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Whelan, Kuehner and Spellman Blast North Jersey’s Assault on South Jersey's Economy
By LD2DemsFor Immediate Release Contact: Raiyan Syed June 14, 2007 (609) 601-1151 Whelan, Kuehner and Spellman Blast North Jersey’s Assault on South Jersey's Economy
(Atlantic City, NJ) – Assemblyman Jim Whelan, the Second District Democratic state Senate candidate, and his Assembly runningmates, Joe Kuehner and Blondell Spellman, today vowed to fight Republican Assemblyman Joe Pennacchio's proposal to amend the state constitution to legalize gambling in North Jersey by allowing slot machine wagering at horse and/or motor vehicle racetracks outside of Atlantic City. The 2nd district Democrats said they will launch a campaign to stop this politically motivated power grab that strikes at the heart of South Jersey's gaming and tourism industry.
"This is yet another blatant attempt by a political faction to undercut the economy of
South Jersey. Allowing slot machines or video lottery terminals at North Jersey race tracks would threaten the very lifeblood of our region's economy," said Whelan, whose leadership as Atlantic City mayor helped lead to the development of the Borgata Casino-Hotel and the resulting hundreds of millions of dollars in investments to the region. "We are already facing serious economic competition from nearby Pennsylvania and other states allowing slot machines and other gambling venues. We need to invest more in the Atlantic City casino industry, which is the largest private-sector employer in the state - not allow slot machines in North Jersey."Spellman, a well known casino industry leader, said the proposal was a "direct assault on the working families in
Atlantic City and the surrounding area." The casino industry, she said, "is vital to the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of working families and businesses here in South Jersey, and any attempt to undercut it will have serious consequences on them." She continued, "As someone who helped recruit and hire casino employees, I know firsthand the importance of protecting Atlantic City's gaming industry from any proposal to allow slot machines at North Jersey race-tracks."Kuehner said that he, Whelan and Spellman will "make it a top priority to turn back any attempt to undermine the economic viability of
Atlantic City's casino industry and to make sure the state continues its commitment to invest in the resort. As the legislative representatives from this district, we will champion efforts to keep our economy strong by creating more jobs and opportunities. Permitting gambling in North Jersey would endanger all of the progress we have made over the past several years."Economic experts say that expanding gambling to other areas of
New Jersey would dilute the market and severely hurt the South Jersey economy. They contend that there are significant investments, worth $5 to $10 billion is in the pipeline for Atlantic City, and any plans to expand gambling elsewhere in New Jersey could jeopardize those projects. The Democrats said they believe promoting slots in North Jersey could threaten other projects such as the $1.5 billion mega-resort project proposed by Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc, where Sands Casino once stood. Republican State Senator "Sonny" McCullough opened a Pandora's Box last week by proposing an amendment to the constitution which the editorial board of the Star-Ledger called a "dunderheaded" move. Now McCullough's Republican colleague, Assemblyman Pennacchio (R-26) is proposing a measure ACR-263 to amend the constitution to allow gambling in areas outside of Atlantic City.“North Jersey Republicans are leading the fight to take our fair share of resources, and now it’s time for Senator McCullough to stand up and reject this attempted power grab,” said Whelan. Assemblyman Whelan said the best approach to deal with the competition from RACINOS and slot parlors in Pennsylvania is to invest more money in Atlantic City to further the economic progress and image makeover the resort is experiencing.
Whelan, Kuehner, and Spellman said they will reach out to Governor Jon Corzine, Senate President Dick Codey, and Speaker Joe Roberts to express their opposition to any proposal to expand slot machines outside of Atlantic City.
"As the mayor of
Atlantic City and then as an assemblyman, I fought to expand and protect the resorts gaming and tourism industry," Whelan said. "Along with Blondell and Joe, I will continue to champion the casino industry and the incalculable benefits it has brought to our region and this state." ###
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