Atlantic City Weekly

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When you write a newspaper column, you tend to get feedback from readers who either agree or disagree with you. That goes with the territory. The more opinionated you are in the column, the more polarized the reactions will be. My recent columns in favor of Atlantic City's stalled needle exchange program and the rights of gays to marry certainly stirred up some controversy. While most of the feedback I received on the gay marriage piece was in accord with my views (see page 12), I did get one letter in opposition. My exchange with that letter writer follows:

Mr. Epifanio,

For the second week in a row I have been in completely disturbed by your "Editor's Letter." I have no idea when this became a soap box for your outrageous liberal views, but I for one want no part of it. Most people I know are not for gay marriage or for needle exchange ... it makes one wonder what cause you will take up next week!

Maybe a disclaimer is in order, such as "the advertisers do not necessarily agree with my liberal editorials," or maybe just don't write a political editorial at all. At the very least, have a conservative counter opinion. You have a right to believe what you wish, but as an advertiser, I do not feel comfortable with these editorials when I have helped pay for the paper to be printed.

I grew up with the Whoot, and remember it as a fun, entertainment paper ... not as a liberal activist paper. Please have an ad rep. call me. I will not remain an advertiser if this continues.

Regards, Barbara Brown
The British Connection, LLC

Barbara, I welcome your opinion. I know when I write my op-ed columns that there will be people who disagree. I just hope to make people think. While these two columns could be perceived as "liberal activism," many of my columns in the past have been described as "too conservative." My pro-individual, anti-big-government views may sometimes be confused for liberal viewpoints one week and conservative the next.

I'm glad you have such fond memories of the Whoot and I can assure you that its successor, Atlantic City Weekly, has not become a "liberal activist paper." If the opinions expressed on one of our 112 pages have moved you to reconsider advertising with us, that's a shame. I appreciate the fact that you have invested your hard-earned dollars in advertising with Atlantic City Weekly. I hope you have gotten a good response from those ads. I hope that you continue to advertise with us so that you can continue to get a good return on that investment.

You have every right to express your opinion and I encourage you to do so.

Sorry, but I do not believe you are "just trying to make people think" as you put it.

Your tone in your columns has been that if one thinks as you do, you are intelligent and enlightened, if not, you are simply a caveman who hasn't a clue. You are very condescending in your tone. Don't you see that this deeply offends the people who disagree? Your editorials simply do not belong in an entertainment paper, it is inappropriate.

The fact that you chose to champion needle exchange on the Fourth of July is outrageous, the founding Fathers are spinning in their graves! Shame on you as an American. You claim to believe in limited government and personal responsibility. My hard-earned dollars going to a bunch of junkies for needles is not limited government and personal responsibility. Do you really believe that giving people needles, paid for by tax dollars, to conduct their ILLEGAL drug use encourages people to be personally responsible for themselves?

I also find ads for strip clubs and massage parlors offensive, which are in your paper every week. The difference is that I do believe in limited government and personal responsibility and most importantly free enterprise. On the other hand, if the AC Weekly starts writing editorials to the effect that you are stupid if you don't go and have a massage by a prostitute or go for a lap dance, that is a different story.

As far as my continuing with advertising in the Weekly, I have not yet decided. I am hoping that your editorials are more of a positive note, more information than lecture, and without bias or unwanted opinion.

I suppose the next few weeks will tell the tale.

Barbara, you've made some excellent points. I think the founding fathers would be thrilled with our spirited debate, not spinning in their graves. As far as the needle exchange program not jibing with my views on limited government, you're correct. I erred in my judgement when I supported the program in its current form and I thank you for calling me on it. While I do believe that state law should not prohibit the needle exchange programs in Camden and Atlantic City, I agree that taxpayer dollars shouldn't pay for them; they should be funded by private donations. I feel compelled to reiterate my stance that needle exchange programs don't encourage drug users to continue their behavior, they simply help to stem the spread of a deadly disease. Thanks, Barbara.

Wagner Takes helm at Colony's Casino Div.

It was announced yesterday (July 6) that Roger P. Wagner has been named Chief Operating Officer of Resorts International Holdings Inc., the casino division of Colony Capital LLC. Colony owns Resorts and the Hilton here in AC as well as the Las Vegas Hilton, Resorts East Chicago, Resorts Tunica and Bally's Tunica. Wagner spent a good portion of his 33 years in the casino business at the helm of Trump Castle and the Claridge. Most recently, Wagner served as chief operating officer of Horseshoe Gaming, from 1998 until the company was sold to Harrah's Entertainment last year. Wagner will oversee all of Colony's casino properties and his hiring shouldn't affect the leadership of the company's two Atlantic City properties. By all accounts, Audrey Oswell has performed exceptionally well as Resorts Atlantic City's president and CEO. In May, shortly after Colony's acquisition of the AC Hilton was complete, the company announced the hiring of local casino veteran Anthony Rodio to serve as president of that property. Oswell and Rodio will report to Wagner, who will manage the company's casino operations from its new corporate headquarters in Las Vegas. While I only met Wagner once (in the Bahamas of all places), his reputation for being a down-to-earth, community-connected leader precedes him. If you ask anyone who ever worked under him at the Castle or Claridge, I'm sure they'd say the same. This announcement bodes well for Resorts, Hilton and all of Atlantic City.