Shittsburgh

Dark day for the taxpayers of the Burgh yesterday, in what has to be one of the biggest political shams in the city's history. For those not familiar with the whole Slots Gaming License, I'll break it down as simple as possible. These are the bare facts:

1. Pittsburgh was awarded a "gaming license" that will allow 1 sole applicant to build a casino in Pittsburgh. That casino will have Slots Only.
2. Pittsburgh is in dire need of a new events center type facility. Mellon Arena is 45 years old, and is no longer an option to host 15,000+ capacity events (i.e. Icecapades, wrestling, monster truck stuff, big shitty concerts, whatever). Mellon Arena is also the home of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
3. This new building WILL be built within the next 10 years, whether or not the Penguins are still residing in Pittsburgh.
4. The Penguins long-term lease is about to expire in June of 2007. The current owner (Mario Lemieux's group) has been trying to sell the team, but the club's current price is too much for a team without a home.

Now here comes this gaming license, and right behind it is this big contingent of political scumbags, just waiting to get their pockets greased before their terms run out. This party of pond scum, the leader (or biggest pile of useless fungi) of which is Governor Ed Rendell, organizes this "gaming commission" that will ultimately decide on WHO gets that ONE gaming license.

There are THREE groups competing for this ONE license, one of which is the Isle of Capri. The Isle of Capri pledges this:

"If you give us the gaming license, we will give (GIVE!!!!!) the City of Pittsburgh $290 million to build a new arena."

The new building will become the new home of the Penguins as well as host events that no longer come to Pittsburgh. The other 2 applicants make no such promise. Instantly, and for good reason, the Isle of Capri becomes the public favorite.

Think of that. A city who has just built TWO new stadiums (PNC & Heinz) with the taxpayers' $$ is now offered a TAX FREE $290 million dollar building. Seems simple, but the 2 other applicants must be considered, right?

If it was that simple, the "gaming commission" would no longer have a decision to make, and their enormous salary paid by the taxpayers (and $100,000 cars) would be unjustified. So the other 2 applicants' bids must be weighed against the Isle of Capri's. And we must take years to make this decision, because it's a fairly difficult one.

Let's review what the other 2 applicants bring to the table: They offer NO building.

Instead, if they get the Slots License, then the tax payers will pay for the new $300 million facility. No problem, we've already paid for 2 others. Instead of a TAX FREE $290 building, we get the people of Pittsburgh to finance it. Makes sense to me.

Well, this type of decision was very difficult to make, or so says the dirt bags of the gaming commission. So, a new term was introduced by all of the Scum Politicians who ultimately wanted their pockets greased. That new term:

"PLAN B."

Here's what Plan B essentially says:

If Isle of Capri does not get the Slots License, then we (the crooked scumbags) will work with the winning applicant to build a new arena. And whatever that applicant doesn't pay towards that building, and then we'll get the taxpayers to pay for it. There's nothing in writing, or no actual plan, hence we call it Plan B.

"Plan B" is a nice little way to say: "Well, we tried." Ask what Plan B actually consists of, and there's nothing. It's an excuse. It's a lie. It's a complete SHAM.

But taxpayers in Pittsburgh are used to getting screwed. For example, before I'd moved to Pittsburgh, I'd never heard of an "Occupation Privilege Tax." Everyone in Pittsburgh pays $52/year out of their 1st paycheck for the privilege of having a job so that they can pay more tax.

Yes...it's a Tax for the Privilege to Pay More Tax. Seriously.

Property taxes in Allegheny County are astronomically high, despite consistent promises every year (from those same scumbags) that they will be lowered.

But that's Pittsburgh, PA. Ran by old stale slime, in a state ran by the King of Slime, Ed Rendell…slime that could care less about anything that happens outside of Philadelphia, as long as he gets his kickbacks. Between greasy Ed, the smooth talking cover-up guy County Chief Executive Dan Onorato, and 26 year old (no, that's not a misprint) Mayor Luke Ravensthal, this city continues to get driven into the dirty mucks of the Three Rivers.

Droves of young people are driven out of this decaying city every year. If you're a young goal-minded individual, chances are you'll be leaving Pittsburgh within the next few years. There are more transplanted Pittsburghians than any other kind. Hopefully, we’ll be able to join them soon.