By Brenda Flanagan
Correspondent
“The difference between this bill and the takeover bill is the difference between a democracy and a dictatorship,” said Mayor Don Guardian.
Atlantic City’s mayor — and a room packed with union members — testified in favor of the so-called “compromise” rescue bill introduced by Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto as an alternative to the total state takeover demanded by Gov. Chris Christie.
Prieto’s proposal would infuse the debt-strapped city with casino cash, give it more time to recover its financial footing and protect union contracts for at least a couple years.
“Benchmarks are set, benchmarks that are tough with actual requirements and actual dates of completion. And if I as the mayor and city council do not meet them, additional authority will be given to the state,” Guardian said.
“It is a recovery for Atlantic City, the way it should be. It should be limited to Atlantic City, because the state of New Jersey should not be in the business of running municipalities. If after the second year the benchmarks are not met, then most of what you’d see in what was called the takeover bill would actually go into effect,” Prieto said.
Prieto and organized labor have opposed the original state takeover bill as a union-busting measure because it would blow up all negotiated contracts. Union officials said they have a vested interest in saving Atlantic City.
“Organized labor not only built the city, but runs the city. This bill is not perfect — far from it. But in any compromise, all sides must make a sacrifice,” said New Jersey State AFL-CIO President Charles Wowkanech.
Prieto’s bill would create a committee and a master to gauge the city’s progress. Casinos would have to make payments in lieu of taxes. The bill won unanimous support from the Judiciary Committee, along with an impassioned plea for compromise from Atlantic County GOP Assemblyman Chris Brown.
“The next step is for everyone to come together. The next step is to stop the press conferences. The next step is to stop the insults,” he said.
But the press conferences and collisions continued with the governor refusing to even consider the bill.
“This is just putting off the inevitable. And I am not going to permit the taxpayers of the state of New Jersey to be taken for a ride by Atlantic City. It’s that simple. This bill this morning is the union protection bill by the speaker, so no interest in it,” Christie said.
Some South Jersey Democrats see this headed toward a political stalemate.
“Without discussing this with South Jersey delegation, without including us as the regional leaders that understand what is going on economically in this region, trying to do this from parts in the north without appreciating the pain that our residents are feeling, it’s very hard to get to a compromise. What happens then is Atlantic City ends up defaulting and it has a trigger effect on cities throughout the state,” said Assemblyman Lou Greenwald.
Prieto says he wants to post his bill in the Assembly for a vote next week. If it gets to the Senate, it likely faces very long political odds, and continued clash of political will.