on the community impact of two casinos: TrumpStreet,
proposed for the former Budd site in Nicetown, and the Foxwoods casino,
which would open on a 16-acre site on Columbus Boulevard between Tasker and
Reed streets.

"Those proposed casinos are sited in communities that are more heavily
populated than those planned by the three other applicants.

"The Trump testimony was generally split between opposition and support,
with about five votes of neutrality.

".On the other hand, Foxwoods generated no votes of support and at least
eight voices of opposition, mitigated only by a few votes of neutrality."