Your guide to NYC's public proceedings.
PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michelle Lau Burke, Representative of Jackson Heights Indivisible
0:54:17
ยท
151 sec
Michelle Lau Burke, representing Jackson Heights Indivisible, strongly opposes the Queen's Future/Metropolitan Park casino proposal, citing concerns about its negative impacts on the community. She argues that the casino would exploit vulnerable populations, increase problem gambling, and potentially lead to higher crime rates.
- Burke criticizes the community consultation process, alleging conflicts of interest and biased community board votes.
- She emphasizes the lack of enforceable community benefits and questions the effectiveness of proposed safeguards against problem gambling.
- Speaking from personal experience, Burke shares how gambling addiction has devastated her own family.
Michelle Lau Burke
0:54:17
Honorable council members, thank you for having me here.
0:54:20
My name is Michelle Lau Burke.
0:54:22
I'm I'm a mother of two and I'm speaking on behalf of Jackson Heights Indivisible.
0:54:27
My statement has been endorsed by a 70 of my neighbors and I have copies of their names that I can, provide as well.
0:54:35
We fully support the concerns raised by Guardians of Flushing Bay and Fed Up Coalition which I'm sure they'll present today.
0:54:41
Despite the misleading name Queen's Future, the crux of this plan is to bring a predatory casino into our communities.
0:54:49
The casino will extract wealth from residents of all socioeconomic classes, particularly targeting vulnerable groups to benefit a billionaire.
0:54:57
Many studies show that problem gambling disproportionately harms people living in lower income neighborhoods and exacerbates poverty and inequality.
0:55:06
Research also shows that proximity to a casino correlates with higher rates of gambling addiction, which is linked to domestic violence, child neglect, debt, bankruptcy, depression, and suicide.
0:55:18
With so many seniors and immigrants living near the proposed site, this project is not development.
0:55:23
It's exploitation.
0:55:25
Research also indicates that crime rates are higher in counties with casinos compared to those without.
0:55:32
This community consultation process has been riddled with conflicts of interest.
0:55:36
Queen's Future LLC, billionaire Steve Cohen and Hard Rock International spent nearly 3,000,000 in two years three million dollars in two years lobbying for this casino, the highest lobbying expenditure in New York City in both years.
0:55:51
Local community boards, including mine, community board three, have been targeted with some members even be working as paid consultants, community board members, as paid consultants to the developers.
0:56:02
Now, these biased votes are being used to manufacture a perception of community's consent for a predatory casino when there is none.
0:56:11
The project also lacks enforceable community benefits.
0:56:14
There's no binding agreement to hold developers accountable, only vague promises with oversight left to the same state agency that grants the license.
0:56:22
I also wanna say a few words in my personal capacity.
0:56:25
As someone with a close family member, a parent who has battled a gambling addiction for twenty years, I know firsthand how problem gambling ruins lives and devastates families.
0:56:36
Hardrock so called safeguards, employee training, and self exclusion forms are tokenistic PR tactics, not solutions.
0:56:43
This is not the future
Kevin C. Riley
0:56:45
wrap it up, please.
Michelle Lau Burke
0:56:46
I urge you to vote no.
0:56:47
Thank you.
Kevin C. Riley
0:56:48
Thank you.