The Pig Farms May Be Gone....

[Laxman]

but the pigs aren't-and they're gathering at the trough. Why would the state of NJ be looking at the dying casino industry in Atlantic City as it fails and still be calling for the construction of new casinos in the Meadowlands? It all starts to fall into place now. Sheldon Adelson, Triple Five (famously a "special" client of David Samson), Jeff Gural (represented by Christie cronie John Inglisino) and others with an inside track to the Christie administration stand to profit handsomely.

With pig farms gone, Sheldon Adelson mulls a casino in Meadowlands

Las Vegas casino billionaire Sheldon Adelson says he would be interested in building a casino in the Meadowlands – now that Secaucus is no longer as he remembers it.

Adelson, the keynote speaker at the Global Gaming Expo event in Las Vegas Wednesday night, explained why he might invest if given the opportunity.

“Secaucus doesn’t have the pig farms it used to have,” said the 81-year-old Adelson, who was in the U.S. Army more than a half-century ago. “It used to rain the odor of pig farms on the Meadowlands. When I was stationed on Governor’s Island in New York City, I could smell Secaucus from Governor’s Island. We don’t have that anymore, so that would be a very attractive place to build.”

snip

If a casino is ever authorized at the Meadowlands, the bidding could be complicated.
Meadowlands Racetrack operator Jeff Gural has an option for a $110 million refund of his new grandstand should casino gambling come to the Sports Complex without his involvement. Triple Five, the developer of the American Dream Meadowlands shopping and entertainment project, has certain rights to build a hotel at the site should a casino be built.

read the article here: http://www.northjersey.com/news/with-pig-farms-gone-sheldon-adelson-mulls-a-casino-in-meadowlands-1.1101173

It's amazing what a billionaire's money can buy these days! And I'm certain that none of this was discussed when Christie went to kiss Sheldon's ring back over the summer-or when Samson & his associate (and former Christie administration official) Lori Griffa negotiated Triple Five's lease. Quod Est In Loco!

[Beach Rat]

1. There's nothing to see here folks!

Its all just a big old coincidence. When you've got the kind of money Adelson has you never can be quite sure where its going, can you? This smells worse than the pig farms used to.

A bad bet: GOP Governors Assn. crossed state law with donation

A POLITICAL-action committee set up to help Gov. Corbett win re-election received nearly $1 million from a billionaire casino investor barred from making political contributions in Pennsylvania.

The Republican Governors Association, chaired by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, reported receiving $1 million for its federal political-action committee on Dec. 31 from Sheldon Adelson, CEO of the Las Vegas Sands Corp.

The group immediately moved $987,844 of Adelson's money into its "RGA Pennsylvania 2014 PAC," according to a state campaign-finance report filed Jan. 31.

Pennsylvania's gaming law prohibits casino owners in the state from making contributions to candidates for state office or political-action committees in Pennsylvania.

Adelson, a Republican mega-donor known for his keen interest in foreign affairs - especially as they relate to Israel - owns 7 percent of the Sands Casino Resort in Bethlehem. His wife, Miriam, owns 16 percent. Another 18.6 percent is controlled by two trusts in the name of Sheldon Adelson.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/politics/20140610_A_bad_bet__GOP_Governors_Assn__crossed_state_law_with_donation.html

[Laxman]

2. Well That Certainly...

connects a couple of dots. The old Seacaucus pig farms are the perfect home for these guys. I suppose this whole analogy isn't really fair to pigs. That $1million donation predates Bridgegate when it seemed like everything could be quietly fixed. I guess it probably still can be.