A.C. problems need honest, caring leaders

I am not a resident of Atlantic City, but my family spent months vacationing there starting when I was 10. I am now 62. I saw the transformation from vacationland to casinos (we do not gamble).

I am retired from the hospitality industry after 35 years, most in Miami. I was involved in the transformation from Miami Beach to what is now South Beach. We had the same problem drug dealing, prostitution, panhandlers. When the developers came in to redo the island, they were booted out.

What I am getting at is Atlantic City is smaller than Miami Beach. What is the problem. Iraq has more street lights on during a night time air raid than Atlantic City does on a normal night.

From what I understand the state or city gives a certain amount of money to the homeless and also food stamps each month. To me this is drug money and the problem will never leave. The sober houses that are in the city create a comfortable living for the newly released criminal.

After I retired from the hospitality business, I went back to school and graduated from Villanova University with a BS in human behavior/addiction. You have a major problem in Atlantic City and with the sober houses it makes it worse (just look what it did to Wilkes-Barre, Pa.).

My girlfriend and I were leaving Atlantic City at 9 a.m. and on Pacific Avenue we witnessed a lady urinating on the sidewalk awesome! I have read where the casino CEOs are a bit upset with what is going on with the city.

Start electing people who are not taking from the city. You need honest, caring people with passion. Destroy the vacant houses, make them into a green space for now. My gosh, get Miss America back.

I will keep coming back to Atlantic City because I know you can make it very cool. And by the way I live in Harrisburg, Pa., and we brought our city back.

Blame taxpayers, voters for New Jerseys debt

Regarding the recent letter, Dems spent NJ into debt:

People are uninformed about the debt in New Jersey. The writer, as is common, blames public employees. I think the only reason the pension fund is in debt is because past administrations did not contribute the money to the pension fund they were supposed to. Many contributed no money at all. Christine Whitman redirected a lot of money out of the pension.

These politicians did this to limit tax increases. So for years the taxpayers of New Jersey benefited from lower taxes. Now the bill is due, and everyone is irate.

The problem is the taxpayers and voters. They voted for these politicians based on a political platform of not raising taxes or at least trying to keep tax increases to a minimum. How did they think the pension fund was going to fare? Do they know how the pensions work?

As a public employee for over 25 years, my pension contribution increased with each new contract. The promised, contractual obligation by the state was not met. As a retired employee, I now get 45 percent of my salary.

Dont kid yourself, we pay for everyones retirement when we buy goods and services from a wide range of industries. The CEOs and board members of companies certainly dont. They pass the cost on to the customers. Thats figured in to everything consumers buy.

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Voice of the People, March 29, 2020 | Letters - Press of Atlantic City