"But my job is to fight for the people who call the peninsula home all year long. Five million tourists pour into this seaside village every year. Yet behind the bright lights, from Stillwell Avenue to Sea Gate, nearly one in three residents live in poverty or face food insecurity. 61% spend more than 30% of their paycheck on rent. Child poverty here is among the worst in the nation."
"There are things we need in Coney Island, but a casino isn't one of them. And, let's be real: casinos exist to make money, not to fix our aging infrastructure or lift families out of poverty. For surrounding businesses, the promise of eight million new customers should be welcome news. But everyone knows that a massive 37-acre casino complex wouldn't complement our local economy - it would cannibalize it and swallow the People's Playground whole."
Five million tourists visit Coney Island annually while nearly one in three residents face poverty or food insecurity. Sixty-one percent of households pay more than 30% of income on rent, and child poverty rates rank among the worst in the nation. Rezoning and redevelopment produced over 3,500 mostly affordable housing units, private projects, and $750 million in public investment, yet traffic congestion, a damaged boardwalk, flooding, and vacant lots remain. A proposed 37-acre casino would prioritize profit over community needs, risk cannibalizing local businesses, and would not remedy aging infrastructure or lift families out of poverty. Casinos are designed to keep patrons and their money inside, making a large complex incompatible with a small, crowded residential neighborhood.
Read at Brooklyn Paper
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