[NYguy]

Lol. Fresh approach by the NIMBYs. Why not have a gathering of NIMBYs?


https://www.brooklynpaper.com/no-fro...-casino-panel/

It’s a no from me! Coney Islanders hold anti-casino panel, say gaming facility could harm the nabe





By Jada Camille
February 14, 2024

Coney Islanders Against a Casino, a group of residents who are doing all they can to oppose the proposed gaming center coming to the area, held an anti-casino panel and forum on Feb. 12.

Panelists from the area shared their reasoning against bringing a gaming facility to the neighborhood, with concerns ranging from a potential increase in crime and prostitution to fewer job opportunities than project developers have proposed, but the biggest concern centered around fear that the casino would promote addictive gambling.

Last summer, developers with the casino team announced the center, dubbed “The Coney,” would bring 4,000 new jobs within the hospitality and gaming industry to the People’s Playground. However, locals asked how beneficial those jobs will be if they aren’t in their career field — emphasizing their desire for careers, not just jobs. They also wondered how obtainable these potential positions will be.

Linda Harrison, president of the Haber Houses tenant association, dangled a flyer on a fishing line to demonstrate what she said it feels like to be promised jobs after years of “neglect,” yanking the flyer out of reach to represent broken promises.

“They say after decades of neglect we’re finally in line to get jobs. So my question is, why was there neglect over so many decades? I think that was intentional to keep [us] in our place,” she said, further comparing the years of broken promises to dangling a carrot in front of a horse to keep it moving forward.

Les Bernal, national director of Predatory Gambling and Campaign for Gambling-Free Kids, joined the southern Brooklyn residents and shared the harmful effects of gambling. According to Bernal, casinos are a form of financial fraud — and he feels the fact that they are only allowed in New York City with a license from the government proves their harmful effects.

“When you have commercialized gambling, what it does is in the business is about exploiting and defrauding citizens and their communities,” he said. “The business model is not based on a casual gambler, it’s based on the addictive gamblers.”