The speaker was Tom Carver, executive director of the CasinoReinvestment Development Authority, a state agency that, bystatute, invests casino-generated money into development projectsaround the state. The audience, here yesterday, was a conference onSoutheast New Jersey's economy co-sponsored by PlanSmart NJ, aTrenton-based regional planning organization, and Richard StocktonCollege.

Despite the rosy growth outlook, "we are faced with a dynamic,proactive private sector, but an inactive public sector," Carvertold the audience of planners, government officials and others. "Ifwe don't take the next step and become a true international resort,we will not succeed vs. the competition around us. We need a systemto make it happen," he said, pointing to such challenges as atransportation master plan, housing and home rule.

And besides casino/resort development, one of the focal pointsfor that growth figures to be Atlantic City International Airport.Emphasizing that potential, Sharon Gordon of the South JerseyTransportation Authority, which operates the airport, pointed outthat the land area occupied by the facility is the equivalent ofall of Philadelphia and Newark Liberty international airports, plus60% of LaGuardia Airport all rolled into one.