GetInfo: Casinos await new budget for New Jersey; Deal between governor and state lawmakers edges closer to completion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Nearly a week after New Jersey governmentstopped fully functioning, lawmakers on Friday were edging towardvoting on a budget plan that would allow Atlantic City casinos toreopen.

Legislative committees were set to consider the legislationFriday, clearing the way for voting on a new state budget later inthe night.

Gov. Jon S. Corzine would have to sign an executive order toformally end the shutdown, which forced gambling operations to closeWednesday for the first time in the 28-year history of legal gamblingin New Jersey.

In Atlantic City, gamblers roamed the purple-carpeted hallways andemployees took turns asking the $1.3 million-a-day question: "Whenare we opening?"

Trump Entertainment chief operating officer Mark Juliano said hebelieved casinos would open at midnight Friday at the earliest.

"Every second that goes by makes the situation worse. Opening atmidnight Friday, you can discount Friday as being completely lost anda severe impact on the weekend," he said.

The impasse that left the state with no means to spend money sincea July 1 constitutional deadline to adopt a new budget was missedbecause Democrats who control the state Assembly balked at thegovernor's proposal to increase the state sales tax.

Under a compromise reached Thursday, Democratic Gov. Jon S.Corzine and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. agreed to increasethe sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and put half the moneyearned from it toward easing property taxes, among the nation'shighest.

To ensure the sales tax money doesn't get spent elsewhere, voterswould be asked in November to dedicate half the sales tax increaserevenue to property tax relief.

The casino closings turned normally bustling slot parlors andblackjack pits into oddly silent areas roped off and protected bysecurity guards. The gambling halls had to shut down because theyrequire state inspectors on the scene to operate.

That forced some 36,000 dealers, cocktail servers and slot machineattendants of Atlantic City's 12 casino-hotels off the job, too.Casino restaurants closed and bus lines stopped sending motor coachesto Atlantic City because few people wanted to go if they couldn'tgamble.

Operators and their customers criticized the state for orderingthe closings, saying the $1.3 million in daily tax revenue they addto state coffers made them the wrong targets for cost-cutting in abudget crunch.

Casinos await new budget for New Jersey; Deal between governor and state lawmakers edges closer to completion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Nearly a week after New Jersey governmentstopped fully functioning, lawmakers on Friday were edging towardvoting on a budget plan that would allow Atlantic City casinos toreopen.

Legislative committees were set to consider the legislationFriday, clearing the way for voting on a new state budget later inthe night.

In Atlantic City, gamblers roamed the purple-carpeted hallways andemployees took turns asking the $1.3 million-a-day question: "Whenare we opening?"

Trump Entertainment chief operating officer Mark Juliano said hebelieved casinos would open at midnight Friday at the earliest.

"Every second that goes by makes the situation worse. Opening atmidnight Friday, you can discount Friday as being completely lost anda severe impact on the weekend," he said.

To ensure the sales tax money doesn't get spent elsewhere, voterswould be asked in November to dedicate half the sales tax increaserevenue to property tax relief.

Casinos await new budget for New Jersey; Deal between governor and state lawmakers edges closer to completion

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - Nearly a week after New Jersey governmentstopped fully functioning, lawmakers on Friday were edging towardvoting on a budget plan that would allow Atlantic City casinos toreopen.

Legislative committees were set to consider the legislationFriday, clearing the way for voting on a new state budget later inthe night.

In Atlantic City, gamblers roamed the purple-carpeted hallways andemployees took turns asking the $1.3 million-a-day question: "Whenare we opening?"

Trump Entertainment chief operating officer Mark Juliano said hebelieved casinos would open at midnight Friday at the earliest.

"Every second that goes by makes the situation worse. Opening atmidnight Friday, you can discount Friday as being completely lost anda severe impact on the weekend," he said.

The impasse that left the state with no means to spend money sincea July 1 constitutional deadline to adopt a new budget was missedbecause Democrats who control the state Assembly balked at thegovernor's proposal to increase the state sales tax.

Under a compromise reached Thursday, Democratic Gov. Jon S.Corzine and Assembly Speaker Joseph Roberts Jr. agreed to increasethe sales tax from 6 percent to 7 percent, and put half the moneyearned from it toward easing property taxes, among the nation'shighest.