Ramos, in departure, intros slots bills

City Councilman Juan Ramos chuckled yesterday when asked how it felt to be heckled as he introduced legislation to help the SugarHouse Casino in Fishtown gain building permits.

"This is City Council," Ramos said. "These things happen."

But then Ed Verrall, a neighbor of the proposed casino, called Ramos a bum, adding, "You're selling out my neighborhood. Thank God we voted you out. It took a weasel like you to do it."

Ramos, who finished eighth in a race for five at-large Council seats in last week's Democratic primary, snapped at Verrall, "Mind your own business," and then, "Get away from me."

Ramos said Mayor Street asked him to introduce the three bills, adding there are "strong voices" in Fishtown that think the casino will bring jobs and other benefits. One community group is negotiating with SugarHouse.

"I think those voices needed to be heard," said Ramos, who remains a Council member until the end of the year. "Although there are still community concerns, they are interested in seeing if they can reach an agreement with the developers."

Ramos' action breaks a long-held understanding that Council members don't offer zoning legislation impacting sites inside the districts of other members.

Ramos lives about a half-mile from the proposed casino.

The legislation Ramos introduced, known as a Commercial Entertainment District, was endorsed Tuesday by the City Planning Commission.

Councilman Frank DiCicco, who has tried to delay construction of SugarHouse and another casino in his waterfront district, said the move will "cause a firestorm that will last all summer."

DiCicco vowed to drum up support from community groups opposed to casinos. He asked why the legislation could not wait until appeals of the state Gaming Control Board's decision to locate casinos here are ruled on by the state Supreme Court.

"Why don't we let this stuff play out?" DiCicco asked. "What's the urgency?"

Mayor Street and SugarHouse had an answer ready yesterday.

Street said two casinos are anticipated to pump millions of tax dollars into the city's five-year plan.

"It's going to happen sooner or later," Street said. "All we're doing is delaying.

"There are some people who want to defeat gaming in the city of Philadelphia. It isn't going to happen."

SugarHouse spokesman Dan Fee noted that the casino has pledged to donate $1 million a year to nearby community groups.

"What people are finally beginning to realize is that every day of delay is a day that we're not creating 1,000 new jobs and we're not generating new tax revenues," Fee said.

The city will have to send out public notices about Ramos' bills before Council President Anna Verna can convene a public hearing of the Rules Committee. The bills, if approved by that committee, would then need to be voted on twice by Council members.

With Council scheduled to adjourn for the summer on June 14, it seems unlikely that the bills will be acted upon until Council returns in September.

Fee said SugarHouse understood the schedule. "But what we know is there is no chance for action unless the bills were introduced," Fee said. *