By David Cruz
Correspondent
In the world of politics and strange bedfellows, casino gambling is the glue that brings together former adversaries Ras Baraka, mayor of Newark, and Joe DiVincenzo, the Essex County executive. The two political figures and more than two dozen other Essex County elected officials and businesspeople turned out to speak with one voice.
“Almost $8 million in property taxes alone. We talking about hotel occupancy tax. We’re talking about payroll tax. We’re talking about all this revenue that the city needs desperately, so why wouldn’t we be fighting to put a casino right here in the city of Newark?” Baraka said.
Touting Newark as a no-brainer choice for any casino that may be approved by voters, speaker after speaker talked up the impact that a casino, convention center and hotel would have on the city’s economy.
“We have it all right here. We don’t have to make anything up. With all due respect, and I support them — Bergen and Jersey City — but Newark is the place the casino should be,” DiVincenzo said.
The prospect of casino gambling expansion has inspired something of a frenzy among big city mayors. Baraka is not the only one who likes the idea of a casino in his town.
Assemblyman Ralph Caputo, who chairs the Assembly’s Gaming and Tourism Committee, is pushing a bill that would expand casino gambling to Bergen, Essex and Hudson counties. Last week, Hard Rock International announced that they were poised to bring the franchise to the Meadowlands as part of a casino development in Bergen County. And Jersey City is the proposed site of a mega development that includes a casino and convention center as well as other amenities on the waterfront.
“What’s important though is that any casino has non-gaming revenue that is at least equal to the gaming revenue, so we’re not looking for some dump with slot machines. We’re looking for something that’s impressive and that’s going to attract people,” Fulop said.
“Listen, the bill gets you up to three casinos in three counties. Smarter people than us will determine where they need to go,” said Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto.
But voters will have to decide if gaming expansion is a good idea for Jersey. With Atlantic City still reeling, despite extensive state aid, voters might be reticent to expand northward, an industry that is in such dire straits in the south.
“I think now is the time to do it. I think a majority of both houses of the Legislature want to see this happen. I think there’s a couple of issues that need to be worked out, like location and like how many and I think those are resolvable issues,” said Bill Pascrell III, partner at Princeton Public Affairs Group.
The real fight could come when and if voters do approve casino gambling expansion. That’s when the gloves will really come off and neighboring cities will duke it out for a chance to take a chance on casino gambling.