Mayor Steve Fulop once supported casino expansion outside of Atlantic City, but in April said he is rethinking the idea and may oppose the plan.
EAST RUTHERFORD -- Proponents of casino expansion took a few shots at Mayor Steve Fulop today as state lawmakers and union leaders gathered in the Meadowlands to drum up support for a November referendum aimed at allowing casinos to operate outside of Atlantic City.
Fulop once offered full-throated support of opening a casino in Jersey City, but in mid-April he said a visit to Atlantic City led him to rethink his position. Fulop has said if he ends up opposing casino expansion he will campaign against November's referendum. A new poll shows voters are split on the idea.
Labor union leaders, who support casino expansion, were reportedly furious with Fulop when he started dialing back his support. New Jersey State and Building and Construction Trades Council President William T. Mullen today called Fulop a flip-flopper.
"If this this is going to happen you don't need somebody that was on the page and now they're going off the page," Mullen said. "It sends a bad message."
Mullen declined to identify Fulop by name but referred to the man "across the river" whose gubernatorial aspirations are giving him "ideas of grandeur."
Bergen County Executive James J. Tedesco -- who received Fulop's support during his 2014 campaign -- said Fulop needs to think about "what's best for the state of New Jersey," and not just Jersey City.
"He represents hundreds of thousands of people who are part of New Jersey," Tedesco said. "So I would hope that he would get behind this and support it from a New Jersey standpoint."
Lawmakers who gathered outside the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce today -- including Senate President Stephen Sweeney, who like Fulop is expected to seek the Democratic nomination for governor next year -- said casino expansion will create jobs and lure gamblers who have abandoned Atlantic City for casinos in other states.
City spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill, responding to Mullen's comments, said Fulop can't make an "informed decision" about whether to support casino expansion until the state Legislature passes a law -- known as enabling legislation -- outlining the details of expansion, such as the proposed tax rate and locations of new casinos.
"For some reason, Trenton has not done this," Morrill said. "The most important question at this point is why are the details secret and how can anyone make an informed decision without this crucial information being passed in Trenton?"
Mark Magyar, director of policy for the state senate, said enabling legislation is almost always written after voters approve a referendum, not before. In November 1976 voters approved a referendum allowing casino gambling in Atlantic City, but it wasn't until June 1977 that Gov. Brendan Byrne signed a bill that specified what kind of facilities could house casinos, established a commission to oversee casinos and set requirements for when they could operate.
Fulop launched a website on May 17 asking for input on gambling. A spreadsheet detailing the results show 2,130 people have responded to say they do not favor casino expansion. Eight said they do.
Terrence T. McDonald may be reached at tmcdonald@jjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @terrencemcd. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.