Liberation Fellowship CDC Supports Asian Americans United in Opposing Foxwoods Casino

I wanted to share the op-ed piece that I submitted to the Germantown Courier. Our CDC is very supportive of the efforts of Asian Americans United and the residents of Chinatown who have fought hard to keep Foxwoods casino from being placed at the Gallery in center city. From our perspective, a casino in anybody's neighborhood is a casino in our very own neighborhood--and we're opposed to it.

This is also an opportunity for all of us to think about how things that happen in one location affect us. The current worldwide economic recession (we all know that for many of our communities it's a depression) is a perfect example of this. I am urging that we all look around and determine that we are indeed our brothers' keepers, and they are ours.

This is the perfect set of circumstances that allows us to begin to think about how we can forge multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, cross-neighborhood alliances and be more inclusive in our thinking, more responsive in our action, and more determined to make democracy real in our overall planning for sustainable economic development in Philadelphia. I know I'm preaching to the choir, but somebody has to remind us of our civic responsibilities to each other.


Germantown Should Join Chinatown in Opposing Foxwoods Casino

Governor Rendell, Mayor Nutter and City Council have decided that Foxwoods casino will be housed at the Gallery in Chinatown. South Philadelphians are happy that a deal has been cut so that the Foxwoods will abandon its Delaware River site and move on to the Gallery shopping mall. Chinatown residents and Asian Americans United continue to fight the good fight, while we here in Germantown--and others in neighborhoods all over this city==stand aloof, as if what is happening in Chinatown is not really happening to all of us.

There is something desperately wrong with the short-sighted selfishness of the neighborhood tribalism that we Philadelphians encourage and support. So long as something terrible is not in our neighborhood, we shrug our shoulders and say, "That's their problem, not ours." Meanwhile, government ignores the will of the people, and does the bidding of the powerful. Pir fragmentation and narrow, unprincipled self-interest keep us from making democracy real in Philadelphia. It also keeps our politicians unresponsive and unaccountable for their non-feasance in office when it comes to working for the best interests of our city's people as a whole.

Gambling anywhere in Philadelphia is a problem for all Philadelphians, no matter where we live. I will spare you the moral and spiritual arguments that clergy of all faiths, ethicists and principled atheists should be standing up and making on a daily basis in Germantown and every other part of this city. But I must make the brief social and sustainable economic development arguments that require all of us to oppos casino gambling in Philadelphia--especially the Foxwoods casino gambling that will specialize in slot machines at the Gallery.

From a social standpoint, slot machines rob the poor, wreak havoc on families by creating gambling addiction, and strain social services. Study after study has shown that people who can afford it the least gamble at slots the most. The lies and lure of the slot-pusher casinos entice desperate people to believe thatthey are one lever-pull away from the solution to their financial problems. Nothing could be farther from the truth.

From a sustainable economic development position, the few low-end jobs that a casino will bring to town--and they will bring their own people to town--will not begin to pay for the huge economic and social mess caused by the Foxwoods casino presence in Philadelphia. Just check out the real Atlantic City away from the lights of the boardwalk, if you doubt the negative growth that gambling brings to a city.

The location of Foxwoods casino anywhere in Philadelphia will bring out our most vulnerable populations from everywhere in Philadelphia and will negatively affect the health, welfare and sustainable economic development of all of our neighborhoods. Germantown must see that its best interests lie in supporting Chinatown in the struggle against Foxwoods casino at the Gallery.

Finally, we have an opportunity to do something about this situation. We can join with Asian Americans United, Chinatown residents and people of good will from all across the city, at Arch Street Methodist Church, Broad and Arch Streets, Monday evening, December 8th, at 7:00 p.m. Let's learn together how we can make our voices heard and the will of the people respected.

John Elliott Churchville, Ph.D., J.D., Chairman/CEO
Liberation Fellowship Community Development Corporation

Liberation Fellowship Launches Greater Germantown Business Association

Liberation Fellowship CDC launched the Greater Germantown Business Association in August 2008. We recognized the need to create sustainable economic development in the Germantown business corridor, and as a result met and partnered with Central Germantown Council and the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians to discuss plans for the GGBA launch.

Since then we have held monthly meetings, and business membership is growing. For more information, visit our website at greatergermantownba.com