Just when you thought Sonny was safe....

“ATLANTIC CITY — What happens in Atlantic City should stay in Atlantic City. And that includes casino profits. The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority’s policies should be changed to provide more money to improve Atlantic City and the rest of Atlantic County, rather than contributing millions of dollars to projects throughout the state, State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough, R-Atlantic, said Tuesday.” (Clark, Press of Atlantic City)

State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough has tried this kind of stand-up comedy before: last month he told a reporter from PoliticsNJ a racist joke. Seems like he has not learned much since then.

His idea that money made in Atlantic City should stay in Atlantic City may sound good to his constituents, but it is most certainly not a policy road the state should go down. New Jersey is an entire state ---from the shores of the Atlantic Ocean to the banks of the Delaware River. From Cape May Ferry to the Palisades north of the GW Bridge. We share revenue from taxes from all industries and the state distributes the funds on an as needed basis. Such is the strength and challenges of a democracy: there are many priorities and municipalities around the state that need funding. This is but one of many issues to be negotiated by the legislature come budget time.

Should state funds collected in taxes from the pharmaceutical companies go only to improve those communities in which the companies are headquartered? No, that tax be distributed around the state where needed. Should tolls collected from bridges, roadways and tunnels go only to support the infra-structure of those communities in which those facilities exist? No, the funds are used to repair and maintain roads and bridges all around the state. The same with the funds from the Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

When Atlantic City needed a tunnel to connect the Atlantic City Expressway to the new casinos in the “other Atlantic City”, did they pay for it themselves? No, they did not. The cost was largely paid out of money in the state transportation trust fund ---bonds authorized by the voters of New Jersey, and backed by the credit of the state. Our tax money went to help build that tunnel, the same way that roads in Flemington are funded.

If Atlantic City is to expand by adding more casinos, an expansion of the airport may be necessary. Will the expansion be paid for by Atlantic City itself? No --- the AC powers that be will seek assistance from the state, of course. And that is appropriate policy.

There is no doubt that AC needs to better its infrastructure in order to compete with the growing gambling competition from Connecticut and Delaware. The entire state shares in the success or failure of AC, and investment dollars from the state are certainly justified. However, a change of traditional state funding policies is not the road to go down.

It’s not warranted in this case, and too much of a gamble.

State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough's 'Macaca' monent.

“State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough is learning the hard way that jokes from another era with ethnic punch lines tend to punch back in today's political campaigns. Democrats on Thursday jumped all over McCullough, R-Atlantic — who is running for his first full term in the state Senate — after he told a reporter from a political Web site a joke about an Asian couple with a black baby.” (McAleer, Press of Atlantic City

I have been doing professional stand-up comedy for more than twenty years, and I have heard just about every racist, sexist, anti-Semitic, homophobic, ageist, anti-feminist, and anti-transgender joke there is. Sometimes the jokes emanate from other comedians and sometimes from comedy club audience members. However, very infrequently do they come from fellow elected officials. In this case, however, that is not true. State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough is setting himself to lose his seat on the basis of his exposed racist values.

And he made it worse by declaring afterwards:

"It was not an ethnic slur...It was never said in a slanderous way toward African-Americans or the Chinese. If they took it that way, I certainly would apologize. I never took it that way."

"...If they took it that way, I certainly would apologize."??? That's just like saying, “Hey! Come on. It’s just a joke! Lighten up.”

However, it’s not just a joke. Your sense of humor is a great window into your core value system. We should judge people’s core value system not just on the basis of what they say during prepared speeches. But what they say in spontaneous moments. This is especially true of those in public office. Remember Virginia Senator George Allen in 2oo6. His casual use of the racist term 'macaca' for a dark skinned person was caught on YouTube, and cost him the election.

At my annual program for the New Jersey State League of Municipalities on humor in government, we always have a panel consisting of myself, a professional political stand-up comedian, political cartoonist Jimmy Margulies, and sometimes another elected official. In the past, we have had the pleasure of having join us Dena Blizzard, the former Ms. New Jersey, and current stand-up comedian. We have had comedian Scott Blakeman from The Late Show with David Letterman and Barry Weintraub from ComedyCentral. And Assemblyman Jon Bramnick has joined us as well, as he is listed as the ‘Funniest Lawyer in New Jersey’.

There are great lessons to be learned from those elected officials who used humor wisely ---like John Kennedy and Ronald Reagen. And from those who used it poorly ---like Dan Qualye, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon.

The question of what is appropriate humor will be debated for years. However, at the NJSLOM session we have always come away with the following universal truths regarding humor:

1-Always make yourself the butt of any joke.
2-Never make an ethic joke.
3-Always know your audience.

State Sen. James “Sonny” McCullough is most definitely learning the hard way. He should have attended my program at the League.