Floral Park, NY – A standing room only grassroots gathering of Floral Park residents met at the Methodist Church on 35 Verbena Avenue to organize their opposition to the upcoming change to New York State gambling law. Specifically, they are against casino gambling at Belmont Park and views the changes proposed by the State and supported by Federal politicians as inconsistent with the public good.
The Floral Park grassroots community affair detailed a litany of issues faced by casino communities. These issues are not new to those who have followed the Belmont Casino Project. What is new is the clarity of opposition coming from Floral Park and apparently supported at the highest levels of local and state government.
A list titled “Casino Realities” was distributed along with a catchy sounding document “What Happens in Floral Park, Stays in Floral Park! A Community Meeting to Stop The Belmont Casino”.
The meeting’s moderator, Ed Groshans, opened by detailing a list of concerns prospective residents of Casino Communities must consider before diving headlong into the arrangement. Among the points listed are:
- Full fledged casinos always depress residential property values. In a recent meeting with community residents in Floral Park, State Senator Jack Martins when asked his opinion on this point agreed that property values may decline. This could mean a drop of almost 40- 50 thousand dollars per house hold in Floral Park and between 20 and 40 thousand dollars in Elmont. The numbers are derived from unconfirmed studies that show declines of approximately 10 percent in property values in casino communities.
- Studies show that casinos contribute to underage gambling. Casinos are available to students 7 days a week, 24 hours a day
- Air, light, noise and garbage pollution will produce an environmental disaster
- Casinos debase political and moral systems by contributing generously to politicians' campaigns, by hiring politicians' families and friends to get the project in.
The speakers continued by pointing out that the politicians leading the effort for a Belmont casino are betraying Floral Park. They named Sen. Dean Skelos, County Executive Ed Mangano, Sen. Jack Martins & others.
“For over a century, FP voters have been their party's [Republican] most loyal constituents. We trusted that they represented family values and strong safe communities. Now they are poised to drive Floral Park over a cliff. Our village officials need to step forward to protect our community from this outrage”.
The group has launched a website http://stopthebelmontcasino.org with links to various studies on Casino Communities.
EoL will post audio excerpts of the meeting - it's always better in the spin free zone
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A Casino WILL bring these problems to Elmont and the surrounding Communities
- EDITORS NOTE -
Offensive language removed.
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