A plan from the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Gaming would leave the state running Atlantic City's' casino district.
On a sizzling hot Boardwalk Wednesday, packed with politicians, business leaders and city officials, all wondering if the state was about to make itself the principal authority in Atlantic City, Governor Chris Christie did his best to say that the state was here to help, not take over.
“I’m here to extend the hand of partnership to the city,” Christie said during a press conference at Kennedy Plaza. “We are entering into this public/private partnership because we have to remake ourselves. We want to make Atlantic City a place where families and businesses want to be and want to come back to again and again.”
Christie, Wednesday, released a report from the Governor’s Advisory Commission on New Jersey Gaming, Sports and Entertainment, a commission formed to study the state of New Jersey’s gaming industry, including racetracks and the future of Atlantic City. The report’s recommendations call for a sweeping overhaul of the running of the Meadowlands and racecourses in the state and calls for the state to directly takeover the running of Atlantic City’s casino and entertainment districts. The state would be the driving force behind everything from day-to-day community services in the district to marketing the resort as a whole.
But Christie refused to characterize such a takeover as the creation of a “city within a city.”
"I don’t see it that way,” he said. “We are ready to work with the city and city departments and we’re ready to work with private industry. We’re ready to work with local officials. We will work with anyone to help get Atlantic City where it needs to be.”
Christie pointed out that the state’s involvement would be very different than in a city like Camden, which was completely run by the state for several years.
"There is no comparison of the two,” he said. “Camden was a city reeling from decades of mismanagement. Atlantic City is in crisis situation brought on by the economic realities of the last few years.”
Despite the assurance, the commission’s report is highly critical of the city government and how the city is run. But Christie’s olive-branch approach, at least seems to have local officials ready to hear out the details of the plan.
“I have still yet to review the whole report, But I’ve said all along that we are all in this together,” said city Mayor Lorenzo Langford after the press conference. “We have always needed to get all our oars in the water and rowing in the same direction … we’ll take help from anyone who wants to help. We need as much help as we can get.”
Christie acknowledged that the city has been severely hurt in the last three years by the economic recession and the spread of casinos to Pennsylvania, Delaware and other nearby markets.
“We have reached a point where we can no longer sit back and do nothing,” Christie said. “Some people will say this plan is too bold and aggressive. But I’m not going to partner with a failure. This is about a partnership that leads to success.”
The possibility of the state taking a greater roll in the day-to-day operations of Atlantic City has come up in the past, especially during the '90s. Often, local officials have passionately opposed the idea.
But within Christie’s and the commission’s reports are several things local officials and casino executives have been supporting for years.
For example, the report clearly comes out against allowing gaming to spread to other jurisdictions in the state, including video lottery machines and slots at the Meadowlands.
“I said when I was campaigning I would not support expansion of gambling beyond Atlantic City,” Christie said. “That shouldn’t surprise anyone.”
The report also recommends using all Casino Reinvestment Development Authority revenues within Atlantic City, rather than throughout the state, and stopping the city casino supported subsidy to racetracks, both issues casino proponents have long fought for.
Most importantly, says Christie, the recommendations call for a simplifying of casino regulations to bring them more into the modern era, another move long supported by casinos.
The plan would also fold state agencies such as the Atlantic City Convention and Visitors Authority into the new governing agency, which would push for better marketing of the city.
However, the least detailed part of the plan calls for the state to visibly improve cleanliness and safety in the city and on the Boardwalk by July 1, 2011.
“The perception is that the city is not safe,” Christie said. “Whether that is true or not, the perception can sometimes become the reality. By next summer, I want to be here on this boardwalk and see new families and visitors enjoying this city.”
Despite the far-ranging range of the plan, which would also have a profound impact on The Meadowlands Sports Complex and horse racing, it is at this stage, just a proposal. Most of the recommendations will need legislative approval, often a lengthy process.
“I don’t think at this point, it’s really about being opposed to it or being against it,” said State Senator James Whelan. “We have to see the details. But I think we can all agree that we can’t just sit here and do nothing.”
And that was Christie’s main point. Atlantic City can no longer wait for things to happen. It has to drive its own future.
And Gov. Christie wants to be behind the wheel.
What do you think about the governor's proposal? Leave a comment below.
"There are those that don’t believe the Atlantic City fathers are capable of handling this business. And again, that speaks to a level of arrogance and it also speaks to an underlying air of racism — point blank, as I’ve pointed out."
Washington, DC tells us the recession is over, when many of us seem to be living through a depression. We hear from politicians at all levels what they are doing for us, when many of us seem to think they are the problem. Americans want to go home again. We remember and long for a simpler time and better place… the land of the free and the home of the brave.
“This is about jobs, it’s about getting people back to work, it’s about bringing this city back into where it feels, once again, like the preeminent entertainment resort on the East Coast."
In preparation for the shore’s busiest season, the region’s business leaders rose bright and early on Wednesday morning, May 11, to attend the third annual “Jersey Shorecast,” an event — sponsored by the Lloyd D. Levenson Institute of Gaming Hospitality & Tourism at The Richard Stockton College — which, attempts to prognosticate the financial success of Atlantic City’s summer season.
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New rules from the DGE eliminate the requirements for table games supervisors such as pit bosses and provide casinos with more flexibility in staffing
Gov. Chris Christie says the bill could have expanded gambling in the state outside of Atlantic City and opposed a provision for a subsidy to the horse-racing industry
This historic press conference for the city of Atlantic City and its people, businesses and civil servants, will take place at 2pm in Atlantic City.
OK, so maybe the lyrics are a little different this time, but the music’s the same. Atlantic City — in fact, this whole region — has a troubling habit of talking a project to death with little to show for all the rhetoric except a pile of newspaper clippings.
The vote is in on several bills that went to the New Jersey State Legislature yesterday (Monday, Nov. 22) involving Atlantic City. First, however, came the news that the primary bill ...
"I get offended when the governor and others advocate that we need an increased police presence on the Boardwalk to create the ‘perception’ that the city is safe, because the reality is that the Boardwalk is safe. But even to address just the ‘perception’ [of the city’s tourists] they advocate more resources. What about the neighborhoods?"
"[B]ills and legislation affecting Atlantic City and the creation of a 'Tourism District' have been fast tracked, and despite promises and assurances to the contrary...."
The mayor spoke about several city-created objectives, which could dovetail with the state plan for the city, as long as the two entities work with each other and communicate better moving forward.
The day after New Jersey Governor Chris Christie sent staffers to visit Atlantic City Mayor Langford, the mayor says he doesn't feel much different about the concerns he raised last week and that the ball is in the governor's court now.
Gov. Chris Christie Wednesday signed legislation to allow for two “Boutique” casinos to be built in Atlantic City. The legislation allows for two casino projects to be built with a minimum of 200 hotel rooms, lower than the 500 now required. Christie says he signed the bill as part of ongoing efforts to spur Atlantic City’s economy and create jobs. “This bill will provide a boost to the engines of Atlantic City and the regional economy, bringing badly needed jobs to the area and signaling the re-emergence of world-class entertainment,” said Christie is a press release. “While this is an important step in meeting our commitment to revitalize Atlantic City as a premier destination resort, we have more work to do in laying the foundation for growth in this critical area of our economy.” Several other measures to help the city are scheduled to be voted on by the state Assembly in coming days including the creation of a state-run tourism district in the city (to be run by the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority), allowing online gaming, limited to state residents, and streamlining casino regulations and oversight. The bill allowing for smaller casinos, S-1866, “revises State law to authorize the Casino Control Commission to issue...
The bills create a CRDA run tourism district encompassing the city's casinos.
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1. American Gaming Guru said... on Jul 21, 2010 at 05:20PM
“It looks like New Jersey finally elected a leader! Well done.”
2. familyguy said... on Jul 21, 2010 at 08:09PM
“i must say this is a well written and very informative story. what a time for atlantic city!”
3. bill said... on Jul 21, 2010 at 09:17PM
““Camden was a city reeling from decades of mismanagement".... sounds like Atlantic City to me. Christie has to do even more and completely clean out city hall.”
4. Anonymous said... on Jul 22, 2010 at 11:49AM
“Neglect and mis managaement have gone on too long. Those of us living in AC have pondered for years why the city looks the way it does after 3 plus decades of gaming. At his point in time, AC should be looking more like S. Beach Miami than a run down ghetto that folks find 'un-safe'. Let's hope that the legislature gets going on this and fast. If horse racing is a dying sport in NJ, so be it. Let's not waste funds trying to prop up a failing business. If there is still like in horse racing in NJ & people want to go to the track, why not close both the Meadowlands and the AC track, build a new, multipurpose track & casino @ bader field? Certainly have the space and easy enough access.”