I Accept Support from Only One PAC, “Pennsylvanians Against Casinos”
“Atlantic City Aiming Higher as Casinos Slip,” published in today’s edition of The New York Times, is turning increasingly to money and sex to survive:
“Money is one way Atlantic City is fighting back [against the growing casino gambling competition], sex another.”
“The city recently dropped its building height restriction as a further draw to casino companies seeking to bring a touch of Vegas bravado to a burgh of 40,000 perhaps as well known for its political corruption and violent crime as for its Boardwalk and ocean views.
“These days, cocktail waitresses working the flashier casinos show more skin and are younger and more buxom than they used to be, and a few years ago the city adopted a new slogan: ‘Always Turned On.’ The Borgata, the first billion-dollar casino in town and one of four to report a jump in revenue so far this year, sells a ‘Babes of Borgata’ pinup calendar featuring female employees covered by little more than feathers and strategically placed hands.”
Pennsylvania Governor Ed “Fast Eddie” Rendell forced Barbara Hafer, the state’s Republican Auditor General who wanted to replace Rendell predecessor Republican Tom Ridge as Governor, turned Democrat because Ridge pulled the rug from under her by endorsing Pennsylvania Attorney General Mike Fisher in the Republican primary.
This was a cynical deal that earned Fisher, who lacked state-wide name recognition and knew he could not win as well as Ridge, a seat on the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in Philadelphia, the court on which Rendell’s wife Midge sits: and where Sam Alita and Mike Chertoff sat and Easton’s former Federal Judge Franklin S. VanAntwerpen still sits - the latter three of these justices appointed by President George W. Bush.
Further adding insult to injury to Pennsylvania’s female voters, the cynical Rendell then endorsed pro-life Bob Casey Jr. over pro-choice Barbara Hafer to challenge pro-life incumbent Rick Santorum for the U.S. Senate.
As an independent candidate for the one at-large seat on Northampton County Council in this year’s general election - in February 2006 I had announced to challenge Rendell in that year’s gubernatorial contest but was forced to abandon the race by a diagnosis of colon cancer in April 2006 - I pledge to continue the fight that I started on January 3, 2005, against the siting of a Sands BethWorks LLP slot machine casino in the Moravian Christmas City of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the flood-prone Delaware River, and on the site of the toxic former Bethlehem Steel Corporation.
Copyright © 2006-2008 Billy Givens
Billy Givens said,
March 19, 2007 @ 10:50 am
The so-called “Lehigh Valley” International Airport serving Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton, Pennsylvania, for awhile actually hosted an air carrier called “Hooters” with near-naked stewardesses serving alcoholic beverages to ferry gamblers to the Sin Palaces of Las Vegas, Nevada, and back home, most of them broke.
Billy Givens said,
March 19, 2007 @ 12:22 pm
The casino corruption is the biggest scandal to hit the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania since the notorious Walking Purchase of 1737.
That’s when Pennsylvania founder William Penn’s son Thomas cheated Pennsylvania’s oboriginal inhabitants, the Delaware-Lenni Lenape Native Americans out of 315 acres they owned in Northampton County’s Forks Township.
The Native americans agreed to give Thomas Penn as many acres as he could walk in a day.
But Thomas Penn cleared away trees and brush for paths and hired professional athletes, running in relays, for the “walk.”
Thomas Penn also defrauded the original natives by forging deeds on the land.
The current casino corruption also involves the Delaware-Lenni Lenape aboriginals. The 315 acres today is the headquarters of the Binney & Smith Crayola Crayon Corporation, the Follett Corporation, manufacturer of cryogenic and cold-storage equipment, and Nic Zawarsky & Sons, a large real estate developer of residential tract houses.
These usurpers of the land are defendants, together with Pennsylvania, Northampton County, and Forks Township officials as plaintiffs in a lawsuit awaiting a hearing before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Binney & Smith had already insulted Native Americans by introducing a new crayola called “Indian Red,” a racial slur for which the crayon maker was required to issue a public apology.
Bernie O'Hare said,
March 19, 2007 @ 5:40 pm
So Billy, you’ve sold out to a right wing PAC? You’ll accept money from them? And you condemn Stoffa? He refused to take money from any special interest. But you and your blind bat, Turdaro, have turned on the red lights and are breaking out the vaseline for the hard rod of the religious right. Phony! No wonder you and Turdaro are getting such high-pitched voices.
R Moshki said,
March 19, 2007 @ 8:12 pm
Too much “I”, Billy.
It’s not too late to learn how to better frame your arguments.
The Limbaughs and Savages are all about ‘I, I, Me-Me.’
You can do better.
Bernie O'Hare said,
March 20, 2007 @ 12:04 am
Billy, Just bustin’ on you.
Bernie O'Hare said,
April 3, 2007 @ 2:14 pm
Billy!
You have to stop walking John Turdaro into telephone poles. In addition to disrupting council meetings with his braying, he’s now calling me and hanging up.
He had a hard time hanging up the phone bc he’s blind. I think he missed a few times. Tell him if I want to listen to him, I’ll tune in to Jolly Joe Timmer. We can all listen as Turdaro kisses that fat bastard’s very big ass.