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Is Anybody Out There?

by Roger Gros

Is Anybody Out There?

Sometimes I feel like a voice in the wilderness when good sense abandons our politicians. Then I get a call or an email from our readers assuring me I’m not the only one who feels this way.


Let’s start with the lunacy in Trenton about the bill to “grant” casino employees the right to participate in politics in Atlantic City. This prohibition has been in place since the inception of gaming here. Maybe it was prudent to start with such a safeguard 30 years ago, as casinos had never been legalized outside of Nevada.


But what happened? A mayor went to jail for influence peddling. Corruption was rampant for 25 years. And all that time, casino employees and executives sat on the sidelines.


Fast forward to today. Fresh from yet another scandal, legislators have realized it might help to expand the talent pool, allowing casino employees to run for office. It’s a no-brainer. But there are people who consider casino workers even more despicable than the current crop of city officials. They don’t believe casino employees can comport themselves with integrity and honor, even though the state has already certified, through exhaustive investigation, that they can.


I’ll admit that Atlantic City’s track record up until now hasn’t been great. But government corruption is a result of the very prohibition some people want to keep in place.


The good news is most of the criminals who got elected were caught and punished. So if by some quirk a dishonest casino employee is elected and pursues nefarious activities, I’m sure he or she will be caught and punished as well.


All we ask is that casino employees be treated like other citizens. Give us the chance to make a difference in our own hometown. It’s the only fair and equitable thing to do.


I keep wondering if it can get any worse, but City Council keeps assuring me that it can. The circus council conducted last month in an attempt to sell Bader Field was laughable and disgraceful. Every council member who participated in this farce should be thrown out of office for their failure to understand basic economics and ethics.


One-third of City Council is behind bars for trying to peddle influence over Bader Field! That hasn’t dampened the desire of our current council or state legislators from trying to unload the former airport.


They don’t seem to realize that a) our country and state are in the worst financial environment in any of our lifetimes; and b) real estate and casino developers have been harder hit than anyone. With little money and virtually no access to credit, how can Bader Field be developed? And why is the city trying to sell our most valuable asset when we’ll get the least money for it?


Am I the only one who thinks that we should put Bader Field on the shelf for a few years while this economy shakes out? Where are the voices of reason? Is anybody out there?

Roger Gros is publisher of Casino Connection and Global Gaming Business, a the industry’s leading gaming trade publication. Prior to joining Global Gaming Business, Gros was president of Inlet Communications, an independent consulting firm. He was vice president of Casino Journal Publishing Group from 1984-2000, and held virtually every editorial title during his tenure. Gros was editor of Casino Journal, the National Gaming Summary and the Atlantic City Insider, and was the founding editor of Casino Player magazine. He was a co-founder of the American Gaming Summit and the Southern Gaming Summit conferences and trade shows. He is the author of the best-selling book, How to Win at Casino Gambling (Carlton Books, 1995), now in its third edition. Gros was named “Businessman of the Year” for 1998 by the Greater Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce.