TRENTON - Facing fresh backlash from Atlantic City Mayor
Don Guardian over a new state proposal to take over the city's finances, State
Senate President Stephen Sweeney on Thursday accused the local government of
doing nothing to stem its fiscal crisis and threatened to withhold state aid.
"As far as I'm concerned, you don't want our
legislation? Fine," Sweeney said in an interview at the Statehouse.
"Good luck."
"They want money," he told reporters, "but
they don't want to do anything to restructure its government."
Sweeney on Wednesday proposed legislation that would
allow the state to assume the local government's power for five years. The
state would have the authority to terminate contracts, restructure debts,
abolish positions, dispose of municipally owned assets, negotiate collective-bargaining
agreements, and other things, according to Sweeney's staff.
Gov. Christie, Sweeney, and Guardian held a news
conference last month during which they signaled that all agreed Atlantic City
needed greater state involvement.
But the mayor on Wednesday he felt "stabbed in the
back" by Sweeney's new proposal and referred to the intervention plan as a
"dictatorship."
"We're not the fascists here," he said.
Guardian framed the issue in terms of the civil and
constitutional rights of Atlantic City's residents and elected officials, and
would not rule out taking legal action against the state.
Asked Thursday how the takeover legislation had changed
from a previous bill that Guardian had opposed, Sweeney said, "We've done
everything we possibly can to work with them."
He added that after negotiating with Christie's staff,
the new bill would establish early-retirement incentives "to help ease the
pain" of layoffs.
"That was a big give by the administration,"
Sweeney said in the interview.
Christie's office did not return a message seeking
comment.
Wall Street ratings agencies have warned that without
state aid, Atlantic City could run out of money by April. The resort has
struggled financially for years and was hit particularly hard by the closing of
four of its 12 casinos in 2014.
Christie last month vetoed a bill that would have
established a payment-in-lieu-of-taxes system for the casinos, but lawmakers
said they had introduced similar legislation this week. Christie is said to
support the idea if included with the takeover.
"I want to know what Mayor Guardian plans to do when
they're out of money," Sweeney said. "What restructuring have they
put forward? What plan have they given to anyone, except to say, 'I don't like
yours?' "
Guardian could not be reached. But City Councilman Marty
Small said Sweeney's comments Thursday "showed irresponsibility,"
adding that the mayor and council would have a full response to the legislation
at a noon news conference Monday.
Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto (D., Hudson) said he was
reviewing the bill and probably would try to amend it to protect unions'
collective-bargaining rights.
"Collective bargaining in this bill still is a
problem," Prieto said. The state "can tear up contracts. I have an
issue with that."
Sweeney, who also is vice president of the International
Association of Ironworkers, said he did not want to break contracts but rather
to renegotiate them. "But you know what happens with bankruptcy?"
Sweeney added. "They go away."
As for the apparent détente Sweeney and Christie had
reached with Guardian last month, Prieto, who did not attend the news
conference, said: "You know that little mirror on the right side, that
says objects might be closer than you think? That holds true in politics a
lot."
Source: Philly.com
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