From the Star Ledger:
Casino bureaucracy Revels in red tape instead of fixing past mistakes in A.C.: Mulshine
I was driving across the country a few years ago when I decided to get off the Interstate and try some local roads through Iowa.
This brought me through the town of Waterloo, coincidentally enough the birthplace of Lt. Gov. Kim Guadagno.
Guadagno is now running for governor based on her accomplishments during her seven years as lieutenant governor. The chief – and perhaps only – such accomplishment is her position as head of the Red Tape Review Commission, a nine-member panel that set for itself the task of making it easier to run a business in New Jersey.
Let us consider how the state ranks compared to other states in red tape as it concerns the casino industry.
As I was reaching the western end of Iowa, I saw that if I went north a few miles I’d be in South Dakota. I’d never been there before so it seemed worth the trip.
It was, if only for what I saw when I pulled up to pump some gas.
When I went inside to pay, I found myself in a casino.
Here’s what I saw: slot machines, card games and booze.
Here’s what I didn’t see: A mandatory parking fee, lots of state employees standing around doing nothing and a massive hotel full of vacant rooms.
There’s a lesson in that, but I fear it is lost on Guadagno and the rest of the people who run New Jersey.
In 1976 we made history by becoming only the second state after Nevada to legalize casino gambling.
Over the ensuing years we again made history – by becoming the only state to ever screw up casino gambling.
What happened last week with the former Revel Casino represented just the latest effort by the state to strangle an industry that most people thought could not be killed.
…
Then last week the billionaire who bought this white elephant at a bargain-basement price, businessman Glenn Straub, saw his effort to reopen it stalled by the sort of red tape that the woman from Waterloo pledged to eliminate.Straub told the Casino Control Commission that he wants to open some of the non-gambling sections of the building by Presidents’ Day and then contract the casino and other sections to a firm experienced in running casinos.
No dice, said the commission. Straub would still have to go through the miles of red tape needed to get that license. That’s the law.
It may well be, but that law has been an abject failure. The Casino Control Act was adopted at a time when the only other state to have legal gambling was Nevada. Casino operators would put up with anything to open in Jersey.
Good Morning New Jersey
Good Morning +2:10, Mike!
@mattyglesias
Every career person I’ve spoken to says it’s worse than you realize.
Very smart of Matthew Yglesias to speak to other people who have jobs about it since he can’t speak on his own about ever holding a job.
Essex,
Good luck in SoCal. And remember, usa palabras pequenas.
Blueribbonteacher,
Where’s Charlotte Corday when you need her?
Define irony:
http://robertreich.org/post/156777888615
re 10:09 AM
Yeah, sure they organized Berkeley University EMPLOYEES and STUDENTS to riot and attack people in the streets with shovels.
10:03….Awesome. ventura co.
I actually heard Reich arguing for free trade the other day. That’s a mind boggling position for a soci@list to take. Perhaps he’s more concerned with world citizens and is anti-American, or more likely the economic message of the left has been turned on its head by Trump.
The ONLY thing holding the Democrat party together is progressivism. So you have an alliance of aggrieved, open border, pro abortion, soci@lism, marry whoever/whatever you want types holding the party together. Good luck with that over the long term.
@jpodhoretz
Any chance he gets to demean or diminish America, he takes it.
So we’re even.
@foxnews
.@KellyannePolls: “Any chance people get to try to demean or diminish this president, they take it.” @MediaBuzzFNC
@StephensWSJ
Trump puts US on moral par with Putin’s Russia.
Never in history has a President slandered his country like this.
@keithOlbermann
Even the Deputy Editorial Page editor of The Wall Street Journal and I agree: @realDonaldTrump has slandered this country.
I actually heard Reich arguing for free trade the other day. That’s a mind boggling position for a soci@list to take. Perhaps he’s more concerned with world citizens and is anti-American, or more likely the economic message of the left has been turned on its head by Trump.
The left has an identity crisis. They are anti-corporation in that they believe it creates wealth disparity. They never really formed an opinion on free trade. Republicans were always traditionally free trade because they view economic borders as regulation and it goes against their idealistic free market beliefs. Any sensible person that recognizes how a market works knows that labor was destined to be outsourced with the promotion of “free trade policies”. Some argue it’s good because of lower prices but they are completely ignorant of the long term negative effects that a massive trade deficit brings with it (inflation, a lower standard of living, and a nation of poor people). Trump is the only person running for office since Perot to bring up the free trade issue. Republicans and democrats have been silent on it for over 20 years because their major donors have been the beneficiaries of it while the middle and lower class have been ignored.
In comes Trump, willing to bring up that trade barriers truly are the key to keeping jobs here, bringing what jobs are left back, and creating new jobs here. This is the truth and anyone that denies it fails to look at any other countries that have managed to prevent outsourcing.
The problem is, the left is so desperate that they’ve taken the opposite position of Trump just because he ran against their candidate. Now they are in that identity crisis. They are probably going to lose the unions and for good reason…they’ve sold them out and ignored them. Very ironic twist that the right is beginning to seize the support of the working class while the left continues to alienate them. Will he get the trade agreements to work for us? I don’t know….but leaving them as they were was a sure path to poverty.
The left has recently begun to try to push the idea that jobs were never outsourced in the first place and were replaced by automation. That’s a pathetic attempt at rewriting history. Furthermore, automation has shown that we can afford to hire people domestically again and maintain competitiveness.
Organizing a search party to Chester Co. PA to check on the welfare of despondent ex-pat Pats fans. Volunteers please apply in comments.
BRT,
Agreed….
Missed extra point just cost me a box. Even when they lose they scre#w me over.
There again 3 TDs from the Falcons and they could beat the 85 Bears.
A few years back, my wife was in line for $8k in a suicide pool. Cowboys failed to cover the spread by missing an extra point. Tied for 1st and split $4k so it wasn’t a total loss.
Excelent game! Best Super Bowl
Got hit with a power cut with 7 mind to go and that 8-0 box back in play.
Quite a comeback.
I appreciate Moose organizing a welfare check after 3 quarters.
He should have known better than to underestimate the GOAT
Yankees fans should be pleased. Now they don’t hold the distinction for biggest post season collapse
Hello old friends……. been reading lately HI ! Stu&Gator, Essex, Chicago, Nom, NJ ex,Moose, Fast Eddie, yome , Fabius, juice just to name a few and the master of ceremonies grim of course. Living comfortable in my home bought in the bottom 2014 just before it began to to tic up (as some may remember sold all 2005 -6 investment and primary then rented till the turn)thanks to my time here. I was much troubled reading the other day that some are afraid of a GTG these days, that was not a problem in the past, troubling. Stay well ………………….
Hey Mike. Glad to hear all is well. I don’t think a GTG would be dangerous at all. Though it wouldn’t be at my house!