The current mayor of Atlantic City, NJ is an impediment to progress

In a more than 2-hour long live interview with New Jersey Senator Vince Polistina and Atlantic City Councilman George Tibbitt… major issues and solutions were discussed.

It was a very healthy give and take that took place on Friday, November 1, 2024. If you missed the interview, you can listen on the WPG TALK Radio 95.5 podcast.

Most everyone agrees that currently impeached Atlantic City Mayor Marty Small is a major problem.

Small simply refuses to properly address violent crime and the other basic functions of government.

This leadership vacuum made Atlantic City uncompetitive as a destination resort.

In fact, it got so bad that even businesses that were previously booked were cancelled; because they refuse to hold events there in Atlantic City right now.

In response to the degradation of the Atlantic City brand, Senator Polistina wants to change the name of the Atlantic City International Airport to a regional name; because of Atlantic City’s current bad reputation.

With both Marty and La’Quetta Small facing indictment on felony child abuse charges…Atlantic City’s reputation has taken a beating in the court of public opinion.

The viewership of the accused Smalls, along with the reality that Atlantic City is currently perceived as unsafe and unclean, is destroying its viability as a world-class resort.

The casino industry is suffering in the form of reduced in-person visits. The casino’s digital platform works very well, however, the structure of this part of the business does not allow casinos to keep a large part of their digital earnings.

Atlantic City casinos need increased direct customer business on property.

Polistina also pointed out the competitive disadvantage Atlantic City faces from a transportation standpoint.

It is difficult and expensive for visitors to get from Philadelphia to Atlantic City.

Atlantic City’s homelessness and drug problems were also highlighted and discussed at length.

Polistina prefers to call the AtlantiCare Regional Medical Center to get the point here.

This makes perfect sense, as AtlantiCare has the behavioral health services pedigree necessary to implement a structured and effective approach to dealing with this serious problem.

A number of other important topics were also addressed, such as the proper funding of the New Jersey Casino Reinvestment Development Authority.

New York casinos are coming. This is a critical point in the history of Atlantic City.