Steve Cohen, owner of the NY Mets, announced plans to build a casino in Willets Point, on the parking lots of Citi Field, just in time for New York State’s open applications for three casino licenses. To promote his casino, he is spending a lot of money on consultants and advertising, coinciding with the media’s racist stereotypical portrayal of Asians as avid gamblers. The message being: since Asians love gambling so much, he is doing us a favor building a casino in Flushing’s backyard!
A casino in Willets Point will hurt our community. Gambling is a big problem for many, causing people to lose life savings and destroying families. Many workers in Flushing have been fighting to end the inhumane 24-hour workday, which only women of color home care workers are forced to endure. The women’s long hours of work away from their families have left husbands alone to fall into gambling. Despite majority and bi-partisan support for the No More 24 Act (Intro 175) bill in the city council, to finally end the racist 24-hour workday, the bill has not been brought to vote. Yet the City may help Cohen build a casino, further tearing working families apart.
The casino will also exacerbate the displacement crisis in Flushing. One mega luxury development after another, with the support of the City, has driven up rents and real estate taxes. For many, now the only way to afford an apartment is to split the rent among people, and even those who own their homes or apartments are being squeezed by the rising taxes. Small businesses have been equally suffering, with many being forced to shut down or crowd together to afford the rent. By luring people to gamble away their hard-earned money, the planned casino and entertainment center will make them unable to live or do business in the neighborhood. Cohen touts jobs and progress, but, in fact, he will destroy jobs and the fabric of our community.
As Cohen and the City prepare to force through massive development across Willets Point and the parking lots that will house the casino, we in the Flushing community must unite to send a resounding message that he cannot dare to build a casino there. The parking lot on which Cohen wants to build the casino is City-owned parkland that is leased to the Mets to use as a parking lot. If he no longer needs it, it should be returned to the City and turned into a park for the public to enjoy. Public land should benefit the public.
纽约大都会队（New York Mets) 老板史蒂夫·科恩 (Steve Cohen) 瞄准纽约州政府接受三张赌场牌照的公开申请的时机，宣布计划在威利点花旗球場的停车场建造赌场。为了说服公众支持他的赌场计划，他投入了大量资金到游说和广告上，还跟一些媒体诋毁亚洲人嗜好赌博的种族歧视的文章不谋而合。 科恩用的理由很简单：既然亚洲人这么爱赌博，他就为我们在法拉盛后院建赌场！
赌博是一个严重的问题，导致人们失去毕生积蓄并摧毁家庭。 法拉盛很多华人和其他有色族裔妇女护理工人被迫忍受不人道的24小时工作日。妇女远离家人长时间工作，使许多丈夫独自一人，掉进赌博的深渊。这几年来，护理工人和许多各行业工人站起来，争取到两党的占多数市议员支持市议会的“废除24小时工作日”（“No More 24”）法案（编号175），来结束这个种族歧视的工作安排。然而，市政府不但尚未将该法案付诸表决，还可能会帮助科恩在威利点建赌场，进一步撕裂工人家庭。
赌场也将加剧法拉盛的逼迁危机。 在市政府的支持下，一个又一个的大型豪华高楼项目抬高了租金和房地产税。 对很多人而言，现在唯一付得起房租的办法就是分摊房租。即使是那些拥有自己的房子或公寓的人也受到不断涨税的挤压。 小商户也同样受苦，他们很多被迫关闭或挤在一起支付租金。 拟建的赌场和娱乐中心通过诱使人们赌光血汗钱，使我们无法继续在社区居住或经商。 科恩吹捧就业和进步，但实际上，他会破坏工作和我们社区的结构。
在科恩和市府准备在威利点进行大规模开发时，我们法拉盛社区必须团结起来发出清晰明确的声音，阻止他们在那里建造赌场。 科恩要建赌场的停车场是市政府拥有的公园地，租给大都会队用作停车场。 如果科恩不再需要它，就应该将它归还给市政府用作面向公众的公园。 公共土地应该让公众受益。
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