For years I opposed the idea of a casino near my neighborhood. Hell’s Kitchen is home to my family, my friends, the kids I coach, and the parks I fight to keep safe. I’ve said so in meetings and over coffee. I worried about crime, about addiction, and about a big corporate project crowding out the neighborhood life that makes Hell’s Kitchen so wonderful.
But over the past year my position has evolved. This wasn’t a flip for the sake of convenience — it was the product of sleepless nights, extensive thought, conversations with neighbors, and a practical look at what’s already in motion.
The short version is this — casinos are not some fantasy we can wish away.
