U-bama Street Team Hits Atlantic City Saturday, Aug 30 2008

   Barry Hussein U-bama is looking to garner support in Atlantic City.   Conservatives should prepare to be away from the area on 6 September.  The following information is taken from Mr. U-bama’s web-site.

Atlantic City for Change (Canvass)
On Saturday, September 6th, Barack Obama’s Campaign for Change in Atlantic City will be going door-to-door to register voters and recruit more volunteers. Sign up for this event and more details will come shortly.
Date: Saturday, September 6 at 9:30 AM, 1:00 PM
Duration: 7 hours
Host: Theodore Fetter
Location: Atlantic City for Change (Atlantic City, NJ) 
Associated Groups: Jersey Shore for Obama

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City Council Set To Facilitate the Theft of Atlantic City Businesses Friday, Aug 29 2008

   We received the following message from our friends with the Stop Eminent Domain Abuse Coalition of New Jersey.  New development is great for Atlantic City.  Pinnacle’s promised casino development will bring new life to the Boardwalk, boast our economy, and provide many jobs.  But at what cost will Atlantic City enjoy this prosperity?

   City Council is prepared to authorize eminent domain on behalf of Pinnacle Entertainment at 3 September’s Council meeting.  Eminent domain was developed to ensure that roads, schools, and other public projects can be completed.  Eminent domain, like so many political institutions in New Jersey, has become corrupted.  Governing bodies, such as Atlantic City’s Council, use eminent domain to take property from one private person and give it to another private person.  Eminent domain for private gain is theft and goes against the fundamental nature of government. 

   Let City Council and Mayor Scott Evans know that that you object to the so-called “legal” involuntary transfer of property from one private person to another.

Mayor Scott Evans, 609.347.5400, sevans@cityofatlanticcity.org

Councilmen At-Large:

   George Tibbitt, 609.347.5241, gtibbitt@cityofatlanticcity.org
   John Schultz, 609.347.5243, jschultz@cityofatlanticcity.org
   Eugene Robinson, 609.347.6491, erobinson@cityofatlanticcity.org

Ward Councilmen:

6th – Tim Mancuso, 609.347.5238, tmancuso@cityofatlanticcity.org
5th – Dennis Mason, 609.347.5233, dmason@cityofatlanticcity.org
4th – William Marsh, 609.347.5242, wmarsh@cityofatlanticcity.org
3rd – Steven Moore, 609.347.5230, smoore@cityofatlanticcity.org
2nd – Marty Small, 609.347.5231, msmall@cityofatlanticcity.org
1st – G. Bruce Ward, 609.347.5232, bward@cityofatlanticcity.org 

         Atlantic City Property Owners Need Your Help!
 
Friends:

On Wednesday, September 3, the City Council of Atlantic City will decide whether to designate businesses and homes in a 24-acre area around the former Sands Casino as “in need of redevelopment,” in order to seize the properties and transfer them to Pinnacle Entertainment for a new casino.?

Quang Ha owns a jewelry store right next to the developer’s lot. In the 1980s, his small factory in Hanoi was seized and he was imprisoned because the communists didn’t like that he was making money.  Quang fled Vietnam, and after a treacherous journey, finally made it to the United States.  After years of hard work and learning the trade, he opened his own business – one that the government couldn’t seize.  Or so he thought.

If the city votes to designate his property as “in need of redevelopment,” it may be seized so that a rich developer can build a casino and make money on Quang’s land.  We can’t let the city destroy Quang’s American Dream!

Before the City Council meeting on Wednesday, we are holding a rally to show our support for Quang and the other threatened property owners in the area, and to send a message to those in power that we will not tolerate eminent domain for private gain.  Here are the details:

RALLY to Stop Eminent Domain for Private Casino’s Gain
September 3, 2008 @ 4pm
1301 Bacharach Boulevard
Atlantic City, NJ
City Council meeting to follow at 5pm.

We would love for you to join us!  But if you can’t, we need help getting the word out.  If your Labor Day travels take you to Atlantic City or if you live nearby, would you be willing to pass out flyersabout the rally over the weekend?  We can have them shipped to you, or e-mail you a PDF that you can print and copy yourself.  Please let us know as soon as possible.

Let’s help save Quang’s American Dream and those of his neighbors and property owners across the Garden State.

Best,

Christina Walsh
Director of Community Organization
Institute for Justice
901 N. Glebe Road, Suite 900
Arlington, VA 22203
(703) 682-9320
www.ij.org
www.castlecoalition.org

___________________________________________________________________
STOP EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE COALITION of NJ

Spread the word!

http://www.stopeda.org

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Republican Assemblymen Support Revel Borrowing Atlantic City’s Credit Rating Friday, Aug 29 2008

AMODEO AND POLISTINA: WHERE IS WHELAN?

With the $2 billion Revel casino and hotel project in jeopardy, Assemblymen John Amodeo and Vince Polistina question why Senator Jim Whalen has been silent on the issue.

“For a guy who keeps pushing for more state influence in Atlantic City, Senator Whelan has been strangely silent on the city’s efforts to facilitate the development of the Revel project and the petition drive to stop it,” said Polistina. “When the city passed the ordinance, John and I applauded the city’s efforts. When the petition started circulating, John and I immediately said the petition was ill-advised. The state senator from this district should not remain silent when a $2 billion investment in our local economy is at risk.”

“Revel will employ 5,000 people once they complete construction. Why put those jobs at risk? People are looking for work right now,” said Amodeo. “With the gaming competition from other states, the constant threat of VLTs, the delay of the Pinnacle project, and the general economic climate, we should be looking for ways to spur economic development, not delay it.”

Earlier this month, Atlantic City Council passed a $56 million bond ordinance to help with road improvements around the Revel casino and hotel project. Recently, a petition was submitted to the city calling for a voter referendum on the ordinance. The assemblymen said the referendum jeopardizes the casino and hotel project.

“The pattern of Whelan’s failure to stand up [for] workers is disturbing,” Polistina said, referring to Whelan’ s inaction during the state’s 2006 shutdown which closed Atlantic City’s 12 casinos and forced 36,000 casino employees out of work. “After being excoriated – to the point of being labeled as ‘incompetent’ and a ‘coward’ by former Senator Gormley- for his failure to stand up for the industry, Whelan ought to be more vocal now in protecting people’s jobs.”

“Two Republican assemblymen have joined with six Democrat city council members to do what’s right for the working people of our area,” said Amodeo. “There should be a bi-partisan effort to fight for these jobs. It’s just a shame that the senator has not joined the fight.”

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The Boss Sings Atlantic City Friday, Aug 29 2008

   Here is a great recording of the song with our town’s name.

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Atlantic City and the Development of Blackjack Friday, Aug 29 2008

   Signals: Counting in Blackjack reports How Atlantic City Became Top Gambling Destination:

Resorts International opened in Atlantic City in 1978, the first legal East Coast casino in the twentieth century. Their four- and six-deck blackjack offered a new form of surrender, dubbed by card counters as “early surrender,” since the casino allowed players to surrender half a bet even when the dealer showed an ace or 10 up, and before the dealer checked for a blackjack. This rule gave basic strategy players a small edge over the house right off the top, without any card counting whatsoever! And the advantage to card counters was even greater. From opening day, card counters had a field day at Resorts’ tables. Ironically, as word spread through the gambling community that card counters found the Resorts’ blackjack game to be the most lucrative game for players in the country, gamblers from all over the world – most of whom knew nothing about basic strategy or card counting – flocked to their tables. And, ironically, Resorts International was soon the most profitable casino in history, winning an average of $650,000 per day.

A team of professional blackjack players whose founders were from Czechoslovakia that had been playing in Las Vegas flew all of their members to Atlantic City to take advantage of this new surrender rule. This team, which later became known in the casino industry as simply the Czech Team, found the Resorts’ game to their liking and stayed for months.

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Atlantic City Historical Photograph Friday, Aug 29 2008

This photograph is courtesy of Shorpy’s Page.   Support his work of presenting historical photographs from the last one hundred years.  This photograph is from 1912.

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Bob McDevitt Gives Voters a Say In Revel Bonding Thursday, Aug 28 2008

   Harry Hurley’s web-site and radio show served as the forum for Bob McDevitt to deliver the impressive results of his petition drive.  Mr. McDevitt used his union’s clout to collect approximately three times the necessary signatures to stall the Revel bonding ordinance.  Voters will now have the ability to decide for themselves if Revel should receive preferential treatment from the city, or if they have to raise capital in the private, free market.

   HarryHurley.net reports:

Statement From Bob McDevitt On Submission of Referendum Petition on Ordinance 59

Today, Local 54 submitted a petition to the City Clerk of Atlantic City calling for a referendum on Ordinance 59.  The response from the people of the Resort has been overwhelming, and we have submitted far in excess of the required number of signatures needed to send this Ordinance to a vote of the people.  People from every neighborhood, Ward and District of Atlantic City have sent a message that they want to vote on City Council’s and the Mayor’s decision to negotiate an agreement to provide municipal bond financing to a casino. Now the residents of Atlantic City will decide whether this should be the priority for our local government.

Mr. McDevitt is to applauded for leading and turning in the needed signatures for this referendum petition.  We questioned Mr. McDevitt’s motives and speculated that he was merely bluffing with the petition.  We were wrong. 

   Now, Atlantic City residents have a chance to vote “no” on this so-called public/private partnership.  This Atlantic City resident looks forward to telling Revel to find its own financing.  Public bond financing is for public projects, not Revel’s business venture.

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Pinnacle’s Promises Steal Property Tuesday, Aug 26 2008

   RGT Online reports:

ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey — As reported by the Press of Atlantic City: “The chairman of Pinnacle Entertainment Inc. reassured New Jersey gaming regulators Thursday that his company remains serious about building a new casino, despite uncertainty about the financing and timing of the project.

Pinnacle can promise the sky, but until they begin construction ulterior motives will be suspected.  Pinnacle’s promises have resulted in Atlantic City’s planning board declaring perfectly functioning businesses as “blighted.”  Respect for property rights has been thrown out the window for the mere promise that a mega-casino will be built.  City government has employed eminent domain for private gain.

   Until 1948 no private property could be taken through eminent domain except for public purposes, explains Seth Grossman, Executive Director of Liberty and Prosperity.  New Jersey’s 1948 constitution added the under-defined “blight” as another justification for government to take people’s property through eminent domain.  “Blight” opened the door for New Jersey to add “in need of economic development.   If government thinks that you are not using your property to its full potential, they can take your property and give it to someone they feel would use it better.

    City government has used eminent domain to help Pinnacle obtain a very attractive plot of boardwalk real estate. 

“…Pinnacle has assembled a development site of more than 20 acres, including where the Sands stood before it was imploded last fall to make room for the proposed casino. In response to questions from the CCC, Lee stressed the company has no plans to sell the land…”

Pinnacle is using the following excuse to explain why no construction has begun.

“…Tight credit markets that have made it difficult and expensive to borrow money have put Pinnacle’s project in a holding pattern.

Government should uphold property rights.  The primacy of property rights has been the strength of America.  The people need to demand that the importance of private property be restored.  Mere promises should never justify the legalized theft of private property.

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Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School’s 100th Anniversary Friday, Aug 22 2008

Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School’s
100th Anniversary Celebration

“Reaching For The Stars”

Saturday, November 15, 2008
at
The Atlantic City Convention Center
One Miss America Way, Atlantic City, New Jersey

5pm – Mass    6pm – Reception    7pm – Dinner Dance

$65 per person
(Tables of 10 Available)

Ticket / Ad Book / Donation Order Form ( MS Word document)

Silent Star Committee (MS Word document)

Sweatshirt/t-shirt Order Form (requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)

Directions to new Convention Center (MS Word document)

Atlantic City Accommodations Information

email:   OLSS100thReunion@aol.com

   Our Lady Star of the Sea Regional School is the only Catholic school remaining in Atlantic City.  Your support is greatly appreciated and continues to supplement the poor quality of public education in Atlantic City.

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Tropicana’s Casino Promotes Communist Dictator Friday, Aug 22 2008

   Al Garrett’s efforts to remove the statue honoring a murdering Communist thug from Tropicana’s premier shopping center are featured by prominent blogger Michelle Malkin.

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