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REPRINTED FROM THENEXTMAYOR.COMApril 30, 2007 press release, (submitted via e-mail) |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Casino-Free Philadelphia - Press Advisory
April 29, 2007 * www.CasinoFreePhila.org
Contact:
Daniel Hunter, 267-825-0807
Please note the time is 10:30am not 2:00pm
Casino-Free Philadelphia and PhillysBallotBox.org will be unveiling the first of their newly designed ballot boxes. On May 15, primary voters and registered Philadelphians will have their only opportunity to vote on Question #1, a referendum that sets minimum standards for slot parlors in the city of Philadelphia, when they cast their ballots at one of the many PhillyBallotBox.org voting locations throughout the city.
BALLOT BOX UNVEILING CEREMONY AND PRESS CONFERENCE
WHERE: City Hall, Dilworth Plaza (across from the clothespin)
WHEN: Tuesday, May 1st, 10:30AM
Earlier this year, 27,000 Philadelphians signed a petition calling for a vote on whether to have a 1,500 foot buffer zone between casinos and homes, schools, parks, playgrounds and places of worship. Philadelphia's City Council has twice voted unanimously to place this referendum, Question #1, on the May 15 ballot. The referendum would be legally binding, using the city's local zoning control, which was upheld by the PA Supreme Court. Now, Pennsylvania's Supreme Court is threatening Philadelphia's right to vote on whether we want casinos in our neighborhoods. They have put a preliminary injunction that is likely to keep a referendum question on casinos off the May 15 ballot.
In response, Casino-Free Philadelphia will be holding a citizen's ballot giving Philadelphians an their first opportunity to vote on the issue of whether to allow the construction of casinos within 1500 square feet of homes, schools, parks, playgrounds, and places of worship. The PhillysBallotBox.org campaign will staff voting locations through out Philadelphia and offer secure online voting through the PhillysBallotBox.org website. There will be citizen's ballot boxes located in all of the city's 28 state house districts and in high traffic areas through out the city, where citizens will be able to vote on a referendum identical to the one placed on the primary ballot by city council.
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