Nov 26, 2013 2 min read

I am writing in response to the article, “Chips stacked against casinos,” which appeared in the Nov. 24 edition of the Observer-Reporter.

Please forgive me for not having sympathy for The Meadows Racetrack & Casino and general manager Sean Sullivan’s wariness regarding the expansion of casinos in Pennsylvania. It appears the joyride that The Meadows enjoyed in its early years as the only game in town and region appears to be coming to an end. May I ask Sullivan where his concern was for the employees of the Wheeling Island and Mountaineer casinos in West Virginia when The Meadows launched their casino? In the real world of business, when a business is faced with competition, typically that business responds by designing and offering a better product or service.

I realize this is Pennsylvania and the casino owners might simply wish to continue along the same path that brought them here in the first place – lobbying. May I suggest Super Bowl tickets to accompany their efforts?

As for Pennsylvania state Sen. Timothy Solobay of Canonsburg, I simply have two questions: How can you honestly make an argument that it is only acceptable to permit casinos in a limited portion of the state, and this one is on behalf of all the residents of Pennsylvania? And where is the property tax relief and reform that we were all promised when the legislation granting the development of casinos was passed?

Katharine J. Stayduhar

Canonsburg