Minutes ago the Pennsylvania Supreme Court lnocked the referendum off the ballot by issuing a preliminary injunction with two justices dissenting. The PA SC has stuck their collective thumb in the eye of the pHildelphi electorate substituting their judgment for ours. This pushes the issue to the brink of acts of civil disobedience. When the voters cannot be allowed to vote; perhaps we muct take to the streets and expose this process for waht it is: a corrupt schem by monied interests to cram two casinos down our throats irrespective of the wishes of the people or the consequences. Hundreds of millions of dollars are at stake and the powers that be have lined up to make this happen. It may just happen, but meybe the people in the cradle of Liberty have had enough.

I can't really express how much this upsets me. I would probably violate the TOS if I tried.

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Life is a grindstone. Whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us. -- T. L. Holdcroft

Expecting life to treat you well because you are a good person is like expecting an angry bull not to charge because you are a vegetarian.-- S. R. Barr

"Nowhere else in the early 1700s was there an independent Supreme Court with the power to declare laws made by an elected legislative body to be unconstitutional. The concept of a free judiciary is one of Pennsylvania's greatest contributions to democracy." ---from a vistor's page of the State web site.

This case was clear. Deciding as they did is nothing more than a sham.

I am speechless. We are watching the dismantling of our State democracy and the end of our personal liberty. And for what reason? Tax Revenue? When the ends justify the means then as a country we are no better than communist China or Nazi Germany.

Pro casino or not, everyone should be really, really concerned.

I agree. This is not just a casino issue anymore. It's become an issue of democracy and the peoples right to choose. We should not have illicit legislation forced upon us from afar. And there is no more fitting place to fight for these rights than here in Philadelphia. Once again its time for the people to rally and be heard.

I just read the court documents, but I don't understand the court's rationale. Is it because the gaming board's enabling legislation supersedes all other acts?

YES.

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x-fkSYDtUY

"Censorship is free advertising by the government"--Federico Fellini

"Do you mind if I smoke while you eat?"

Wow. I find it hard to believe that piece of legislation was written in such an air tight way that there is no recourse. Am I missing something?

By the way, I'm seriously looking for information. I'm not trying to start a flame war or passive agressively express an opinion. Just trying to understand.

Sigh.

Act 71 (passed at 2 am on July 4th weekend in 2004) insured that anything to do with PGCB would go straight to the Supreme Court, bypassing the usual court protections.

You are seeing that the fix is in.

The Governor and a State Senator have engineered this from Harrisburg and the hundreds of millions at stake insure that this bruising game of power politics is far from over.

It will now be about whether the people of Philadelphia have had enough.

It is now time to see whether we have the "intestinal fortitude" to stand up and say "I'm as mad as hell; and I'm not going to take it anymore"

Join your nieghborhood organization and volunteer to help fight this abuse of power

Is anyone else seeing the irony here?

The supposed group of out of control vindictive anti casino rebels who shoved this casino referendum down the throats of Philadelphia and a threatened district council and Philadelphia City Council and are simutaneously crying that their rights have been violated. There are rules and regulations to innitiating referendums. Unfortunately for the anti casino coalition, public threats, ridicule + protests was not the correct path. You're not going to have a leg to stand on from a legal standpoint.

There are checks and balances all the way up to the Pa. State supreme court to prevent this exact type of behavior. Threatening City Council and district leaders is more on the lines of anarchy than democracy. You can't just start threatening politicians and systematically think you should get your own way, thats what they do in banana republics.

Philadelphia citizens voted in their district council, state senators,city council and the mayor. As a whole Philadelphia put their faith in those people, they are your voice. They apparently thought gaming in Philadelphia was a good thing as they stood firmly behind the gaming process . Thats how the political process works. You can't have a grassroots type movement of a few thousand people dictate local and state law.

If you believe casinos will be too close to your house the simple solution for you is to move.

Where were you 3 years ago when this process first started. That was your time to take a stand, not after the fact.