Former N.J. economic czar gives Gov. Christie credit for tackling gaming overhaul

TRENTON — As economic growth czar for then-Gov. Jon Corzine, Jerry Zaro heard scores of ideas on how to enliven Atlantic City, reinvigorate the state’s racetracks and salvage the stalled entertainment megaplex at Xanadu. But he said it took Chris Christie to turn them into a blueprint. “All there’s been for years is hand-wringing. Now you have hands-on,” Zaro,...

TRENTON — As economic growth czar for then-Gov. Jon Corzine, Jerry Zaro heard scores of ideas on how to enliven Atlantic City, reinvigorate the state’s racetracks and salvage the stalled entertainment megaplex at Xanadu.

But he said it took Chris Christie to turn them into a blueprint.

“All there’s been for years is hand-wringing. Now you have hands-on,” Zaro, a Democrat who stayed in the Republican Christie’s administration through April, said Wednesday. “There isn’t anything in there (the report) that wasn’t kicking around for years, but it did take the leadership of this governor, with the assistance of this commission, to turn discussion into action. And I think that’s been the hallmark of his administration so far.”

With the forceful rollout of his sports and gaming overhaul today, Christie followed a pattern he set during his first six months in office. By tackling a long-standing problem
with a bold and non-ideological approach — and the force of his personality — Christie leaves the Democrat-controlled Legislature little room to object, veteran political hands say.

“This guy has defined the problems in away that everyone can understand, and has made it clear that he’s about finding solutions, and not necessarily about compromising very much,” said Tom Byrne, a former state Democratic chairman and son of former Gov. Brendan Byrne. “Everyone understands that New Jersey is really at a critical point, where the state could absolutely sink if there’s too much partisan fighting.”

John Munson/The Star-LedgerGov. Chris Christie greets Atlantic City Mayor Lorenzo Langford as the governor arrives for his press conference in front of Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.

With the exception of Christie’s refusal to sign a tax increase on millionaires, the self-proclaimed conservative has drawn few ideological lines. Instead he has proposed what he brands “common-sense” solutions designed to appeal to taxpayers — like public employee pension and benefit reforms, a cap on annual property tax increases and a limit on school superintendent salaries.

Always, Christie is at the center of the narrative — flexing the muscle of his office to take ownership of ideas that have often languished for years. The pension reforms, championed by Senate President Stephen Sweeney (D-Gloucester) and other Democrats under Corzine, did not become law until Christie pushed for them.

“We did it, he signed it. Whose pension reform is it? Chris Christie's," Sweeney said recently. “He’s got a bigger megaphone. It’s just that simple.”

But critics say Christie’s political pragmatism can come at the expense of good ideas — such as his ruling out any gambling expansion outside Atlantic City because South Jersey legislators have said it’s off-limits.

“The ideal solution is to open up gaming,” said Sen. Raymond Lesniak (D-Union). “He should be fighting for New Jersey, and New Jersey’s interests are best served by maximizing gaming revenues and reinvesting in Atlantic City, and not taking the easy way out politically.”

On the boardwalk in Atlantic City Wednesday, Christie said he wants to seize control of the tourism district because “the only person who can bring statewide certainty to these issues is the governor.”

“Maybe it’s my perception of the job,” he said. “I was not sent here to be a spectator … In the end, someone’s got to do it.”