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A quarter of the world’s population (1.5 Billion people) face East towards Mecca five times daily while praying for salvation, prosperity, and hope. They pray to Allah (a.k.a. GOD) for forgiveness and better days ahead in these uncertain times.
Thirty Five thousand people, (the population of Atlantic City, NJ), their leaders and elected officials , in recent days face North on the island at the financially unstable REVEL Resort and Casino. Despite the uncertainty of it ever being completed, the inhabitants continue to look North towards this “Bronze Beacon of Hope” as the ancient Egyptians did during the building of the Pyramids of Giza . The Revel it seems has become an iconic symbol of the ONLY hope left to resurrect the rapid demise of this East Coast Gambling “Mecca”, known to many simply as “AC”.
This belief, which the natives have so naively accepted, is nothing more than a propagandized campaign by local officials to appease the masses. Instead of admitting their catastrophic failures as incompetent leaders, plagued by massive bureaucracy, and self interest, they continue to blame the “recessionary economy” as the culprit for AC’s current state of affairs and insultingly point to the “Bronze Beacon of Hope” as the answer to all the problems.
The partially completed Revel Resort has taken on a life of its own as a Monolithic God whom all must worship and whose completion can only be equated to the coming of the Messiah. Upon its completion, “believers” will all be led to the “promised” land of a prosperous and once again vibrant Atlantic City.
As ludicrous and unbelievable as this may seem, it is the sad reality of what Atlantic City has become. It is human nature, as a face saving effort to avoid embarrassment, to shift blame where often it does not belong. While the current economy has contributed greatly to the current economic woes of AC, it is by no means the major cause. The steady decline of AC started years ago with competition from neighboring Ct and PA casinos. Inaction and aloofness by AC casinos and officials and the stubborn belief that the impact would be short term has proven to be catastrophic in the long run. Most importantly, the late response of trying to transform AC into a destination resort rather than simply a weekend gambling destination has been a failure.
So where did AC go wrong? How did this stunningly beautiful seaside jewel of the East Coast become dangerously close to extinction? How can a town with so much to offer to every visitor reach this point of uncertainty? The answer is not a simple one, especially as one gazes mesmerizingly at the glittering lights and breathtaking boardwalk. It has been a mutually orchestrated failure of local officials and casinos executives, whose greed and incompetency has formed the perfect storm of events that put AC where it is today.
Instead of finger pointing and name calling, may I suggest that those responsible and in the position of implementing change must unite for this once in a lifetime opportunity to save this beloved seaside resort. Any further mistakes will not only be unforgiveable, but ultimately catastrophic. Instead of waiting idly by for the completion of the Revel as the (ludicrous) ultimate solution, an aggressive and well thought out master plan must be immediately created and implemented. A plan that would include the demolition of these eye sores which are the abandoned buildings dotting the outer blocks of the City. A better plan must be implemented for making the boardwalk, the city’s greatest asset, family-friendly and safer at night. Hire a marketing firm to re-introduce Atlantic City as a destination resort and fire the firm that came up with the slogan, “..Atlantic City, always turned on…”. While there are obviously financial restrictions, a make over can be done inexpensively and expeditiously.
Casinos and hotels should re-train their staff on how to be client oriented, courteous and efficient. The older properties must invest in re-modeling their outdated, gaudy décor and spend more in aggressive advertising and promotion campaigns to bring visitors back. Aging and failing casinos should look towards The Borgata Hotel (Las Vegas, Macau, etc) and learn what is sellable and desirable in today’s gaming market. Struggling Casinos with hopes of survival should be encouraged to merge with more successful ones and there should be certain tax benefits for these mergers. Undesirable casinos resistant to such mergers should be left to close down once and for all. This is a “New World Order” and Survival of the Fittest is critical if there is any hope of survival.
While all these are merely logical suggestions there is at least a PLAN here. Would you not agree that its better than the current one? Oh wait there is NO PLAN right now. Unless you believe that Revel is the answer!!!
If you are one of those naïve Revel believers, good luck because this year, I hate to disappoint you, Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and REVEL all “aint coming!”
My mother is OBSESSED with beach combing, and recently found a dead loggerhead turtle, some of the carcass had rotted out but not much, it was clear who the owner still was by both sight and by smell. She insisted that my father cut it out so she could add it to her growing collection of turtle shells in her garden.
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