NYC NOW - September 25, 2024: Evening Roundup

Episode Date: September 25, 2024

New York City Mayor Eric Adams says the recent high turnover of some of his top officials is normal. Plus, a new report shows jobs are booming on Coney Island. Also, WNYC’s Sean Carlson and Arun Venugopal discuss the economic benefits and perils of casinos, as a number of gaming companies vie for a spot in the five boroughs. And finally, WNYC’s Ryan Kailath attends a naturalization ceremony in Brooklyn to meet some of the newest Americans.

Welcome to NYC Now, your source for local news in and around New York City from WNYC. I'm Jene Pierre. Mayor Eric Adams says the recent turnover of some of his top officials is normal. People normally don't stay for these full terms in government because of demand to stress on your family. Schools Chancellor David Banks, who recently had his home searched by the FBI, says he'll step down in December. Adam says he got a heads up from banks at the start of this year that he was looking at other job opportunities. Meanwhile, NYC Health Commissioner Ashwin Vassin announced he's resigning early next year to spend more time with his family. And FDMI Commissioner Laura Kavanaugh stepped down this summer, also citing family reasons.

The mayor's comments come as several members of his administration face multiple federal investigations. Coney Island is known as a summer getaway for New Yorkers. And according to a new report, jobs are booming there as well. well, despite the impacts of the pandemic. WMYC's Andrew Jambroni has more. State Comptroller Thomas Donapley says Coney Island and Brighton Beach are driving job gains in New York City, even as the area continues to struggle with poverty and housing costs. The number of jobs in the area doubled between 2013 and 2023 to more than 35,000. That was more than twice the rate of job growth in Brooklyn overall and more than five times the citywide rate over the same period.

The report says most of the employment growth in the seaside section of southern Brooklyn comes from the sectors of health care and social assistance. It's likely due to the area's aging population who, like those who visit when the weather gets warm, can enjoy the beaches, boardwalk, and aquarium. Some progressives are standing behind a move to bring a casino to Manhattan. After the break, we discuss the economic pros and cons of the plan. Stick around for the conversation. Some heavy hitters from the progressive world are backing a casino proposed for Hudson Yards on Manhattan's west side.

They say the casino will bring jobs for low-income New Yorkers and communities of color. But experts say the evidence isn't so clear cut. My colleague Sean Carlson talked with WMYC's Arun Vinegapal about the economic benefits and perils of casinos as a number of gaming companies vie for a spot in the five boroughs. There are 11 bids for a downstate casino, including some of the economic benefits. from the world's biggest gaming companies, but the bid from the casino giant win, we should spell that, W-Y-N-N,

has drawn particular interest recently. Help us understand why. So the companies come out with several of these slick video testimonials from people like Hazel Dukes of the NACP, Mark Morial of the National Urban League, and Christine Quinn, who a lot of listeners know, former council speaker, but who now leads the housing group, W-I-N-W-W-N-W-W-N. And these are people who are,

closely connected to issues of racial equity, issues of poverty, and all three of them have endorsed the casino proposal from the gaming giant win because they say it will have the biggest impact on the communities that they represent. In Quinn's case, she told me that the gaming company did provide her organization with the $100,000 donation for its annual gala, but says she's endorsing it on the merits. Okay, well, let's talk about those merits. What specific benefits are we talking about. So when the gaming company says it's a casino project would create 35,000 union construction jobs. But beyond that, it says there will be 5,000 unionized jobs once the project is up and running. And we're talking about jobs for security guards, dishwashers, room attendants, floor housekeepers in these

casinos, all of which pay around $40 an hour. And they say that around 60% of the jobs are designed for people who don't have a college degree, at least according to the company. Now, Christine Quinn told me in an interview that she's especially excited about one of the proposals by the casino company, which would create a training institute. To make sure that homeless moms who might not on day one have all of the skills they need, get those skills, and also are in a position where they can move up to managerial jobs. And that, to me, is incredibly compelling. and an example of a corporation going above and beyond.

So, Rune, you've spoken experts, right, who throw cold water on the notion on the overall economic impact of casinos. What are their arguments? Right. These are economists I've spoken to who they've closely studied the impact of casinos on municipalities and on labor markets. And one thing they say is that, you know, casinos have become more and more common across the country, right, Sean? And as it happens, they say there are going to be. be fewer and fewer people who will, say, fly all the way to New York so that they can gamble. So there are cautioning against an economic boom. And one of the people I spoke to, his name is Jonathan Cruz.

He's an emeritus professor of the College of Business and Economics at Boise State University. He analyzed this issue just a couple of years ago in a dissertation paper. And he says the money that goes to new casinos across the five boroughs would most likely pull spending that would have otherwise gone to other existing. entertainment venues or restaurants, meaning that other businesses could be impacted by newcomers. So it kind of offsets the gains from one, you know, institution at another. Second, he says the casino clientele, he expects it to include some of the city's most vulnerable populations. It's the poor. It's the minority. It's the homeless. People who are desperate do desperate

things like gambling and they'll gamble everything away that they have. And that's, that's That's what the casinos want to be in New York for. And just to be clear, Sean, gambling addiction, it does affect people of every racial background. But there's research from Columbia University that indicates that ethnic minorities are much more likely to develop an addiction. Croutes estimates that for every job that is created by a new casino here in the city, there will be three gambling addicts. Another economist, Chad Conti, he says he also doesn't expect the city to obtain business. big economic benefits from a casino. But he says, you know, it's hard to tell because this is the biggest city in the country and it's unlike any other market that they've studied so far.

So what is ahead for the various companies that are looking to secure a license? Well, the state Gaming Commission is expecting applications by June of 2025 next year. And the state is expected to war three licenses by the end of next year, either in the city or in the nearby suburb. That's WNYC's Arun Venigapal talking with my colleague Sean Colson. In the first half of this year, more than 27,000 New Yorkers became American citizens. That's much higher than in recent years. The rate of naturalization has picked up across the country after a backlog created during the pandemic and the Trump presidency.

Nationwide, more than 3 million immigrants have become citizens since President Biden took office. WNYC's Ryan Kylott stopped by a naturalization ceremony in Brooklyn, to meet some of the newest Americans. Jane Olin-Earons outside the federal courthouse in downtown Brooklyn in a hot pink dress with matching shoes and a Kentucky Derby-sized hat. I love the fit. Any reason for the color or ensemble? Just want to be bright today. Just want to be happy.

It reflects my soul, you know, being a citizen. So tell me about you. Everyone here wants to know about everyone else, myself included. Where are you from? Italy. Italy. Okay, well. Eritrean roots, but...

Yeah, I was going to say, okay, cool. Denise Omer's been waiting years for this day, five years with the green card specifically, and several years in the U.S. before that. So, so many of my family were teachers in Ethiopia, so, you know, our family has deep ties there, so... And now you're here. And now I'm here.

Now we're all here. Inside at the naturalization ceremony, the mood is solemn. No recording allowed. About 100 soon-to-be citizens are crowded into the ceremonial courtroom, along with friends and loved ones, clutching miniature American flags

and a welcome letter from President Biden. Judge Robert Levy congratulates the new Americans on their new rights and one obligation. Their obligation is to vote, he says. He's counting on them to vote because they won't take that right for granted the way so many people born here do. As for rights, he says,

you have the same rights as any citizen of this country. It doesn't matter if you've been American for three seconds or three years. Marie Silat-Pierre came from Haiti eight years ago. Her American son sponsored her green card. Congratulations. Thanks so much. And I've been nice day. I'm very happy.

I said thank to God. And my son gave it to me. I'm very proud of my son. I'm very happy too. That's terrific. It's one of the nicest days. Silat-Pierre's son regretfully couldn't be here this morning because of another American right.

and obligation, he had to be at work. That's WNYC's Ryan Kyla. Thanks for listening to NYC now from WNYC. Catch us every weekday three times a day. I'm Junae Pierre. We'll be back tomorrow.