Atlantic City last night took a step closer – maybe, just maybe – to getting out from under the bizarre and complex terms that came with taking a controversial state emergency loan earlier this year. The city council agreed (just – the vote was 5-4) to sell former airstrip Bader Field to the city’s water utility in return for $110 million (and yep, a lot more debt for the Municipal Utilities Authority). Next step is the announcement of a five-year recovery plan which will be presented at a public meeting at City Hall on Monday at 5pm. If it doesn’t appease the state, it won’t be for Mayor Don Guardian’s lack of trying. Guardian has sold everything from scrap metal and filing cabinets to bicycles and vacant lots to raise money and he’s persuaded hundreds of city staffers to take early retirement and do without city courtesy cars to trim costs.
It appears that even though the (Trump) Taj Mahal really has closed, people are still talking about when it’s going to reopen. Was the plan to close and reopen all along? Maybe. But if Carl Icahn just wanted to bust the union, why was he OK with giving his unionized employees at the Tropicana the same healthcare deal he refused the Taj workers? None of it makes much sense to us, but clearly while there’s no news there’s going to be a lot of gossip and interest in the fate of those white elephants.
Changing topic dramatically, Craig McCarthy has a fun story on the eating habits (expensive) of a 279-pound sea turtle currently recuperating at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine. “Esther Williams” as she’s known (I had to look it up) only eats “whelk” (had to look that up too), and the center’s “crab man” can only find one or two a day.
Here’s the rest of what we’re reading today:
Prostitution Sweep, Arrests in EHT–Law enforcement arrested nearly 30 prostitutes and pimps in New Jersey in an FBI-led crackdown on human trafficking.
A number of the arrests were in Egg Harbor Township.
Officials from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's office, the Atlantic County Sheriff's office and the EHT Police Department were involved in the operation. NJ.com
Drought Threat–The state DEP could declare a formal drought warning for 12 New Jersey counties. The warning wouldn't include Atlantic or Cape May Counties, where there's been a fair bit of rain. New Jersey 101.5
Uber Bill Pulled–Senate President Steve Sweeney pulled legislation that would regulate Uber and Lyft from the voting board list amid last-minute lobbying by trial lawyers. Sweeney said he wanted clarity on medical coverage for passengers in the event of an accident. Politico PRO
A $1.4B Hole–The think tank New Jersey Policy Perspective said the Transportation Trust Fund bill includes tax cuts and credits worth $1.4 billion, more than offsetting the revenue the gas-tax increase was designed to create. So they've filled a $1.2 billion hole and dug a $1.4 billion one. The cut in the estate tax will result $562 million of that hole. www.njspotlight.com
Aircraft Maintenance School in EHT–An aircraft-maintenance college may be coming to the Atlantic City International Airport. The Press of A.C.'s John DeRosier reports that hurdles remain but the goal is to have the program running by June. Press of Atlantic City