Well, at least we’ve got A ‘Robert Levy’, if not THE ‘Robert Levy’.”

Now that Mayor Robert Levy has returned, Atlantic City can breath a sigh of relief.

The Mayor is back. Long live Robert Levy.

Or maybe not.

In his absence, the city's business administrator, Domenic Cappella, appointed himself acting mayor last week, claiming Levy verbally transferred power to him on Sept. 26.

That kind of transfer of power is a cross between the power grab on a Klingon Starship and when Alexander Haig in the Reagan White House declared “I'm in charge here".

Anyway, that got me thinkin’, ---wouldn’t it have been better if the City Council just found someone else named “Robert Levy” to take the Mayor’s place for a few days?

Could that have been any worse compared to not having a mayor at all? Then people could say, “Well, at least we’ve got A ‘Robert Levy’, if not THE ‘Robert Levy’.”

And, there are some very good 'Robert Levys' to choose from in New Jersey:

There my good friend and regular guest on the Howard Stern Show, the Reverend Bobby Levy. He’s a pretty funny comedian for the right New Jersey crowd, and couldn’t be any worse than that current Mayor. He's pretty raunchy sometimes, and that might be a good fit, at least for some in AC.

There’s the Robert Levy, “the lawyer who conceived the lawsuit that gutted [D.C.'s] tough gun-control statute.” He is a “staunch defender of the Second Amendment, a wealthy former entrepreneur who said he has never owned a firearm and probably never will.”

He’s a Constitutional Fellow with the libertarian Cato Institute in Washington, so you know knows his politics.

And last but not least, there’s Robert I. Levy, “an American psychiatrist and anthropologist known for his fieldwork in Tahiti and Nepal and on the cross-cultural study of emotions. Though he did not receive a formal degree in anthropology, he spent most of his adult life conducting anthropological fieldwork or teaching in departments of anthropology.” As an anthropologist, he’s probably a good 'people' person, always a good skill to have in politics. Only thing is, he died in Italy in 2003. So it goes.

So, if the Mayor of AC ever splits again ----it’s a great bet that we have some good choices of other “Robert/Bob/Bobby Levys” to choose from.

The Elephant in the Room.

Even with New York Senator Hillary Clinton at the Democratic Conference in Atlantic City this week on Friday, there was something larger overshadowing her appearance: The elephant in the room.

What happens in AC, does not usually stay in AC.

Only Congressman Bill Pascrell made mention of the “it” – the arrest this week of 11 elected officials for “taking bribes in exchange for help securing public contracts.”

Rep. Pascrell spoke only of the frustration that the legislative leadership felt; he made no mention of the possible guilt or innocence of those arrested. Several members of the state legislature who are up for re-election were arrested, and the governor has called for their resignation.

Rep. Pascrell was also the only speaker [other than the Governor] to tell the crowd that ‘we must concentrate on 2007 first, and not worry yet about 2008’.

As far as 2008 is concerned: No other presidential nominee showed his face, tacitly acknowledging that Senator Clinton is the choice of the majority of New Jersey’s active Democrats. Obama and Edwards had tables outside the main room, but the others had no presence at all. Even longtime friend of New Jersey, Senator Joe Biden was AWOL.

While former President Bill Clinton is the more engaging speaker of the two, Senator Clinton unmistakably showed the crowd why she is in the lead to be the 2008 nominee: She was powerful, focused, hit all the right points and is ‘ready to lead’, as the crowd hoisted big blue ‘Hillary for President” signs over their heads.

Senate President Dick Codey has endorsed Senator John Edwards, and he was absent from the Conference. Much of the rest of the New Jersey Democratic Leadership has endorsed Mrs. Clinton, making it almost a certainty that she will be the choice of New Jersey’s Democrats come February 5th, 2008.

However, Congressman Steve Rothman was the lone voice of support for Senator Obama, with a somewhat overly-long speech touching periodically on the Obama ‘likeability’ factor, Obama as an agent for change, and his legislative experience in the Illinois state legislature.

Each speaker, including Chairman Joe Cryan and Governor Corzine, tried to wow the crowd with the benefits for New Jersey if there were larger Democratic majorities in the Assembly and Senate.

Each Senator and Congressman present –Lautenberg, Menendez, Rothman, Andrews, Pallone, Pascrell –covered familiar territory --- their subject matter ranging from the Iraqi War, to Bush-bashing, to energy independence, to embryonic stem cell research. Lautenberg showed his usual sense of humor, as well as energy and vitality.

Best speaker of the night was the always-powerful Senator Bob Menendez, who excited the crowd with speech attacking the Republicans in general and Bush in particular.

However, the best speech of the night: The short and to the point speech of Rep. Rush Holt. Holt rushed in just before the Governor spoke, and was given the stage right after what was to be the final act of the evening. He said hello to the crowd, apologized for his lateness [stuck working in DC], and invited everyone to the dessert bash next door.

[Side note: In spite of his car accident this past spring, Governor Corzine looked healthy and very well. He bounded on to the stage in three quick steps, and looked as if he was ready for a new season of campaigning.]

What I learned on my summer vacation.

Just got back late last night from our summer vacation in Florida. Yes, I know ---‘Florida in the summer?' you must be thinking. Part vacation, part family visit. We also go there during the winter months, too. But it is very hot all the time, although everything
in -doors is so air-conditioned that you can hang frozen beef.

So, I learned the following on my summer vacation:

• Don’t try to get a hotel in the middle of the summer anywhere near Atlantic City without a reservation. Everything was more than sold out. Hotel after hotel had lines of people waiting to be told the same thing: No Vacancy. Note to hotels on Black Horse Pike: Invest in a sign that can be lit up to read “No Vacancy”.

• Florida has outstanding services for senior citizens. Businesses really seem to need to learn how to cater to that demographic, or they simply cannot survive economically. New Jersey communities can learn from their lesson.

• The fresh water conservation issues in New Jersey dwarf ours. They have to pull water out of the Everglades and Lake Okeechobee, the freshwater lake in the center of Florida. It is the second-largest freshwater lake wholly within the continental United States, second only to Lake Michigan.

• Our property tax issues dwarf their property tax issues. But their school system ranks somewhere between 39 and 47 in the nation, depending on which list you use. Ours are ranked somewhere around 4th or so.

• Florida newspapers really do not care much about what happens to the New York Yankees, or the fact that they are now five games back, or that they have a better record than the Mets. However, perfectly good Yankee and Met fans from New York moved to Florida and now root for the "Florida Marlins", a team named for a fish. Hard to wrap my brain around that.

• It is very easy to find your way around south east Florida. East is to the beach. West is not. Guess it’s the same in New Jersey, though, now that I think of it.

• They have tolls in Florida, too.

• Disney World is larger than Great Adventure.

• New Jersey bagels are better than Florida bagels. We have better pizza, too.
  

• But their beaches are free. Our's should be, too.

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.

Summer time at the Shore….in Florida.

I am on vacation in Florida this week, so my posts will be shorter than usual. We flew out on Spirit Airlines, out of Atlantic City ---a very sane airport experience in New Jersey, by the way. Way better than Newark Liberty or Philadelphia, I think. Too early in the morning this time, but a good flight.

Florida and New Jersey share a great deal in common. Too much development. Traffic all the time on every road. Rising property taxes. [but their ‘high’ property tax ‘problem’ is amusing compared to ours].

They both have toll roads: The New Jersey Turnpike, and “Florida’s Turnpike”. Don’t call it the Florida Turnpike. And fast ways to pay the tolls: New Jersey has EZPass; Florida has Sun Pass.

There is an interesting political balance: the northern part of the state slants Republican, while Southern Florida and the urban areas of Dade and Broward Counties slants somewhat Democratic. That’s because Dade and Broward are where most folks from the northeast retire ---and many of those folks from New Jersey and New York have already been ‘pre-Democratic Party-ized’.

Some differences:

Florida had the president's brother as their governor for eight years. We did not.

New Jersey has a state income tax; and Florida does not.
They make tons of money on vacationing families by surcharges on hotels, car rentals, air port fees.

New Jersey has Cape May. Florida has Key West. Key West is 90 miles from Cuba. We're not.

New Jersey has 21 Counties; Florida 67 Counties.

New Jersey has The Shore. Florida has beaches. And more beaches. On both sides of the state.

New Jersey has part of Gateway National Park; Florida has Everglades National Park.

New Jersey has deer on the roads. Florida has alligators.
Either way, if you hit an alligator in Florida, stay in your car.

One thing Florida has that I miss in New Jersey: Drive-in Movie theaters. We should get us some. They're fun.

Bring Back Miss America to New Jersey....or Miss PA is next.

"In her quest to become Miss New Jersey, Amy Polumbo based her platform on Internet safety, cautioning about the dangers of online predators. Now, the 22-year-old Howell Township college student claims she is the victim of a different kind of Internet predator -- one who is using photographs she posted on her own Web site to blackmail her into relinquishing the crown she won three weeks ago.” (Spoto, Star-Ledger)

As soon as The Sopranos leave the airwaves, somebody tries to blackmail Miss New Jersey? Coincidence? I don’t think so. Did someone at the pageant forget to pay the protection money? Hmmm.

Actually, I think it’s the first salvo in an attempt to get back the Miss America pageant to Atlantic City.

For years, the pageant was New Jersey’s own. Hosted by the likes of Bert Parks, whose statue appears in the plaza between the Sheraton Hotel & Conference Center, and the AC Expo Center. Mr. Parks is holding a crown, and if you place your head in the crown juuuust right, he will sing his version of "There She Is, Miss America" just for you.

The hallways of the Sheraton Hotel are decorated with dresses and crowns of the Miss Americas of old: There is the first Miss America, Margaret Gorman from 1921 [who, quite frankly, looks a little like my grandmother]. There is the 1988 Miss America with too many names, Kay Lani Ray Rafko, [now married with even more names --- Kay Lani Ray Rafko Wilson]. And the completely unbeatable deaf 1995 Miss America, Heather Whitestone McCallum.

As matter of fact, they are only missing two things in AC with regard to the Miss America pageant:

A tribute to my favorite Miss America contestant, former Miss New Jersey 1995, Dena Blizzard. She is now a very funny mother and professional stand-up comedian.

And, of course, the Miss America contest itself.

Once hosted by Parks and filled with sappy and saccharine tradition, ---and predictably held each year in AC over Labor Day Weekend.

Now the contest has been moved to glitzy Las Vegas, and has lowered itself to being hosted by Mario Lopez [formerly of “Saved By The Bell” ----a show itself, riddled with scandal.]

Worse yet, they have no set date or location for this year. Is that sad or what?

So, the extortion of Miss NJ is just the beginning.

Bring back the pageant to New Jersey, or there will be consequences. You don’t want to know which state gets it next.