That's not all of the City's financial loss that comes from failure to passthe legislation. It will also lose an estimated $17 million a year to fundthe Center's operations and a projected 10%-cut in the City's wage tax. The taxis cited by Paul Levy, executive director of Center City District and CentralPhiladelphia Development Corp., among others as a deterrent to luringbusinesses here.

For now, the legislation, which passed handily in the House, will languishin the Senate Rules Committee, which is headed by Majority Leader DavidBrightbill, an opponent of legalized slots. The bill would have permittedone slot machine parlor here, another in Pittsburgh, and one each at the nine PAracetracks.

The argument against the bill, leveled by Brightbill, a Republican, andother Senators on both sides of the aisle, is fear that legalized slots would leadto fraud, corruption and the intrusion of organized crime. Gov. Ed Rendell,however, backs the legislation. The first opportunity for resurrection ofthe bill comes in September.