Norcross saved Camden
Everyone, except one person, looked at Camden as a “dead” city. Who in their right mind would bother to invest in what was called the “most dangerous city in America”?
George Norcross took a chance on Camden. It was not pretty, but it was effective. The waterfront, Cooper University Hospital and Rutgers-Camden’s expansion all have his fingerprints. Were some of his methods questionable? Probably. Illegal? Probably not. Norcross treaded where the “do-gooders” never would. He understood that you do not bring a city back to life without having to take some chances and push some limits. Some feelings were hurt and some people were pushed aside, but no one was hurt. Camden did not have the luxury of worrying about bruised egos.
Now the armchair quarterbacks and haters are on the attack. People who would never venture to Camden are lining up to go after the only person who cared.
People are also reading…
Camden was dead. Norcross used every means necessary to shock it back to life. Emergency CPR is not pretty, the shocks can even seem cruel, but it was necessary. Norcross performed CPR on Camden. He made money, some of it from stretching the limits, but the real question should be “Is Camden better now?”
The answer is YES!
Michael J. Makara
Mays Landing
Fix, don’t blame
Live poker in NJ
I have continued to advocate for live poker facilities in the state of New Jersey regulated by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement. I watch as other states like Texas and Ohio have these so called “poker clubs,” however, those clubs are not regulated by any state authority. Here in New Jersey, casino-style gambling is only legal within the bounds of Atlantic City. This includes games like blackjack, craps, roulette and peer-to-peer poker.
One of my biggest peeves about the gaming industry is that dealers have to be properly trained either at an in-house casino or at an accredited school that teaches casino games including poker. Learning the basics can take weeks, but mastering it takes months or years. Many of the dealers that deal these games work for tips! I wish that lawmakers would realize this, and I am asking to expand this opportunity specifically to poker.
My game of preference is peer-to-peer poker. Poker is a game that is played among the players and not against the casino. The casino only collects a fee for providing the service of the game. Casinos also have to hire dealers and floor supervisory personnel to both deal and manage the game. Being a good poker dealer requires that one go to an accredited school to learn about the games and many hours and years of practice.
As I have stressed, dealers work on tips, and unfortunately, there are too few poker facilities in New Jersey, with Atlantic City being the only place to play poker. New Jersey should expand live poker throughout the entire state and allow the Division of Gaming Enforcement and/or Casino Control Commission to issue poker facility licensure to offer only poker. The best way to do this is to put a proposal like this on a ballot and allow the voters in New Jersey to decide.
Lyndon Johnson
Vineland
Rediscovering faith, community
Finish Route 55
To all who travel on Route 55 South, the “Road to Nowhere” to Cape May County: This highway was started in 1969, and now it’s 55 years old and still hasn’t been completed south to the city of Wildwood. The main holdup in completing this heavily traveled highway south is Trenton legislators, local politicians and the New Jersey Sierra Club.
The state has failed to address the importance of the Route 55 extension. New Jersey legislators and politicians in Trenton treat North Jersey as the favorite child. If Route 55 was in North Jersey, it would have been completed decades ago and there would have been substantially fewer head-on accidents and loss of life.
Other states have done similar road projects, like building highways through sensitive wildlife areas in the Florida Everglades by elevating the highways to not disturb the wildlife in sensitive areas. Surely the elevated highway would cost more to build, but it would be well worth it.
Route 55 extension plans have existed for many years. The extension to Wildwood would help Cape May County bring businesses/jobs, solve traffic problems and lower accidents also on routes 47 and 347. It would give a better emergency evacuation than what exists now. With climate change and water levels rising, that extension needs to be completed.
Daniel Stango
Cape May