Your public servants’ real priorities

Ray Lesniak

A bill sponsored by two Democrats, Jim Whelan and Ray Lesniak, would give Atlantic City casinos a $25 million a year tax break. At the expense of  low income seniors’ drug program, PAAD, and other social programs like transportation for the elderly and disabled, say analysts. The bill, scheduled for a Senate vote today, largely eliminates the duties of the state Casino Control Commission. But my colleague Jason Method reports it also has a part that applies to coupons for free gambling and other promotions given to gamblers. The bottom line is the casinos get a big tax break. James Wortman, a former A.C. casino executive now part of a gaming think tank at the University of Houston, thinks the bill stinks because of the sad shape the state’s economy is in. “I’m sure the state has no financial problems at all, right?” Wortman said. “Why are they acquiescing to the casinos to eliminate that? I thought the Democrats and Republicans in the statehouse were supposed to look out for the citizens, not the casinos.”

Guess he wasn’t paying attention to Trenton when he worked in New Jersey. That’s not all.

Method reports Carl Zeitz, a former member of the Casino Control Commission, said that Pennsylvania taxes its casinos, in total, at more than half of their revenue, while New Jersey charges the 8 percent. He says even so, those Pennsylvania casinos are able to beat the Atlantic City casinos for customers because they have a better business plan.

Casinos elsewhere have a business plan. The ones in A.C. apparently look to their buddies in Trenton, like Lesniak and Whelan, who are happy to give them more tax breaks even if it hurts the disabled and seniors.



About Bob Ingle


12 Responses to Your public servants’ real priorities

  1. tbwary says:


    The key element you mention is a having a business plan.
    Incentives are fine when you are encouraging start up capital or expansion. To award tax breaks due to poor management and planning is counter productive.

    Being NJ I would look into the ties that these two might have with the Casinos as well as what campaign contributions they might have received.

    What I also don’t know is what the benefit to AC or the people of NJ this bill would promote. In a simple word, “Why”?

  2. Nellcote says:

    I am under the impression this is exactly the type of thing our Governor is looking for with the State takeover of AC. And if it’s not, wont he just veto it?

  3. BS says:

    We as citizens of NJ have a vested interest in the health of the Casino industry, that industry is one of the largest employers in the State and the money taken from the Casinos is funneled to projects all over the State mostly in North Jersey in the political corruption zones. We need to keep AC strong and helathy to keep New Jerseyans employed and to keep that money flowing around the State, if this move will do that so be it.

  4. Casimir68 says:

    You are wrong. The northern counties pay the most tax and receive the least return. AC is a dead man floating. NJ will only be able to prop it up for a short amount of time before the madness ends due to taxpayer demands.
    Since gambling started, AC has received over a $billion. Where did it go?
    Not north.

  5. Young Buck says:

    Anything that srews over Seniors, I support!

  6. simon says:

    @ BS-
    AC is a joke. Always has been, always will be. let it die. Why are the 2 biggest employers in the state such a drain on the econmy? (Government, AC).

  7. Iceneedle says:

    Funny thing about the Casino Commission, their salary budget is far larger than their advertising budget. Why would that happen? Simply put, the casino commision does not have a clue on how to bring people to Atlantic City Casinos.

    Why would our legislators give the industry a break? Well let me see, last week was the League of Municipaloies convention. The afore named senators went to a few after hour parties, and voila, they saw the light of day. Of course, money helps a lot as well, especially for next year’s difficult election.

  8. OCguy says:

    As the Casino revenues are declining, that means they pay less in the current taxes. If there is less money coming in, what will happen with the PAAD and other programs supported by the Casino money?

    Will the state have to use General funds to make up the difference, or will these programs have to be scaled back so that they only give out what is taken in?

  9. racingfan154 says:

    Everyone has to understand, that a guy like Senator Whelan, also the former mayor of AC, has only one goal, and that is to protect the Casino Industry. It doesn’t matter that the people in New Jersey suffer as long as no one touches the Casinos. Whelan has bitterly fought doing the right thing and back putting Slots/Vlts at the Meadowlands and Monmouth Park Racetracks, that would easily take care of the Funding of these Programs for Seniors. Also, this would make the Horse Racing Industry in New Jersey self sustaining, which is what the Governor wants, and at the Same time, have plenty of money available for Education and Property Tax Relief. This is the business model our neighbors in NY, PA and DEL. have adopted a long time ago, and have been supporting their State Programs with New Jersey Money. Whelan and the Casinos have been fighting this battle against placing Slots and Gaming at the Meadowlands for only one reason, and that is they are only looking out for themselves. Now we all can see the Facts finally coming out.

  10. Mr Ed wilbuurrrr!!! says:


    The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, “You’re in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2,346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degree, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude.”




    The man smiled and responded, “You must be an Democrat.”



  11. BS says:

    In case you want to understand why it is important Statewide you can look at the breakdown of where the project funding goes, after year 30 (which is where it is now for some of the casinos):

    50% of the projects must be in North Jersey.

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