Captain Carl Wants a Parking Lot – Monday’s Roundup

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Captain Carl Wants a Parking Lot
Buried in the middle of the Press of AC’s story on why redevelopment of the Trump Plaza is “critical” to the future of Atlantic City, comes an announcement from Nick Talvacchia on plans for the vacant lot that will be created when the casino is torn down. Nicky T. is serving as attorney for billionaire Carl (“Friend of Donald”) Icahn who wants his $5.6 million back, so he can do site work on his moldering casino. He should get that money, the Press of AC reports, citing “industry watchers” who note that while Captain Carl may be unpopular, knocking down the Plaza is in the best interest of the city. So what’s Carl going to build on the old Plaza? 160-space parking lot! I’m told Millennials love parking lots.

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Locals Deported, Norcross is Having a Fundraiser and Jobs Protectors are Supporting the Media – Friday’s Roundup

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Bridgetonians Deported
Longtime Bridgeton residents Oscar and Humberta Campos are being deported after last-minute appeal efforts failed. They’ve lived here almost 30 years, have a house and a small biz, The Courier-Post reported. They also have three kids–ages 24, 22 and 15–who are citizens and will stay. The oldest son is going through the legal process to take care of the 15-year old. Oscar and Humberta had a flight this morning at 5 a.m. out of Newark.

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You’re in the Wrong Business Parts I, II and III in Thursday’s Roundup

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You’re in the Wrong Business
If you’re an insurance broker, you can make a bundle selling plans to “public entities” like school systems or fire departments, which “employ hundreds of thousands of workers across the state.” So it makes sense that you should report your campaign contributions–and the value of those public contracts–to election officials, so we can all calculate your return on investment. But what if you don’t WANT to disclose those payments, because they’ll look funny for your industry, or for the elected officials who are supposed to be not-corrupt? Well turn’s out there’s a loophole that will get you out of that disclosure! Problem solved, citizen, Problem solved.

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Pipeline Payback! Papa Smurf! And the Latest in Our Crumbling Infrastructure, in Wednesday’s Roundup

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Historically unpopular lame-duck governor Chris Christie is replacing a guy “considered one of the strongest conservationists” on the Pinelands Commission with Ed McGlinchey, who is not. Environmental advocates say the ousting of environmental lawyer Ed Lloyd, who’s served on the panel since 2002, is retaliation for Lloyd’s votes against the pipelines. Where would they get that idea? The Burlington County Times reports.

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Along The Boardwalk: Thoughts From This Atlantic City Independent Voter – OpEd

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I do not believe the overwhelming sweep of democrats into office is an acceptance and endorsement of all their policies. I believe it is the ongoing repudiation of the things we don’t like about politics and politicians.
With this in mind, I thought I would give impressions of a recent meeting with Sean A. Thom, Democratic Candidate for LoBiondo’s seat in NJ’s 2nd congressional district.

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Bader Field Is Now Being Used For… Storage

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The Atlantic City site that has housed an airport, a minor league baseball team and played host to numerous Thanksgiving Day rivalry games has been left vacant for years while city and state officials scratched their heads to determine its “highest and best use.” Finally, it has a new use: storage. Atlantic City council last week signed a resolution to allow Steel Pier to park 10 trailers on Bader Field for three months, for 0.18 cents per square foot. It’s a temporary use, but it could be extended under the contract terms.

Bader Field was used as a bargaining chip in the state’s emergency loan to bail out Atlantic City, and the city’s failure to find a buyer for the land was one of the triggers for the state takeover a year ago. The future of the site is still unclear: the lawyers hired by the state to oversee the takeover have had multiple discussions about Bader Field but a buyer remains elusive.

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Bribing Doctors With Strippers, Fun with Public Money and More, in Tuesday’s Roundup

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Ted Sherman reports on the dude behind the medical fraud conspiracy believed to have netted “the largest number of medical professionals ever prosecuted in a federal bribery case.”

David Nicoll, the guy behind Biodiagnostic Laboratory Services, “provided prostitutes to at least five physicians in exchange for blood work orders.” Other doctors he just sent to Key West to go fishing. Or they got fancy cars. Or Katy Perry tickets or Super Bowl tickets. Etc.

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Child Predators, Sports Betting and More in Monday’s Roundup

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Seventy-nine people (a loose designation) were arrested on charges ranging from “child trafficking to sexual assault, and manufacturing child pornography to possession of child pornography,” Matt Arco reports. Arrests include a Trenton police officer and an Air Force Captain. AG Chris Porrino said child sexual abuse was a “horrific problem” that doesn’t “appear to be subsiding.”

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