Joanne Sherman couldn't disagree more.
"I sent an e-mail to Cardinal [Justin] Rigali, saying, 'What's going on here?' " said Sherman, a Catholic grandmother who also grew up in Fishtown and is fighting to stop the casino project. "I was boiling inside when I heard the Catholic church accepted money."
Debate over casinos is turning into a rumble in Fishtown, a river ward of about 22,000 people that has long felt ignored by downtown powers.
It's a tight community that has endured a lot - the closing of a beloved parish school; the scourge of drugs, most notably OxyContin; a dearth of good-paying work for young graduates.
Now comes the arrival of one of the city's two casinos - the SugarHouse project planned for 22 acres of derelict waterfront land at Delaware and Frankford Avenues.
Up and down the waterfront - from Pennsport and Whitman in the far end of South Philadelphia, up through Queen Village, Society Hill, Old City and Northern Liberties - most residents are opposed to having casinos built so close to their homes. Earlier this year, an alliance of community groups pledged not to negotiate with casino operators while there was pending litigation to stop the projects.
Meanwhile, City Councilman Frank DiCicco, who represents most of this area, has introduced a bill to keep casinos at least 1,500 feet from houses, churches, schools and playgrounds.
But the people of Fishtown are more at odds over casinos. A group of neighbors has broken from the main community organization and now vocally supports SugarHouse.
"You have a community split right down the middle," said State Rep. Michael O'Brien (D., Phila.), who represents Fishtown.
