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Herald & Lantern 21 October 81

Gaming Prizes, Fees At Stake

TRENTON - Last, but certainly not least, of the record number of eight state questions on the November 3 ballot involves an amendment to the State Amusement Games Licen- ^ sing Law which dates from 1969, reports the N J Taxpayers Association, a 51-year-old private governmental research organization which studies and reports oh a wide variety of . governmental subjects. New Jersey's Constitution contains a unique provision which limits the power of the Legislature to pass laws .relating to * gambling ''‘unless the * specific kind, restrictions and controls" have been approved by a majority of voter, cast by voters at v a general election. ^ Accordingly in 1959,. voters approved the law wfiich established statutory contfols over certain amusement games of chance andj • skill and fixed maximum limits of 25 cents to play the games and of $15 on the • retail value of prizes that

could be awarded. y SUBSEQUENT INFLATION has proved the legal maximums to be unrealistic. Accordingly the Legislature has tried to obtain voter approval to increase the limit of the player’s fee to 50 cents and the retail value of prizes to $100.. Last year voters turned down a question which would have shifted authori: ty to regulate fees and prizes from the people to , the Legislature. x This year for the third time in five years voters are asked to vote on regulation of amusement games. The latest proposal would amend the games law' to authorize the State Arrtuse-., ment Games Control com- \ missioner, who also serves .as the Director of the pivision of Alcoholic Beverage Control antLis appdinted by the Governor with the advice and* consent of the Senate, to establish prizes and fees by administrative regulation after holding public hearings and having

his proposed rules considered by appropriate committees of the Legislature. PROPONENTS CLAIM this lastest proposal for administrative-' change is a more reasonable way to regulate the games sihCe it. is similar to the method used to control other types of gambling in New Jersey. Further, they poiht that fixing of fees arid prizes are minor administrative; details and ho longer appropriate subjects for voter decision. Under the latest proposal, citizens will have an opportunity to express their views on subsequent- ’ ly proposed changes for higher fees and prizes at public hearings while legislators have power to nullify the Games Commissioner’s actions. Opponents ’ simply want voters to retain decision-making, over administrative details and thus keep the the games a fo'rm o( low-priced family entertainment.

Democrat Challenger

• . (Page34;P|ease> Woods' instead of Guy Khtziani? , Woods: Let me start off by saying this. I. think it wmild be a great disservice to Cape Mtoy County for us not to have representation in the Assembly, tfow that might sound kitfri of funny coming from me. But there is a f aood chance that the balance will be completely; swung to our sister county. And I don’t say that in any disparaging or for any other reason outside of the fact that we have to have balanice between the counties,'There’s six candidates for the State Senate and the Assembly all told, and four of them are from Cumberland County. It’s conceivable that Cape May County may have none. And that would be sad. We have to have somebody because we have problems far different than Cumberland County. The makeup is much different.' Tourism is a big thing. Fishing, shellfishing is a big thing here. We have a lot of different things than Cumberland. And if they have all the representatives, then I think it’s going to be a sad day for Cape May County... • Well, you're talking only if the body politic splits its vote, and- votes [for the Senate candidate of doe party — both qf whom are from Cumberland County — onu splits its vote aifd goeif for both of the Assembly candidates — one a Republican, the other a Democrat — from Cumberland

County/...

Woods: /after question repeated/: I have a great deal of respect for Guy Muziani. I’ve probably known him for about. 18 years, — not well, but I’ve known him over a courSe'of about 18 years. As a matter of fact, I think we were members of the same Young Republican group way back when (of coUree, he’s about nine years older than l aAi; but t nevertfieless, I think they wer®L looking hard for ybung RepublicanSah Cape May Countjh. But as I see it, somjiimes Guy has a problcip with shooting from the hip too quickly. I think sometimes he says things in haste that perhaps he shouldn’t have said, and he finds himself always in a position latet* * on of having to retract some of his statements, or revise them... • Can you cite one example? Woods: Well,2 think casino gambling is one thing in particular. He was vef-y mu’ch against Atlantic City and I think later on he took the position where he wanted Wildwood to have a free-standing casino. And I think now he’s taken another position where he would be against casino gambling in Wildwood. Which is all right with me! But I think you have to be responsible when you say things. And when you're representing people on a state**vel, you have to calculate what needs to be done, and then you speak and then you vote accordingly. But you don't quickly say something and then in haste have to

retract it.

And when I say Guy, I don't want this to be construed as being anything personal because it certainly isn't. But I think that Guy is part, again, of the oldtime entrenched County Republican Organization which not necesnuly wants production, but they want to p^etuate their Organization. I think that's a minus, as far as Guy. If Guy was more indeoendent mindpri—

Now on the other side of the coin, I think I’ve probably demonstrated by being outspoken and being independent and tak^ ing a nonpartisan approach on a lot of thiAfes, and a businesslike approach — that I really have no master from the standpoint of a political organization or a political county chairman that I have to account to, or to other [party) Committee /people. I don't have those problems. V^And while I’ve probably at times maybe spotoen out in haste myself, I don't think I’ve done it in the same fashion as perhaps Quy has done it. But, as I say, I don't want anybody to.think thAl'I’m saying anything bad.about Guy as a perison. I’m sure he has the best interest of Wildwood at heart. Antfcertainly, it is conceivable that Guy Muziani and Bill Woods could be the representatives to the Assembly from the First District.Tt is very conceivable. And in that respect, I must say, certainly Cape May County would be the beneficiary. • That makes it sound like you think Guy Muziani would be a better .officeholder than your runningmate (Henry Ricci/. Woods: Oh no, not at all! Not at all! What I’m saying is, if that is the way it came out. I am by no means saying that I would want people to vote for Guy Muziani .over my running mate. Because here again, we have to have balance. We need to have Cumberland County, Cape May County in the Assembly. [Senate can didate] Ed Salmon has a home in Millville, has a /iome in Ocean City. There’s balance. tl But if it by chance happened — that the two of us from Cape May County [Woods and Muziani) happen to be elected to, the Assembly — certainly it wouldn't be to Cape May County’s disadvantage.

No, l am by no means [chuch/ej plugging for the election of Guy Muziani. I’m simply looking from the standpoint of people from Cape May County, because if anybody thinks southern New Jersey’s been shortchanged — thty ought to take a look at Cape May County.. • What do you mean by'thqf; that we're worse off? Woods: I think we are. I really do. I think wjiat's happened here — You know, the incumbent officeholders, they blame North Jersey, they blame Gov Byrne, they blame the Democratic Party. And I think that is really feeble. That is really a poor excuse. Because those are the people [ the incumbent First District Legislators] that were to represent us, speak up for us, Scream if you will, make a wave, or whatever. And I think if we've been shortchanged.— and those of us especially in Cape May County, if we’ve been shortchanged (and I think we have more so than the rest of South Jersey - I think it is just as much the fault of our elected represen tatives — no matter who was in the governor's chair, no matter who the Majority party was*no matter what the weight was in tire rest of the state. I think a lot of the fault lies right in their laps. And they’ve been there quite long, than just to keep saying; Well, we were one of a few, we were the wrong party—. That’s very feehlftl