Please check out the USA Today article on casinos (not) coming to Philly. There is much to say about this article how our organizing and direct action has really changed the landscape in the past 8-9 months. Take a look at what Ed and Meredith are saying. They are both Fishtown residents from very different backgrounds but they work together (got arrested together last week to try to force the gaming board to be more transparent) to improve and protect their community. Meredith has been a key person in the creation and growth of NABR (it is the Best Riverfront not a Better Riverfront fyi) which continues to bring newcomers and old-timers together to advance a positive vision for this city built on what is already great about our riverfront while advancing new ideas that do not include the intrusion of casinos within our social and neighborhood fabric. Ed is one of my neighbors who continues to build tremendous organizing skills and has gone from great despair to great hope for what Fishtown, the riverfront and the city could be if people work together across our differences. And check out what Rene from South Philly had to say. Rather than just saying Foxwoods is the worst site she said something more powerful that really lies at the heart of this debate (are we finally actually debating casinos, about time!)-that she lives in one of the best neighborhoods and that is not something worth risking with a casino. If the City felt that way about our city than we would be out solving real problems rather than creating new problems that will only exacerbate existing challenges.

Finally, we have the Mayor saying that we need to "Adapt or Die" which I totally agree with. Like perhaps we need new City leadership in the Council who knows how to fight for something good and against things that are bad. Or a Philly delegation that actually learns how to create policies out in the open rather than in secret. Or a Mayor who actually has a vision rather than transplanting neon from neighboring Atlantic City. Philadelphia: "the City of Neon", now that has a ring to it. Anyway, check out the article, I think it is one of the best that has been written, and it is in a national paper (how embarrassing to the Mayor, the City and the State) with photos.

Jethro