In a risky move, American Gaming Association President Geoff Freeman lashed out at Atlantic City Mayor Don Guardian, after the latter reiterated his opposition to northern 
New Jersey casinos in a spirited public debate. Hizzoner wasn’t the only skeptic: Resorts Atlantic City President Mark Giannantonio said, “Legislators are asking the residents of this state to change the constitution without even first calling for an economic impact study. That, to me, is appalling.” Atlantic City NAACP prexy Betty Lewis was equally skeptical. “I do not trust our legislators, because when gaming first came to Atlantic City, they were telling us we wouldn’t even have to pay taxes anymore. We can’t depend on their word,” she said.
Guardian conjured up visions of massive traffic jams around the Meadowlands and Jersey City, occasioned by carloads of casino customers. (Meadowlands Regional Chamber CEO Jim Kirkos vigorously disputed the contention.) “You may want the money, but you don’t want the extra commuting time,” said Guardian, who also cited potential social problems: “If you don’t think prostitution and drugs and other minor crimes won’t come along with it, you’re being very foolish,” he said, leaving open the question of whether similar problems aren’t rampant in Atlantic City. After all, Guardian would be in a position. At the moment, he’s scrambling to prepare for a partial civic shutdown that would see City Hall close for a month, and police and firemen working for deferred salaries.
The crisis has been precipitated by a bipartisan stalemate. State Sen. Stephen Sweeney (D) and Gov. Chris Christie (R) want the state to be able to abrogate Atlantic City’s collective-bargaining agreements. Guardian and Speaker of the Assembly Vincent Prieto (D) are hanging tough, insisting this is one concession too many. Unfortunately, Guardian is bargaining from a position of weakness. The state has the bailout money and Guardian needs it. The question is whether they can get anything from Sweeney and Christie before giving way to the inevitable.
Freeman, meanwhile, waded into the debate, issuing a statement that read, “Whether or not Northern New Jersey should have casinos is worthy of a healthy debate. But that 
debate should be based in fact, not driven by asinine comments like those made by Mayor Don Guardian. In every location in which we operate, gaming is a strong and valued community partner. Local leaders – mayors, law enforcement, non-profit executives, small business owners and others – routinely tout the positive social impacts of gaming in cities and towns from coast to coast. It’s disappointing and disingenuous for Mayor Guardian to recycle tired myths about an industry that serves as the lifeblood of his city.”
From Fireman’s rhetoric, you’d think Guardian was trying to push Atlantic City under the bus rather than stem the bleeding. And what does Freeman think of the realism of Paul Fireman‘s proposed $4.6 billion Jersey City casino (top)? At that price tag, Fireman will be lucky to escape Chapter 11, let alone break even. As for Freeman’s frontal assault on Guardian, one wonders how Atlantic City casino owners — Freeman’s constituency — will take to his call for “healthy debate” of what is for them a life-or-death issue.
* “There was so much drama, I usually just try to keep drama out of my life. It’s funny how that just comes to me.” So says Chloe Scordianos, the pride of Hicksville, New York, shrugging off the violent death of Philip Panzica, her partner in public adultery on the Vegas High Roller. From now on, Gondola #16 should be known as the Panzica Memorial Cabin. The tryst meant so little to Scordianos that she didn’t even “friend” Panzica on Facebook. For time being, Texas police haven’t implicated Panzica’s fiancee, Mistie Bozant, in his killing, even though the two shooters left her alive and able to testify against them. I’m sure we haven’t heard the last of this Vegas sexcapade.
* How could a woman fall 15 stories down a laundry chute at The D, with multiple blunt-force trauma, and have it be deemed an “accident”? Unfortunately, Las Vegas Metro has closed the tragic case of Kalli Medina-Brown, so we’ll never know the truth.
