"Jack Hu, an organizer of the anti-casino movement and lifelong resident of Flushing, alleged the committee only voted in support of the casino because members "took lobbying dollars from Metropolitan Park." He said the developer "manufactured consent" from the committee and made it appear as though the community is fully in support of the casino despite the overwhelming opposition demonstrated during the Nov. 16 protest."
""They use their influence on that community board to lobby all the committee board members to vote for it," Hu claimed. "And then what happens is Metropolitan Park comes out and says 'we have unanimous consent'... And so, our group, our position from the get-go, has been that this is a completely unfair process.""
"Queens protesters criticized Cohen and said the development was "irresponsible," alleging Liu and Hochul have "sold out" and been "bought" by the billionaire. Some cited an op-ed penned by Liu in March 2024 acknowledging that casinos target Asian-American communities through "aggressive ad targeting" and lead to "problem gambling, addiction, and other social, economic and health concerns.""
Nearly 1,000 protesters gathered in Flushing on Nov. 16 to demand that state Sen. John Liu and Gov. Kathy Hochul withdraw support for a proposed casino next to Citi Field. Protesters labeled the development "irresponsible," accused officials of being "bought," and cited Liu's March 2024 op-ed on casinos targeting Asian-American communities with "aggressive ad targeting" and causing "problem gambling, addiction, and other social, economic and health concerns." The Community Advisory Committee unanimously supported the casino on Sept. 30 despite opposition. Organizers alleged the committee was influenced by Metropolitan Park lobbying and that consent was manufactured.
#citi-field-casino #anti-casino-protest #lobbyingmanufactured-consent #asian-american-community-impact
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