COMMENTARY BY THE HON. RUFUS PECKHAM - The Pennsylvania Gaming Commission ignored our two recent editorials by awarding Pittsburgh's lone gaming license to Don Barden's Majestic Star. Last week we endorsed Isle of Capri, explaining that the poor people of the Hill District need a casino the most: "Is there any place other than a casino where, without time-consuming education, without hard work, and without any capital investment, poor people can take what little money they have, invest it in a slot machine, and possibly be catapulted to the ranks of the wealthy with just one pull of the one-armed bandit? The question scarcely survives its statement." Just yesterday, we changed our mind and we endorsed Forest City/Harrahs' Station Square plan, because it is backed by powerful, well-oiled political insiders who know how to get things done and deserve to be rewarded for it. You'll recall that before he left office, Mayor Murphy suggested that the Forest City/Harrahs proposal would win because of the political connections of its investors. Murphy said, "The fix is in." In our endorsement, we explained: "Exactly what's so bad about the fix being in, anyway? So what if this means the license will be awarded to an entity that is not the choice of the 'majority,' or that the entity might not even be the best choice for Pittsburgh? . . . . The 'fix' is the only way things get accomplished."
Majestic Star is the only casino we did not "endorse." And that, dear readers, tells you a lot.
