With music and the sun blaring on the Atlantic City boardwalk outside of Resorts Casino, Gov. Chris Christie discussed the importance of tourism for the state, announced a potential law that would bring sports gambling to the Jersey shore and spoke about the safety and the reputation of the city during a press conference Thursday afternoon, May 24.
Christie announced that he is submitting sports gambling regulations that he predicts may come into effect in the fall of this year, but he also said he expects there to be a fight over the law and that he would not be surprised to see the issue hit the courts.
"We intend to go forward and allow sports gambling," he said. "If someone wants to stop us, they'll have to try to stop us."
Christie also discussed a recent $20 million dollar marketing campaign, DO AC, which works to promote Atlantic City. He said that marketing the city is important, because of what he called misconceptions about the city being unsafe or unclean.
"We need to invest more in marketing this great city. ... Atlantic City is coming back, and it's coming back in a big way," he said.
Christie's focus, however, was not only on Atlantic City, but on the entire Jersey shore and the tourism industry in the state.
"We know tourism is critical," he said. "Not just to Atlantic City, but to our state's economy."
Atlantic City Alliance President Liza Cartmell said that because Atlantic City is the most nationally and internationally well known of the Jersey shore towns, promoting Atlantic City is an attempt to promote the entire Jersey shore.
"He's really been supportive of New Jersey tourism and all of the beaches," she said. "This gives all of the New Jersey beaches the most visibility; this is the oldest boardwalk, the longest boardwalk."
Christie also discussed criticisms of the city, referring specifically to a headline in the Philadelphia Daily News on Tuesday which referred to Atlantic City as a "Tourist Death Trap" after two Canadians were stabbed during a visit.
"I don't care what Philadelphia thinks of New Jersey," said Christie.
He also said that, although the city has been getting safer, he and the state cannot be responsible for all of the city's problems, and that he "cannot fix irresponsibility at the city government level."
Christie said he will be "putting my money where my mouth is." He and his family will be visiting the newly opened Revel, the newest of Atlantic City's casinos, this Memorial Day weekend. He hopes to walk the boardwalk and spend some time on the beach during his trip.
After the press conference, Christie, Congressman Frank LoBiondo and Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson grabbed a beer at The Irish Pub, just off the boardwalk, a few blocks from Resorts.
You're right I don't agree. After the election what Obama wants or doesn't want will be moot. He'll be loading up Michelle and the kids and be heading back to Chicago. It's interesting to guess what could have been but he doesn't show any leadership to support such a theory to my mind. He reminds me of Arafat when he baulked on his chance to make a deal with Israel. He seems unable to make the tough choices.
Whatever the truth is Obama hasn't been honest. If he would come out and offer some clarity on all this, he'd make the birthers look foolish. But since he doesn't it leaves everyone with any natural curiosity wondering. He's brought this all on himself.
It's a seal not a "rubber stamp". What about the book he wrote in 1992? He said himself he was born in Kenya. I don't even care because he's president already but why doesn't he explain the discrepancies? If he just came clean that he's Kenyan, I'm sure the people would rally behind him(and run him out of Washington on a rail).
Wasn't it Bill Clinton who raised child literacy in Arkansas to 49th from 50th? You know the way it is with statistics. It can't be denied that borat has spent more than all other previous presidents combined. There is nothing more to be said. Anyone would do a better job than the First Kenyan. We just can't afford to run leaderless and it looks like the people are with me...except the defectives among us. You are steeped in envy and hatred for a successful American rather than a failed, possible, Kenyan.
When obama talks about raising taxes, democrats are all for it. When Christie raises a toll which hits all taxpayers equally, you fools are all against it. You should be cheering him as most of the money will end up in union workers hands.
PS: your not responding to 'tracey hosmer's' facts. . .instead your going off topic. . .that's a no-no! Christie is NO angel. . .he's apolitical animal with ego and ambition?
I never said Obama admitted that he was Kenyan in his book. What I was referring to was the flyer that advertised his book(all over the internet) stated that he was Kenyan. It could very well have been that they wanted to present this new author as being more interesting being from Kenya(as though anyone would think that...flies don't want to be from Kenya). But Obama owes us an answer. If this was true come forward and admit that there was some literary license being taken on you behalf. He won't.
I am rather sure that JFK, Jimmy Carter and other promenent Dems were or are Creationists.
JFK = Catholic = The vast majority of American Catholics may accept the idea of Creationism as presented in the Bible, but they do not reject any and all SCIENCE - even if it may contradict the Bible stories. As a matter of fact they usually go out of their way to link the two by reminding us all that the Bible is not to be taken "literally" as some other folks (Christians) take it. Or by crediting God with the "science" behind it all. Jimmie Carter spoke about his take on Creationism vs Evolution several times in print and TV interviews. On Larry King he said: " CARTER: I believe there's a supreme being, God, who created the entire universe, yes. And I am a scientist, as a matter of fact, as you may know, I studied nuclear physics. I helped to develop nuclear submarines. So, I believe in science. I believe we ought to explore the far outreaches of space. We ought to make sure we understand everything we can about the particles that make up the atoms. I think we ought to discover everything we can about science. It ought to be accepted as proved unless it's discounted. I believe still in a supreme being. But, I don't believe that we ought to teach religious matters in a science classroom, because I think that the two ought not to be related. " So there you go- it's not the creationist beliefs that I'm concerned about... it's only when its paired up with an ANTI-Science belief that it gets scary.
Maybe I just didn't guess right. You are clearly a democrat who feels Mr. Big has done you wrong. Why not enlighten us rather than just call Christie names? Christie clearly has stepped on your toes....please explain how.
Lemme guess - anti-Gov people called Christie fat and asked if he used a helicopter to get there? Lemme guess - pro-Gov people used this content as an excuse to copy and paste old posts that bash unions and Obama. Bonus birther trash perhaps? So very constructive. I'm sure the opinions of many were swayed. IMO, if the Gov can get sports books in AC it will be one of the best things to happen to AC and the state's finances in a long, long time. The upside is huge.