Uncategorized 5:00 pm
We are sailing back to a regular blogging schedule.
Between moving in to a home and vacation I have been quite busy and without Internet access. We are currently re-tooling and will be back in the next few days with a lot of local election coverage.
Thank you for your readership.
Casino Gaming and Non-Political AC Continental, Atlantic City Poker Tournaments, Jennifer Shahade, The Pier at Caesars 4:56 pm
Every one knows that Atlantic City is a Casino city. Yet many locals neglect what visitors travel for miles to enjoy here.
Jennifer Shahade blogs a little window in to one person’s trip to Atlantic City for a Poker tournament.
My boyfriend and I arrived in Atlantic City for our post Labor Day vacation just before the height of Hanna’s aftermath rage on the Northeast. We dropped off our bags at the Borgata, took the jitney to the Boardwalk, and then sprinted through the storm to arrive at the Piers Ceaser [sic], a ritzy new mall with floor to ceiling windows. Pockets of people watched as huge waves crashed right into the glass, scary and surreal. We sat in the AC Continental, an offshoot of a trendy Philly restaurant and ordered wasabi mashed potatoes and drinks. Our waiter gave us a pitcher of martini for the price of just one. The sloshing and the splashing was good for an apocalyptic high.
Her post continues with details of her poker tournament. Ms. Shahade even shares some poker strategies. I encourage you to read her brief and enjoyable posts on Atlantic City.
Atlantic City and Mayoral Race and Political Atlantic City Crime, Earl Robinson, John McQueen Jr., Peggy Mitchell, The Big Fix 9:42 am
|
TRUTH OF THE MATTER John McQueen for ATLANTIC CITYVote John McQueen for Mayor November 4th!THE EDGE OF ACCEPTABLE SOCIETY
Right now, right here in Atlantic City, we have a crime epidemic that’s beyond unacceptable and approaching chaotic. The victims and perpetrators are getting younger and no neighborhood is really safe. Many of our young people carry guns because they think it’s cool, then there are those who actually intend to commit crimes, and some, believe it or not, carry a weapon just for the sake of protection. In either case, this is just plain scary and makes for a dangerous community. City’s rate per capita is close to 4 times the national average and we have approximately 3 times the state average of people living below the poverty line. For a Billion Dollar Gaming Resort, we have a lot of deprived, underprivileged and disadvantaged citizens. Oh, let’s not forget about the cloud of corruption that hangs over our City Council either. Don’t get me wrong, I said “a cloud of corruption”, which means the perception of corruption. I am not accusing the Council Members of corruption. I would like to believe that our current are people of character and integrity and can be trusted to serve with our best interest in mind. However, when people think a thing is bad, in their minds and from their point of view, IT’S BAD.
Next, The 7th Floor. Since 2005 Atlantic City has had 3 Mayors, 1 and 1 guy Acting As Mayor (because he said the missing Mayor said so). That’s 5 different people, supposedly overseeing the day to day operations of our City within the last 3 years. Well, one word comes to mind here, and that word is INSTABILITY. So here we are, the 2008 election and this is not the time to move backwards. The problems we have didn’t arrive overnight; they’ve been around for awhile. If we don’t stand up, speak up, and deliver the right message on , how can we expect or even deserve a better place to live? We owe it to ourselves. It’s time to move forward, it’s time to get our house in order. We’ve had enough of the scandals, we’ve had enough of the lawsuits, we’ve had enough of the political in-fighting and we’ve had enough of the disappointments. We’ve just plain had enough. In the upcoming weeks and throughout the month of October, you will see and hear more and more political advertisements. A former Mayor is going to tell you how great he was when he was at City Hall. DON’T BE FOOLED. You will hear how Atlantic Citybecame a better place because he was “In Charge”. DON’T BELIEVE IT. He and his friends are going to do everything they can to convince you to give him a job. DON’T DO IT. Someone once said “you don’t have to lie if you’re crafty with the truth”. In other words, when it comes to Lorenzo T. Langford, DON’T BE FOOLED, DON’T BELIEVE IT and DON’T DO IT. The plain truth of the matter is THIS IS A CITY IN CRISIS and the last thing we need is a Mayor claiming to “Restore Good Government” (one law suite [sic] at a time mind you) while riding the coattails of the . Sincerely, John McQueen Mayoral Candidate Atlantic City, NJ. Democratic PartyElection DayActing Mayorelected officialsviolent / property crimeAtlantic
|
Atlantic City and Atlantic City's Legislated Monopolies and Casino Gaming and Political and Press of AC Assemblyman John Amodeo, Assemblyman John Burzichelli, Assemblyman Vincent Polistina, Columbia Sussex, Local 54, Press of Atlantic City, Senator James Whelan, UAW Atlantic City 6:24 pm
On September 15 Assembly Bill 3122was reported out of the Assembly Tourism and Gaming Committee. A3122 would allow casino employees to run for elected office in Atlantic City. Atlantic City’s Assemblyman Vince Polistina is a member of that Committee. Asm. Polistina is a co-sponsor of A3122.
The Press of Atlantic City published an editorial in support of A3122. They summarize the situation as follows:
A state Assembly committee has taken an important step toward expanding the pool of people who can hold elective office in Atlantic City. The rest of the Legislature should follow suit.
Current state law prohibits elected city officials from being employed by a casino. The effect of that ban has been to make nearly a third of the resort’s adult population ineligible to hold city office. They would have to give up their livelihoods to pursue public service.
A bill (A-3122) sponsored by Assemblyman John Burzichelli, D-Gloucester, Salem, Cumberland, would lift that prohibition. It would also allow a small exemption in the state ban against casino employees making political contributions at the state and local levels. Under Burzichelli’s bill, casino employees could contribute to their own campaigns for city office.
Under the current law casino employees are not able to run for municipal offices in Atlantic City. Lawmakers did not want such a large employer to exert undue influence on the political process. Yet Local 54 employees are able to run for elected office. The union can also effectively influence the casino licensing process, as they so successfully did with Columbia Sussex and Tropicana.
District 2 legislators, Assemblymen Vince Polistina and John Amodeo and Senator James Whelan are all trying to restore the rights of casino employees to run for elected office. While I am torn on the issue, there is an inherent unfairness that Local 54 and UAW employees can run for elected office, but not casino employees. Casino employees running for office will also help to challenge the existing structures and coalitions of corruption in Atlantic City government.
Atlantic City and Mayoral Race and Political Earl Robinson, John McQueen Jr., Joseph Polillo, Lorenzo Langford 12:38 pm
We received the following letter from John McQueen, Republican candidate for Atlantic City’s Mayor. We also welcome submissions and updates from Joe Polillo, Independent candidate, and Lorenzo Langford, Democrat candidate.
KNOW BETTER, DESERVE BETTER
John McQueen for ATLANTIC CITY
Vote John McQueen for Mayor November 4th!
WILLFUL IGNORANCEPolitics are about influence & rhetoric, debates are about position & rhetoric, speeches are about image & rhetoric and then there’s the sound bite which is about “the moment” & rhetoric. With all this rhetorical commentary, with the impressive language and action words and political sermons; we often loose the essence of the Candidate. Next we find ourselves voting for a personality instead of a public official. Sometimes this process is highly successful, sometimes it’s an absolute failure and sometimes or should I say most of the time; we have no idea at all what’s really going-on until there’s a scandal or worse. However, the process always works. It works because we get exactly who we vote for.Why am I running for Mayor? Because I CARE AND IT’S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.I believe that in a Mayoral election such as ours, there is one question that offers a true and defining perspective of the Candidates. The question is why. Why are you running for Mayor? It’s a question that doesn’t require some long, dragged out answer filled with excuses, empty promises and of course, RHETORIC. Now with that said; why am I running for Mayor?
Let’s begin with why I would not run for Mayor. I WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I’m unemployed and it’s the last job I’ve had. I WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I have something to prove to my political rivals and a possible means to avenge previous attacks and opposition. I WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR KNOWING at my core and in my heart of hearts that I lack the leadership and conviction to be worthy of such an honor. I WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR WITH a reputation of associating with crooks, criminals and bad people.
I WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR WHEN IT’S EVIDENT THAT I was a mediocre Mayor once before and can convince people otherwise by manipulating information and taking credit for things I had little to do with or in some cases nothing to do with. I WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR THINKING I can take for granted the Citizens of
Sincerely,
John McQueen
Mayoral Candidate
Atlantic City while claiming “I deserve a 2nd chance”. AND I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT RUN FOR MAYOR BECAUSE I owe money and desperately need the salary. Now, I’m not passing judgement on anyone in particular, that’s for you to do on . I’m just telling you what I WOULD NOT DO. Atlantic City, NJ.
Election Day
Over the next few weeks John McQueen will address issues and concerns that affect our community. As always your thoughts are valued, your comments welcomed, your suggestions appreciated and your support makes all the difference.mcqueen4mayor@yahoo.com and feel free to share this page with everyone (especially Atlantic City residents).
Please address all correspondence to
mcqueen4mayor@yahoo.com and be sure to share this page with everyone (especially Atlantic City residents).
Campaign donations can be mailed to McQUEEN FOR MAYOR P.O. BOX 7327 ATLANTIC CITY, NJ. 08404Let’s move forward not backward.
AC City Council and Atlantic City and Atlantic City Taxes and Political Councilman Dennis Mason, Councilman George Tibbitt, Councilman William "Speedy" Marsh, Michael Clark 5:15 pm
Michael Clark reports today a portion of the proceedings from last night’s City Council meeting:
It was a crash that everyone saw coming, but no one applied the brakes.
That is how City Council President William Marsh on Wednesday described the city’s collective response to a property revaluation that should have been done in the Reagan era.
The administration and City Council, “we all need to accept a part” of the blame for residents’ panic and anger over the spike in new tax bills they recently received, Marsh said.
Mr. Clark chooses well his words when saying, “It was a crash that everyone saw coming, but no one applied the brakes.” He is right on. There was a chance to take a respite from the government spending festival. City government saw the chance to stop budget increases and drove right past the chance on the “moving the city forward” street.
I remember attending all of the re-valuation town meetings. They were held in three different locations, for the First and Second, Third and Fourth, and Fifth and Sixth Wards. The common refrain from both meetings held at each site was, “we are scared. Lower our taxes and cut the budget.”
Mayor Scott Evans responded to citizens by stating he would do everything he could to lower spending and propose a sound budget. Once the Mayor was back in his office and not in front of an angry town meeting crowd, he proposed a budget just shy of $205 million. Mayor Evans’ proposed budgetary solution to the imminent property re-valuation was to increase the budget 6%.
City Council was aware of the fear that people will have to leave their houses due to higher taxes resulting from their new property valuations. Different Councilmen expressed their self-proclaimed vigilance on behalf of property taxpayers. City Council was not going to continue with the usual process of near-perpetual budget increases. City Council was really going to act this time to cushion the blow of the property re-valuation. At least that is what they said.
There was one glimmer of hope. Councilmen Dennis Mason and George Tibbitt told public safety departments that they would not receive the full increases in funding they desired. Both Councilmen stressed their solidarity with public safety, but also stressed that the taxpayers simply could not afford the increases that those departments desired. The handful of fiscal conservatives left in Atlantic City argue that those Councilmen did not cut enough, but we are thankful for the little bone we were thrown.
City Council lessened Mayor Evans’ desired 6% increase and settled for 4%. After all of the talk about city government standing side-by-side the property owners, they quietly passed an increased budget. City Council and the Mayor did not give property owners a break. Not even in the year of the re-valuation.
The surprising part is not that city government added insult to injury by raising the budget the same year as a long overdue re-valuation was conducted. Fiscal irresponsibility has a long-standing heritage in Atlantic City. The surprising part is how well taxpayers have taken the one, two punch (budget increase and re-valuation). Today’s Press of Atlantic City is one of the few mentions of public unrest over their increased tax bills.
City government missed their chance to lower the budget, or at least hold it steady, during the year of the re-valuation. It is bad that city government does not cut spending. It is worse that taxpayers have been conditioned and are not outraged by the behemoth city budget.
Uncategorized Absentee Ballots, Atlantic County Republicans, David Callaway, ElectionJournal, Jihad Callaway, Keith Davis, Lorenzo Langford, Marcus Wilson, Republican National Committee 11:04 pm
It will be interesting to see what effect absentee ballots have on November’s elections. Atlantic City’s experience with absentee and special absentee messenger ballots are notorious. Thanks to Atlantic City’s corrupt absentee ballot machines the Republican National Committee added a party plank to address the issue at the behest of Atlantic County Republican Chairman, Keith Davis. The plank reads:
“We support efforts by state and local election officials to ensure integrity in the voting process and to prevent voter fraud and abuse, particularly as it relates to voter registration and absentee ballots.”
At the very least, the absentee ballot efforts will provide some entertainment.
In scoping out YouTube I found two videos illustrating a literal battle from the absentee ballot war in June’s Democrat Mayoral primary. ElectionJournal posted a video entitled ”Street Politics AC Style – Jumped, Robbed and Impersonated.” Here is the interview with Lorenzo Langford supporter Marcus Wilson.
ElectionJournal.org also features a video interview with David Callaway the day of the June primary election. In it, Mr. Callaway vows “We have a grassroots organization. And no matter what they do, we are going to always continue to get these people to vote.”
Enjoy!
Uncategorized Atlantic County, Atlantic County Cartoons, Corbin City, Egg Harbor Township, Hammonton 4:41 pm
Atlantic City is located in Atlantic County. Atlantic City dominates the headlines. But, there are many fascinating areas and aspects of Atlantic County. Atlantic County Cartoons … and other stuff gives a fantastic summary of the areas of the County- although we do not share in the depictions of area politicians, except Atlantic City. He is spot-on about the knuckleheads we enjoy in Atlantic City.
Atlantic City receives a couple mentions. First,
Atlantic County is a county of contrasts. On the eastern side, we have Atlantic City, population 40,368 (not counting tourists, suburbanite commuters, and jitneys).
On the western side, we have Hammonton, population 12,604 (not counting migrant workers, blueberry bushes, and religious statuaries).
Between these extremes, shades and flavors of both can be found. For instance, the blink-and-you-miss-it splendor that is Corbin City, our southernmost municipality, has a population of 520. Egg Harbor Township, the bane of Census-takers since the 1990s, has a population of 30,000 32,000 36,000 39,000 (ah, screw it … who knows anymore?).
Second,
There’s more to Atlantic City than casinos, beaches, and the homeless. The city also boasts some of the fanciest marble-type curbs I’ve ever seen on any public thoroughfare. And while you might think that Atlantic City’s historic reputation as a bastion of governmental corruption and greed would be an embarrassment to the regional populace, nothing could be further from the truth! We love to tune in and see what kind of crazy shenanigans the city council will get involved with next … from sex-tape scandals, to disappearing mayors … the storyline always keeps us guessing.
I strongly encourage you to read the entire post, “All About Atlantic County.”
Uncategorized Bob McDevitt, Faulkner Act Government, Liberty and Prosperity, Local 54, NJSA 40:49-27, NJSA 40:69A-185, Office of Legislative Services, Press of Atlantic City, Revel Entertainment, Rosemary Adams, Senator James Whelan, Seth Grossman 4:45 pm
Say what you will about Local 54 President, Bob McDevitt’s motivations, he orchestrated a successful petition to block the city ordinance granting Revel Entertainment special financing rates. The Local 54 foot soldiers obtained well more than the needed signatures to halt Revel’s borrowing through the government. New Jersey state statutes clearly indicate the following, as referenced by Seth Grossman in his recent essay:
“Two state laws give Atlantic City voters the right to block local ordinances by petition. NJSA 40:49-27. lets voters in any town block any ordinance which incurs debt. NJSA 40:69A-185 lets voters in ‘Faulkner Act’ towns like Atlantic City block ‘any ordinance.’ The petitions must be signed by 15% of the people who voted in the most recent election for State Assembly.
[...]
“By the way, the headline in our daily newspaper, ‘Local 54’s petition on Revel roads dies in Atlantic City’ was wrong. Only a Superior Court judge can declare that the petition is no good. City Clerk Rosemarie Adams does not have that power. Neither does the City Solicitor, nor the unnamed official in the state’s Office of Legislative Service who wrote a letter to Senator Jim Whelan. Each of the 3,000 voters can file a lawsuit to force the City Clerk to do her job-again. However, they must act within 45 days of September 5.”
Let the people have their vote City Council. Let the people have their vote Office of Legislative Services, District 2 elected officials, City Clerk, and Press of Atlantic City. The people should have the opportunity to voice their opinion on multi-million dollar borrowing that draws on their credit rating.
| atlantic-city.org … on The Atlantic City Democrats… | |
| The RHU is now built… on Atlantic City Property Re-Val:… | |
 | American Gaming Guru on Pinky Kravitz Featured in New … |
 | dave202 on Absentee Ballot Update |
 | gjc4343 on Absentee Ballot Update |
