[C19fan]

Article only hints at the demographics, like Detroit, of AC that will always mar it as outside the Broadwalk as a dump: Chocolate City.

[Opinionated Blowhard]

Atlantic City is such a sad story about how corrupt politicians suck any source of money dry for their own personal patronage rather than use it to rebuild a dying community. For decades before Pennsylvania and New York approved gambling, Atlantic City made a fortune that simply disappeared into the mess of corruption, patronage and crony Capitalism that is NJ politics. Now that the money train has ended, the city is where it was before — broke and dying.

[cripplecreek]

Detroit is headed in the opposite direction due to GOP control of the state. The riverfront is looking good these days.

[the OlLine Rebel]

Gambling ultimately never works. It always gets seedy. It’s a smoke&mirrors get-rich-quick proposition. GRQ never works, yet it defines both the gambler and the gamblee.

My mother loved Atlantic City before the casinos. Now it’s just another gilded-not-golden faux palace dump.

[Mase]

We used to call Asbury Park Newark by the Sea, but that city has made a turn for the better. Looks like AC has earned that dubious title.

Not that is was all that better before. Even in the best of times, la ghetto was just two blocks off the boardwalk.

[fatnotlazy]

I’ve never been to AC, but people who had been told me it was a cardinal rule to never venture anywhere away from the casinos. The rest of the city was unsafe.

There used to be regular bus trips to AC from my neck of the woods, but there aren’t so many now. Part of the reason is the availability of gaming close by, but I’m sure another reason is the deterioration of AC. Who wants to shell out so much money to travel to a city where you can’t leave your hotel?

[bigbob]

Shocking, unexpected, Bushes fault, etc.

[CodeToad]

Atlantic City: Liberals. ‘nuff said.

[randita]

Most people gamble with funny money. Nobody has any funny money anymore. Inflation, health care costs, and taxes have sucked us all dry.

On the other hand, there has been an uptick in the use of local, state, and national parks. For recreation, they are the best bargain around, especially for a family.

[Palio di Siena]

the last episode of Boardwalk Empire is this Sunday - ironic.

[katnip]

I like Atlantic City. I love the boardwalk, the ocean, the feral cats that are cared for there. The casinos and shops are beautiful.

You can’t go out once it’s dark though for fear of being mugged or killed. And don’t walk up those side streets.....

[PIF]

Maybe when the weather cycle changes, Nature will clean up AC as it did in the 40’s ...

[PATRIOT1876]

Go to Detroit to gamble?!?!

“Win $400 at blackjack!
Lose $400 and your life as you leave the casino”

[SkyPilot]

That's the mentality of many in New Jersey: don't admit sin is sin, and take what's "in it for me."

It is the same with Property Taxes, the highest in the nation.

The corrupt NJ Supreme Court ruled over 30 years ago that schools in minority communities could fleece the rest of the "white" districts out of their property taxes.

New Jersey's high property taxes are fault of former Abbott Districts, Assembly members say

This was called the Abbott Decision.

The result was that the towns raise their property taxes to cover the town's own needs (police, fire, schools), and then tax the residents again so that they can shovel another 30% of stolen tax money to the Abbott districts, who piss away about $20,000 per student.

Most of that money is further stolen by the teachers and administrators, who use it to pad their own salaries and benefits.

The schools, meanwhile, get astro turf football fields, top computer equipment, and stadium lights that would rival an NFL team. Their students, however, are the same illiterate thugs that they always were.

Same with Atlantic City. They tried to pretend it was Disney World, but it was never anything but a mob infested hell hole of prostitution, drugs, alcoholism, gambling addiction, and crime.

[discostu]

The didn’t see the change coming. Vegas realized as Indian casinos took hold that to get the tourists they needed gambling to be a second attraction. The Disney with slots change was rocky at first, but eventually they landed where they want to be, there’s lots of fun entertaining reasons to go to Vegas, a good chunk of the tourists never gamble a penny.

[GOPJ]

Atlantic City :

White 26.68%
Black or African American 44.16%