Steve Cohen, billionaire hedge fund manager and owner of the NY Mets, wants to build a casino next to Citi Field as part of a massive private development on city-owned parkland. Cohen has invested millions of dollars in campaign contributions and lobbying City and State officials. He’s hired pricey consultants to promote a racist project that targets the nearby Asian community in Flushing and takes away 50 acres of our public parkland.
Gambling a real problem for many in Flushing that construction of a nearby casino will only make worse. The harmful impacts of gambling on communities are well-documented and devastating, leading to financial ruin and debt, and breaking up families. A casino would only further siphon more resources out of our community. Despite this, Cohen is seeking a casino license that would exploit our vulnerable working families, target Asians and endanger the health and safety of Queens.
Cohen’s proposed casino is part of a massive, city and state-promoted redevelopment project on 140 acres of land stretching across Flushing, Willets Point and the Citi Field parking lots that would exacerbate the displacement crisis in Flushing and across Queens. For more than a decade, one huge luxury development after another has been built, driving up rents and real estate taxes. Many Flushing residents and small businesses can only afford to stay here if they double up, splitting already crowded spaces, while those who own their property are squeezed by rising taxes.
Taking away 50 acres of public parkland in the middle of multiple communities of color is environmental racism and sets a precedent that will hurt all communities. Our communities need public parkland, especially in the context of a 140-acre mega development. Instead of lobbying the State government to privatize precious parkland so that he can profit, Cohen could use his wealth to improve the park, turning it into a green public space that reduces flood risk. Our Queens communities deserve no less.
In response to the rampant, unregulated development of the area, displacement of our community, destruction of our livelihoods, complete disregard for our public space and unwillingness to restore nature-based flood protections, our community proposes a Special District plan. The Flushing Community Special District plan will protect and enhance our existing homes, jobs, small businesses, manufacturing zones, waterfront, and public spaces.
To protect our Queens communities, we must unite to send a resounding message: Do NOT build a casino in Queens! Do NOT privatize our parkland! SUPPORT the Flushing Community plan!
We call on our local elected officials and city and state representatives to take action today to protect our Queens communities. Governor Hochul and Mayor Adams, we demand:
Say NO to a casino on Flushing Meadows-Corona Park! Queens doesn’t need another casino. Do NOT grant Cohen a casino license.
Say NO to privatizing parkland! Our public parkland should remain public. Do NOT pass State or City legislation that allows for parkland alienation.
PASS the Flushing Community Special District plan to protect Flushing from high rents and property taxes, luxury development, and displacement.
- FED UP Coalition
亿万富翁、对冲基金巨头兼纽约大都会队 (New York Mets) 老板，史蒂夫 · 科恩 (Steve Cohen) 近日计划在花旗球场 (Citi Field) 建造赌场，并借机对纽约市政府所有的公园专用地进行私人开发。科恩已在竞选捐款和游说现任市级和州级民选官员的过程中投入了数百万美元。为了巧妙地将皇后区这 50 英亩公园专用地转变为从法拉盛华人社区里敲骨吸髓的赌场，他斥巨资聘请了多位手段老辣的公关顾问来推动该这一危害亚裔社区的项目。
对于法拉盛的许多移民来说，赌博已然是一个严峻的社会问题，而在附近兴建赌场只会雪上加霜。赌博对社区的极端负面影响是有据可查的。债台高筑、倾家荡产、家破人亡，这仅是赌博给个人带来的毁灭性影响。在我们社区兴建赌场则会把问题扩散到整个社区，进一步从社区里榨取更多资源。尽管如此，科恩仍力争在我们的家园兴建赌场，以从亚裔美国人社区牟利，压榨我们脆弱的工薪家庭，并危害整个皇后区的健康和安全。
科恩拟建的赌场是一项由市政府和州政府推动的大规模重新开发项目的一部分，该项目占地 140 英亩，横跨法拉盛、威利点 (Willets Point) 和花旗球场 (Citi Field) 的停车场。该项目无疑会加剧法拉盛和整个皇后区的社区贵族化危机。近十几年来，一个又一个的大型豪华地产开发项目层出不穷，大幅提升了社区的租金和地税。对很多法拉盛居民和小个体户而言，现在唯一付得起房租的办法就是省吃俭用，多家庭合租。甚至那些拥有自住房的小房东也受到地税激增的打压。
科恩赌场的选址是一块被法拉盛，可乐那 (Corona) 等多个有色人种社区环绕的市政府所有公园专用地。把这 50 英亩公园专用地从我们社区中剥离出来修建赌场无疑是环境种族主义，并成为先例来破坏其他社区。我们的社区需要公园专用地。这个诉求应该被包括在政府对临近 140 英亩的巨型开发项目中。与其游说州政府将宝贵的公园专用地私有化以牟取暴利，科恩本可以使用他的财富将这片公有土地改善为绿色可持续的公共空间，降低洪汛风险。我们皇后区的各族裔社区不该为眼前的蝇头小利损失大局。
为了应对我们社区猖獗、不受管制豪华地产开发所带来的社区贵族化、生态破坏、对公共空间以及自然防洪措施的无视，我们提出了法拉盛社区土改计划。法拉盛社区土改计划 (Flushing Community Special District Plan) 将保护和改善我们现有的住宅、工作岗位、小商家、制造业、滨海区域和公共空间。
为了保护我们皇后区的社区，我们必须团结起来发出响亮的呼喊：绝对不能在皇后区建造赌场！绝对不能将我们的专用地私有化！支持法拉盛社区特别土地规划！
我们呼吁本地市级和州级民选官员今天采取行动保护我们皇后区的社区。我们要求纽约州州长胡楚 (Kathy Hochul) 和纽约市市长亚当斯 (Eric Adams)：
拒绝在法拉盛可乐娜公园 (Flushing Meadows-Corona Park) 及周边建赌场！皇后区不需要第二个赌场。绝对不能将赌场牌照批给科恩。
拒绝将公园专用地私有化！政府划定的公园专用地必须保持公有。绝对不能通过在州级或者市级的立法来改变这片土地的属性。
通过法拉盛社区土改计划 (Flushing Community Special District Plan) 捍卫我们的社区，保护法拉盛免受豪华地产开发商大炒地皮所导致的高房租高地税，普通居民流离失所的侵害。
