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Post by Venter on Jan 14, 2017 13:00:52 GMT -5
We are currently "discussing" the proposal by Dave LeVan, of a Horsetrack/Casino combination on the PA/MD line. See what's being said on our facebook site, or chime in here if you choose. As I've said before, I'd MUCH rather discuss it here, but Facebook wins the Forum Wars. Kinda like VHS over Beta. Not really looking forward to hearing from the same old NCG crowd. It's like raising the Living Dead. It's been so nice to not hear SSP's whining. www.facebook.com/groups/boroventgettysburg/ |
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Post by Venter on Jan 14, 2017 13:12:11 GMT -5
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Post by Venter on Feb 15, 2017 10:49:45 GMT -5
Rockinghorse, Welcome to BoroVENT. Thanks for sharing your petition. Please join us at our Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/boroventgettysburg/We have 1,480+ members who may be interested in this effort. Venter/Gene Golden |
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Post by lifesaver on Mar 9, 2017 9:04:10 GMT -5
Dave Levan's remarks at the Freedom Twp. Supervisor's meeting last night. Plan forwarded to Adams County Planning commission for their review. David LeVan
Remarks for Freedom Township Supervisors
March 8, 2017
Good evening, Supervisors. Thank you for the opportunity to address you this evening about a project that I’m really excited about.
With your help, Mason-Dixon Downs will deliver unprecedented opportunities for Freedom Township, surrounding communities, Adams County, local businesses and, most importantly, residents through hundreds of jobs.
At the same time, we are committed to the preservation of green space to protect the area’s bucolic setting. For that reason, in our commitment to protect green space, we will not add any residential component to this plan.
I’ve dedicated much of my adult life to giving back to the Adams County community. Mason-Dixon Downs fits in perfectly with that mission. As you know, I have made past attempts to deliver the overwhelming and unquestioned benefits of Pennsylvania’s gaming industry to Adams County. Back then, people still had a lot of questions about gaming and the promises that were made.
Well, 12 years later, it’s safe to say those promises were delivered.
Except for Adams County.
While host communities received tens of millions of dollars in gaming funds for important projects and enhancements, Adams County did not.
While thousands of Pennsylvanians have benefited from full-time jobs with great benefits, Adams County did not.
And while local businesses have received millions of dollars for goods and services from gaming, Adams County did not.
Fortunately, it’s not too late. In fact, the timing of this opportunity can help Adams County at a time when it’s desperately needed.
Anyone in our area will tell you that our younger professionals are leaving. Only about half of our population is employed, and half of them have to leave the county each day to find work. Of the jobs here, many are seasonal and related to tourism.
But even tourism doesn’t guarantee success. The Gettysburg Soldiers National Museum closed in 2014. And as we all know, just a few months ago, the Hall of Presidents, a major attraction since it first opened in 1957, closed.
If this project is developed tremendous benefits also await Freedom Township and Adams County.
When gaming expansion was enacted in Pennsylvania, it contained provisions for a Local Share Assessment (LSA) to be levied upon casino slots gross terminal revenue (GTR) for the benefit of the host municipality, as well as the host county.
In 2016, the state Supreme Court struck down this portion of the law. State lawmakers in Harrisburg are working on a remedy.
I certainly support a remedy. I recognize the valuable role this host community would play as a partner with Mason-Dixon Downs. So, let me state unequivocally, absent a legal remedy, I am willing to voluntarily formalize an agreement with Freedom Township to ensure it receives the millions in annual gaming revenue it deserves.
Looking across Pennsylvania, we now have ample evidence of how the LSA has tremendously benefited its host communities. East Hanover Township, which hosts Penn National, just paid off its new fire station with gaming grants.
In Bethlehem, the local share accounts for about 12 percent of the city's annual budget, or the rough equivalent of 100 police officers.
Presque Isle Downs just celebrated its 10th anniversary in Erie County. The Erie County Gaming Revenue Authority said: Presque Isle Downs has been Erie's golden goose. None of the funding that goes to the hundreds of nonprofits and municipalities to do creative and innovative things would be possible without local share gaming revenue. You can't underestimate the economic impact."
This is happening all over Pennsylvania. But, again, not in Adams County.
Over the last three years, Pennsylvania’s three existing harness racing tracks (Mohegan Sun, Meadows, Harrah’s) averaged spending $24 million annually for goods and services from local businesses in their areas, according the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
But, again, not in Adams County.
And let’s not forget about jobs. Gaming has created not only thousands of direct full-time jobs with excellent benefits, but also thousands of indirect jobs. According to the Philadelphia Business Journal, the industry supported nearly 34,000 total jobs in 2014, 18,000 of which were gaming employees.
But, again, not in Adams County.
So, I’ve spent a few minutes talking about what gaming has provided. Let’s spend a minute talking about what it hasn’t.
The fears of water issues have been unfounded. There isn’t a single documented case of water shortages for any of these projects. As Mr. Sharrah will outline in his report, a water study was done several years ago when a developer was considering a 36-hole golfing community with housing.
The fears of traffic have been unfounded. They simply do not exist at any gaming facility in Pennsylvania. In the case of Mason-Dixon Downs, we’re prepared to take whatever steps are necessary should any enhancements to local roadways be necessary.
Let’s talk about public safety. Despite the concerns of some when gaming was expanded in Pennsylvania, crime has not increased in host communities. At each property, casinos provide well-trained security personnel who work in tandem with a well-funded and fully staffed state police contingent. There are 11 state troopers assigned to every casino in the commonwealth.
I should note my earlier point: Gaming funds also provides the ability for a municipality to expand its law enforcement capabilities for the entire community, not just the area around a gaming facility.
Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t address the issue of our area’s rich historical heritage. On that topic let me say this: What we’re proposing isn’t new. In fact, in a commonwealth with such rich history, it’s somewhat common.
Gaming and Pennsylvania’s rich historical heritage already co-exist quite nicely. There are casinos near Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, Valley Forge National Park and Fort Necessity National Battlefield. In every case, casinos are located closer to those historical sites than this project would be to Gettysburg National Military Park. In every case.
But, you should also know that casinos have promoted those historical sites on their websites and through marketing efforts. As we’ve seen with the loss of tourism museums here in our area, we have an opportunity to bolster visitation. Knowing what we know now about Pennsylvania’s gaming industry, I don’t think that’s a bad thing.
Let me just close by saying several years have passed since I last proposed a project here in Adams County. As we’ve seen, local and county governments, businesses, and citizens have reaped incredible benefits from casino projects.
Unfortunately, Adams County has not. Freedom Township has a tremendous opportunity to help deliver our community’s golden goose. We know that now because the evidence speaks for itself.
I respectfully submit to you that IT’S OUR TURN.
Thank you again for your time this evening. I hope we can work together in a true partnership. Granting our request for a zoning change would be an important first step in that process.
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Post by Venter on Mar 9, 2017 11:44:12 GMT -5
It was a fully-packed house at Freedom Township last night. Let me begin by commending the Freedom Township Supervisors for their abilities to hold this meeting under such conditions. I'm sure they know the history of this type of meeting, judging by some of the previous meetings in 2006 and 2010. They showed great restraint, as one of the "HOIMBYs" (History ONLY in My Back Yard) spent about 15 minutes telling them how to do their job. They did not take too well to that, and it was the only time they seemed to break from their otherwise staid, professional demeanor. Of course, SSP was the only outsider who spoke to oppose the casino, other than local Freedom Township residents with "standing" - which is to be expected. The numbers of people in favor of a casino far out-numbered the naysayers, yet they allowed the LeVan Team to speak for us. Debi Golden spoke up at the end, only to reassure the Supervisors that Dave LeVan's team came through with ALL of his promises to reimburse, or pay the Township costs that were incurred during the previous attempt while she was a Cumberland Township Supervisor. They seemed to appreciate facts over hysteria. But, it's not even just about the numbers of attendants, it's about the quality. Many in attendance were business people and neighbors in the region who strongly SUPPORT the efforts to bring a positive job creator into our region. As far as the NAGS (No Anything Gettysburg), there were the usual suspects, and they repeated the same bullshit, but... - It's kinda hard to spew out the venom and gloom & doom scenario that they attempted in the past, because the facts are in.
- This is farther away from a historic site than several of the other casinos in PA.
- We now know the benefits that many other regions have been enjoying for the past 10 years - that WE have been missing out on
- Casinos in PA have not brought about rampant crime, drugs, and prostitution
IT'S OUR TURN! |
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Post by Venter on Mar 11, 2017 12:35:06 GMT -5
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Post by Fire Marshal Bill on Mar 12, 2017 10:57:18 GMT -5
It was a fully-packed house at Freedom Township last night. Let me begin by commending the Freedom Township Supervisors for their abilities to hold this meeting under such conditions. I'm sure they know the history of this type of meeting, judging by some of the previous meetings in 2006 and 2010. They showed great restraint, as one of the "HOIMBYs" (History ONLY in My Back Yard) spent about 15 minutes telling them how to do their job. They did not take too well to that, and it was the only time they seemed to break from their otherwise staid, professional demeanor. Of course, SSP was the only outsider who spoke to oppose the casino, other than local Freedom Township residents with "standing" - which is to be expected. The numbers of people in favor of a casino far out-numbered the naysayers, yet they allowed the LeVan Team to speak for us. Debi Golden spoke up at the end, only to reassure the Supervisors that Dave LeVan's team came through with ALL of his promises to reimburse, or pay the Township costs that were incurred during the previous attempt while she was a Cumberland Township Supervisor. They seemed to appreciate facts over hysteria. But, it's not even just about the numbers of attendants, it's about the quality. Many in attendance were business people and neighbors in the region who strongly SUPPORT the efforts to bring a positive job creator into our region. As far as the NAGS (No Anything Gettysburg), there were the usual suspects, and they repeated the same bullshit, but... - It's kinda hard to spew out the venom and gloom & doom scenario that they attempted in the past, because the facts are in.
- This is farther away from a historic site than several of the other casinos in PA.
- We now know the benefits that many other regions have been enjoying for the past 10 years - that WE have been missing out on
- Casinos in PA have not brought about rampant crime, drugs, and prostitution
IT'S OUR TURN! |
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Post by Fire Marshal Bill on Mar 12, 2017 11:01:02 GMT -5
Yes I too believe it is our turn. It doesn't really matter what the CAVE (Citizens Against Virtually Everything) people say to the board, about closeness to the battlefield, or all of that. They want to put this last license where it will bring the most money to Pennsylvania. Although we can use the new jobs, tax contributions to try and convince more locals to support the Mason Dixon, but when talking to the Gaming Board, we need to show them what we have to offer, and convince them that Adams County is the location that will bring the most money to the state.
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bng
Newbile
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Post by bng on Apr 6, 2017 15:02:25 GMT -5
I attended the Planning Meeting at Freedom Twp. last night. I was disgusted, thoroughly DISGUSTED, at the attitude of some of "my neighbors" in Freedom Twp.
Anyone with an opposing view was snickered at, mumbled after, and jeered at. This was especially disappointing when people simply stated facts, as did Susan Paddock without stating any opinion.
Haven't you people ever heard, "you can kill more flies with honey".
I have not formed an opinion....yet....but I sure as H hope that all PRO people are not of the attitude and behavior of those in attendance last night or I will not want THEM as my neighbors!
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Post by Venter on Apr 7, 2017 16:43:47 GMT -5
BNG, I don't know if you've attended any of the previous meetings, or not.
Let me just say that it is like listening to a broken record, and a poor record at that.
Sorry if you were offended, but believe me, I was more offended by what she says.
You'll notice that BoroVENT tends to lean toward the "Bring It On" side, rather than the "No Anything Gettysburg" side - but believe me, I'm willing to listen to sensible discussion about this.
My replies and remarks may not always be sensible, but then again, I've been through this shit twice before.
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Post by Fire Marshal Bill on May 15, 2017 10:11:11 GMT -5
I attended the Planning Meeting at Freedom Twp. last night. I was disgusted, thoroughly DISGUSTED, at the attitude of some of "my neighbors" in Freedom Twp. Anyone with an opposing view was snickered at, mumbled after, and jeered at. This was especially disappointing when people simply stated facts, as did Susan Paddock without stating any opinion. Haven't you people ever heard, "you can kill more flies with honey". I have not formed an opinion....yet....but I sure as H hope that all PRO people are not of the attitude and behavior of those in attendance last night or I will not want THEM as my neighbors! BNG I didn't get a chance to attend the planning meeting, but did attend the first Supervisors meeting. At that meeting I did witness some moans and groans as some of the people presented their tired, worn out, false claims about how all the evil that will come with the casino, and how it threatens the history of the area. But I also observed one individual call Mr. LeVan a liar, and "proved" is point by presenting "facts" that were not true. Regretfully both sides have individuals who are a bit over zealous with their activities, and unfortunately will exaggerate the "facts". Although I support this legal business, I will listen to the arguments, but most of them should not affect zoning and I don't believe many hold water in refusing the location. Sit back, listen and feel free to insert your opinions, or facts as you find them. Not saying I will agree with you, but I am always willing to listen. |
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