47 Update

From Councilman Bill Peduto:

"Negotiations with Act 47 has continued all day. Progress has been made. Still don't have final resolution or five votes, but we are closer"

Thursday Thoughts

-Pennsylvania could get an additional $165 million in annual gaming revenue if table games were in operation at all 12 of the state's larger casinos.

So why isn't this in play right now? Table games would draw much bigger crowds and would create a lot more money for the state to fill the budget holes that they sorely need to do. Bring on the Black Jack.

-Gov. Ed Rendell's plan to raise the state income tax by 16 percent is just flat out wrong. The residents of Pennsylvania shouldn't be burdened with tax increases because this state government can't ever find a way to cut the fat.

-How about the scandal that has emerged from the Hill District Dwelling Place bank? Money just disappeared from this bank and no one has been charged with anything in the crime yet. One of the more questionable quotes came from Tim Stevens, who heads the Black Political Empowerment project, Stevens said "He sees little need to press bank officers for answers on how so much capital has disappeared. "The point now is not to dwell on those issues. For us, it's not a time to focus on blame."

Are you serious? Should the bank not figure out what happened? This was a serious crime that was committed. Questions need to be asked and no stone needs unturned in this investigation.


More tomorrow...