Where We Live - Trudy Beaulieu

I live on a street where children play and when the weather warms the sound of ice cream trucks cause young and old to skip with anticipation.
It is true I have no interest in gaming, I find it boring.
I would much rather read or have friends around for conversation, a meal and music.

I remember the awful stories about the first casino in A/C.
It was hoped that by adding more casinos and collecting tax revenue it would improve Atlantic City.

I saw the pictures and remember how, as a child, it was thought to be a wonderful place.
The monies collected were to make improvements and the draw of the casinos would create an atmosphere for other businesses to thrive.

This is not true.

If you are in the immediate casino area it is clean and manicured.
To the point you can imagine people dressed in white uniforms with scissors coming each day at sunrise to water and trim their designated patch. Doorman sweeping open doors for elegant men and women who take in a show and dinner along with some gaming.

Once again not true.

The truth is.

Bus loads of lonely senior citizens or bored housewives come chancing what little money they have.
Often they lose.
Just out of view of casino strips are rundown buildings.
The businesses spawned are liquor stores, pawn shops, drug dealers and prostitutes.

This is what exists around and in the areas of many casino strips.

I see it much worse for the urban sites so (sic) wisely chosen by our employees (aka legislators).

There are jobs, for sure, I went on line to look.

The jobs are cooks, wait staff, car jockey and cleaners.
Any other position would require casino AND hotel experience.
People who live anywhere nearby do NOT have this experience.

New Jersey is all about running service into Philadelphia and up and down Delaware/Columbus Avenue..
This will make it easy for the folks in New Jersey who DO HAVE some experience to get to the new jobs.

Parking ... what can I say.
It is already difficult.
Most people will drive.

Period.

Employees will not be able to get to work on SEPTA.
The schedules are in conflict with hospitality shifts.
The EL is scheduled for rehab.
We know how well that went in west Philadelphia.

Parking is too important to waste on the rank and file employee.
The casinos will not offer parking to anyone who does not spend enough money at the "tables".
All the "low" rollers and many of the employees will be trolling our already over burdened streets for parking.

Did you know the parking is the last thing scheduled to be built?

As to the "tables" ... some thought looked to be "good" jobs as dealers.

This is not to be.

Everything is automated.
The only good job associated with that may be the machine techs.

It has been said that many employees at the other casinos have had hours cut back to part time.
They are now without sufficient income and no health care.

Lets not forget the rebuilding of route 95.
This will happen AFTER the casino is built.
The traffic will be a nightmare.

In our little areas, settled hundreds of years ago, the sewers and roads cannot stand up to the volume as it is.
In front of my 160 year old home the street has collapsed two times within a year.
Around the corner on Front Street even worse.

I used to live on the 100 block of Manton Street, I know they are in the same sad situation in PennsPort as we will be in Fishtown.

All we want is a nice place to live, not fancy.
No one I know, moved into these small town style areas for the glitz.

If there is a bright side to any of this ... I just don't see it. ... Is there really anyone who can explain differently?

P.S.
The Mount Airy Lodge/Casino was, to my knowledge, under construction before the casino board was presented to the public. Not to mention licenses awarded.
The construction jobs will go to union workers.
Most live outside the city AND CARRY lunch the DO NOT, buy lunch.

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This project started as a collaboration between Philadelphia Weekly's managing editor Jeffrey Barg and independent photographer Jacques-Jean Tiziou for this story published Feb 13, 2008.
Now JJ and radio producer Rachel Guberman are collecting more stories and will be posting them here to help give voice to all of the people who will be affected by the decisions of the politicians and investors behind the casinos.