PA Taxpayers Are Able to Relax Once Again

Last Thursday, the very same day the groundbreaking ceremony for the new arena took place, the State Gaming Board finally ok'd the transfer of Don Barden's casino license to Chicago billionaire Neil Bluhm. This means that Bluhm is now responsible for the funding of the $780 million dollar project and guarantees that taxpayers will not be footing the bill. The fact that profits from the casino are a major source of funding for the new arena - providing $7.5 million a year for the next 30 years - was touched upon by several of the speakers at the ceremony and is great news for both Penguins fans and PA taxpayers alike (perhaps they are one and the same)! A more ideal situation other than the transfer of the license to Bluhm would have been to start the entire license bidding process over again from square one, but the reality of this was that it would delay the construction of the casino by years. Now, construction of the casino will start back up again almost immediately (The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that the start could be as soon as this week). After 18 months and alot of heartache and misery with thoughts of the Penguins leaving Pittsburgh, things are finally looking up and it feels good! Now all we need is a few Stanley Cups and banners to decorate the place with -- but let's not get too ahead of things - all in due time; and if anything, Penguins fans have learned patience from this whole ordeal and we'll wait as long as it takes! GO PENS!