NJ Casino Fight Plays On: Essex County Executive Calls For Compromise

As some New Jersey politicians lock horns over the locations and terms of possible casinos outside of Atlantic City, others are calling for a truce… in the interest of the entire state.

In June, New Jersey lawmakers began to ruminate about creating legislation that could pave the way for the construction of three new casinos outside of Atlantic City, prompting municipal officials and developers across the state to make pitches for their towns and cities.

• See related article: State Could Pave Way For Building New Casinos

But opinions about the locations of the potential new casinos – as well as who gets to run them and how the tax money would be split – have been conflicting.

• See related article: NJ Casino Battle Continues: Mayors Call Sweeny’s Plan ‘Wrong’

On Friday, Essex County Executive Joseph DiVincenzo Jr. issued a statement calling for a compromise in the interest of all New Jersey residents.

“New Jersey is facing a revenue crisis,” DiVincenzo stated in a release. “There’s not enough money to properly maintain our roads, support the Green Acres program, fund the pension system and fund public schools. Casino revenue is not the solution to all of the state’s financial problems, but it will provide funding to support Atlantic City and be a new source of recurring revenue for the state that we need right now.”

According to DiVincenzo, the potential casinos could create about $3 billion worth of construction over the short term, provide thousands of construction jobs and result in 10,000 to 15,000 permanent jobs.

In addition, the new stream of tax revenue that would be collected can be used to support Atlantic City and strengthen New Jersey’s financial position, DiVincenzo stated.

“All of our neighbors – Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Delaware – are light years ahead of New Jersey and we are losing valuable revenue because our residents are traveling across state lines for this entertainment,” the county executive asserted. “If we fail to put aside our differences and don’t act now, New Jersey will never be able to compete in this region. The gridlock over the competing plans for casinos in Northern New Jersey is not good for the people of our state. It’s time for both our Senate President and Assembly Speaker to come to the table and work out a compromise instead of turning the casino debate into a political issue. This is not a Northern Jersey vs. Southern Jersey issue – it should be about doing what is best for New Jersey.”

File photo by TaxRebate.org.uk via flickr