On Wednesday, February 3, New Jersey governor Chris Christie signed an executive order to create a seven-member advisory committee which will collectively assess the state’s gambling, sports and entertainment issues
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The committee has the mandate of assessing the current situation, find solutions to the current problems, and come up with policy recommendations by June 30, 2010.
An article by pressofatlanticcity.com cited Christie as saying that he was tired of watching separate gaming groups -- those representing Atlantic City casino interests and state horse racing interests -- look at the situation in a vacuum.
“What everybody who has a stake in this needs to understand is, it’s time to get out of your entrenched positions,” Christie was quoted as saying. “Pure self-interest can work two ways: If it works out for you, you can do pretty well. If it don’t work out, you wind up in the toilet.”
The pressofatlanticcity.com report cites Christie as saying that he wants to see the state's interests in Atlantic City protected, while, at the same time, seeing solutions to how New Jersey's racing horse racing industry financially viable.
“The days of subsidy by the state are coming to a close,” he was quoted as saying.
An article by nj.com on the creation of the advisory committee outlines who will be making up the seven-member group. The list of seven appears below.
Jon F. Hanson
• Founder of Hampshire Real Estate Cos. Led Sports and Exposition Authority in '80s.
Finn Wentworth
• Principal of Normandy Real Estate Partners, former president of YankeeNets.
Al Leiter
• Former pitcher for the Yankees and Mets. A native of Ocean County.
Wes Lang
• Managing director of WML Partners, LLC, an investment/development firm.
Debra P. Dilorenzo
• President and CEO of Chamber of Commerce of Southern New Jersey.
Robert Holmes
• Professor at Rutgers School of Law in Newark, director of .Community Law Clinic.
Robert E. Mulcahy III
• Former president of sports authority and athletic director at Rutgers.