That, and some preemptive planning by Mayor Nutter.
You may have missed Rendell's grudging announcement last week that he would meet with the Foxwoods and SugarHouse operators. It came when people were already busy firing up their grills for another Fourth of July. But it was a historic moment in its own right: the governor's first concession to the anti-casino forces since gambling was legalized.
Rendell was forced into those talks by Philadelphia's State Sen. Vincent Fumo, chief author of the 2004 casino law, and Rep. Dwight Evans, an enthusiastic supporter, after they held a pre-Fourth Harrisburg news conference to declare that the riverfront sites are "no longer viable." They didn't need to append the word "politically." It was understood.
The meeting with the casino operators is expected to take place later this month. Rendell will be accompanied by Fumo, Evans and Mayor Nutter. Because the three men speak for the city, it won't be enough for them to restate well-known objections to the two waterfront locations. They have to provide Foxwoods and SugarHouse with an exit strategy.
The mayor has his work cut out for him. He needs to identify specific sites that would be acceptable to both the public and the casino operators. He should come armed with details about the size, ownership, availability, and cost of those alternatives.
It's the kind of activist planning Philadelphians deserved after slots gambling was legalized. Instead, the Street administration sat back and let the casinos and the state carve up the beautiful Delaware riverfront, without any regard for the public interest.
