CRDA Board Quietly Awards Insurance Deal With Vague Financials

CRDA director Chris Howard says the juicy insurance deal awarded to the George Norcross affiliated insurance company went to a “stronger and more thorough proposal”.

Hmmmm…. Just a few things missing though. Costs and savings were not part of the review process.

Amy Rosenberg from Philly.com: The infamous contract was awarded based on a Request for Qualifications (RFQ), not a Request for Proposals (RFP). Those who bid were not required to specify the overall cost of the insurance premiums themselves that CRDA would pay, including  coverage for the Atlantic City Convention Center and historic Boardwalk Hall, two big-ticket items that were added on as an addendum to the original RFQ.

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The CRDA was created to help Atlantic City fix itself up and become less dependent on Casinos. The casino taxes that CRDA controls & splits up, are supposed to be used for the good of the Atlantic City. That doesn’t always happen.

Unfortunately, hundreds of millions of those casino IAT dollars often go to other parts of New Jersey. Some of that casino tax money, amazingly,  goes right back to the casinos that paid into that IAT tax bucket.

AC was and still is, often left standing waiting for a share of the gaming windfall. Instead, money that was supposed to be used for revitalizing the City of Atlantic City, went to expensive Harrah’s Conference Centers, Tropicana video advertising on the Boardwalk and Borgata pools & clubs, etc.

CRDA Board members, including Mayor Guardian and Gary Hill voted YES for this insurance contract that benefits the powerful Norcross machine in South Jersey.

CRDA Insurance Norcross

Social Media Feedback: Amanda Bonner:
Funny thing — not a beep about this in the Press of Atlantic City today.

Amy Rosenberg to Amanda Bonner:
they would have only found out about it by reading my story. However they do cover CRDA meetings and were most likely there when the contract was approved, and never wrote about it.

Mel Taylor to Amy Rosenberg:
Excellent watchdog journalism by Amy.

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