DN: City needs to see some of that table game money; Nutter: Yes, yes we do.

As Anthony mentioned in Morning Money, Mayor Nutter and state lawmakers disagree over how to distribute local revenues from table games. Nutter wants the money to go straight into the city's general fund, and state lawmakers want the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) to administer it.

The lawmakers are arguing that they want to make sure the revenues go directly to the impacted neighborhoods. And that makes sense! But there are valid concerns on the other side of the ledger, too. The Daily News weighs in today with an editorial arguing that the city should have at least some control over the money in question:

The city administers the services that can help mitigate the effects of casinos, like police and trash pickup. The DCED, while in the business of issuing grants, would be doing it on a case- by-case basis, with no overall strategy - and with no input from citizens. Plus, the influence that state lawmakers have over those grants is undeniable.

State lawmakers may have insight into the needs of their districts, but it's the job of local government to see that the city as a whole benefits.

Meanwhile, Chris Brennan got a killer quote from Mayor Nutter on this matter:

"I said I want the revenue to come to the city because what in the hell else am I going to say?" Nutter said. "The city has fiscal challenges."

Telling it like it is.

Review city services on our sister site, City Howl.