Hard Rock @ TAJ Closing

[notes1]

[QUOTE=notes1]

i do not despise anyone on this forum. i have asked for help from some and they were nice enough to assist.again, if someone finds an unbiased in depth piece on what happened to AC, please post the site.  


Not sure if you can find a completely unbiased article but you may want to take a look at the following:

The last hand: The epic bust of Atlantic City’s gambling economy[/QUOTE]
 thanks for the article, really enjoy good writing and good story telling. what i am looking for is more of the history as to where the money went, how did they not see the competition coming, why didn't they clean up the place, etc.  would not be surprised to see AC taught in future MBA classes, 'what not to do'. 

[DaBurglar]

  thanks for the article, really enjoy good writing and good story telling. what i am looking for is more of the history as to where the money went, how did they not see the competition coming, why didn't they clean up the place, etc.  would not be surprised to see AC taught in future MBA classes, 'what not to do'. notes1,  these are great questions but as has been already touched upon, there is no easy, single source answer available anywhere....this calamity has been "brewing" pretty much since New Jersey first approved gambling back in 1977 and the first casino (Resorts) opened in 1978!Where did the MONEY go?    Well, you have to look at the taxes and fees generated by AC casinos over the years flowing into two levels of government, the CITY Level (i.e. AC)  and the STATE level (i.e. into New Jersey's government coffers).....which one of these "levels" is more reprehensible (or BLAMEWORTHY) for "Blowing" all the revenue generated over the years?    Is the State of NJ more at fault for taking the revenue and using it to pay for the problems and issues and pensions related to the NORTHERN portion of the state (i.e. where MOST of the people of NJ live);   or is the city of AC itself more blameworthy for not utilizing its share of the revenue from taxing casinos to keep crime and blight OUT of the city's streets, and for NOT demanding that the Casino management of the city's casinos keep pace with the rest of the gaming industry in terms of practices, quality and changes as competition from Pennsylvania reared its head in 2004?     Both the state of NJ and the city of AC had ample warning and indication of what was coming in Pennsylvania in terms of what impact it would have on NJ, because, on a MUCH smaller scale, in 1993-94, when the casinos up in New England (foxwoods and MOHEGAN) first opened and took a small but noticeable bite out of AC's  daytrip and overnight business from NYC and New England, they could see what having 8 or 9 such resorts right next door would mean to them!!!!ANd, setting aside the state and city governments and officials for a moment, what about the actual CASINO management themselves?   How much blame do they get?   Afterall they are not in business, nor obligated, to HELP the state of NJ or the city of AC, they are in business to MAKE a profit, and it is obvious they FAILED even their obligation TO THEMSELVES!!!!     Finally, what about the PEOPLE of NJ and AC themselves?? what blame do they share?   Why didnt they have a groundswell of public outcry as this disaster UNFOLDED right before everyone's eyes?!?!?      AFTERALL, we live in a DEMOCRACY right?  Government OF THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE (and of course, for the BENEFIT of the PEOPLE!!!!)     So what the hell happened???   Why was everyone asleep at the collective switch at the same time for so long??One partial answer to all this is simple:  People (all people at all levels in all occupations) have a tendency to Put difficult or challenging things off, to minimize the urgency of issues that are staring them in the face but which are DIFFICULT to address or perhaps even seem OVERWHELMING (like crime, paying off debt, and urban blight, and trying to plan for the future and THINK things through...)   Every year City, State and the Federal government(s)  rack up debt to fund things they may or may not actually need, CUT services or programs or purchases for things they may or may not need in order to minimize or even pay off DEBT (and a variety of combinations of BOTH behaviors)......We hold elections every two, four or more years to bring new people and new ideas into play and simultaneously KICK out old ideas and people who seem to have lost touch with the public......What was a burning hot priority ONE year suddenly becomes a total non issue the next, and vice versa.....hence in the city of AC's case and with the casino industry prior to 2006 when they had a virtual monopoly and were the masters of their own fate, they were content to conduct "BUSINESS as USUAL" for any one of the above mentioned reasons, or none of them......You need to simply pick a single relevant aspect of this whole mess Notes1 and just start researching and digging.....try one of the Governors previously mentioned (like Corzine )  or perhaps one of AC's many MAyors.......or research the rise and development of the UNION LOCAL 54 that represents AC's unionized casino employees and follow how they have acted over the last 20 years, and WHY.......Or FOCUS on and trace the path of New Jersey Casino legislation, regulation and TAX rates since gambling was implemented, and try and see where they lost it.......It is all related and intertwined so the best approach is "HOW DO YOU EAT AN ELEPHANT?".....   ONE    BITE   AT   A   TIME........