New Jersey legislative Democrats are responding to Governor Christie's proposed takeover of Atlantic City with a three-stop "gaming summit" to develop their own plan.

KYW's David Madden reports the first session, Friday, in Atlantic City, featured testimony from casino workers, experts and the general public.

Mark Juliano, head of the Casino Association, told the panel the industry supports the public private partnership called for in Governor Christie's plan but he said expanding gambling to other parts of New Jersey would be a disaster.

Juliano said the resort has to focus on beating back the threat from gaming in Pennsylvania and Delaware:

"We must continue to capitalize on the difference between convenience gaming and the product we offer and continue to emphasize, promote, invest in and expand the wide range of attractions that can define Atlantic City as a multi faceted destination resort."

Among the several hundred people attending the summit were several dozen sporting "Save the Meadowlands" t-shirts. Horse-racing is one of the big losers in the governor's plan.

Senate President Steve Sweeney says that's part of the reason Democrats organized the summit. He says, though the Christie plan is a good starting point, it creates winners and losers.

"There's industries with thousands of jobs that go away under the governor's plan."

Additional hearings are set for the Meadowlands and Trenton.