New Low: Children’s Basketball In Coney Island Was Infiltrated By Casino Lobbyists
Yesterday, children in Coney Island showed up to a free Hoopster event to play basketball.
It’s Summer and families love when there is organized sports for children. The basketball event held at Kaiser Park was free, but the children had to wear the t-shirts to participate.
When families arrived and saw the t-shirts had “The Coney” imprinted across the front of the t-shirts, some parents objected because they oppose Thor Equities Casino Project in Coney Island. They didn’t allow their children to wear the tshirt because they didn’t want it to seem like their children supported the casino.
Some parents didn’t know that “The Coney” was a casino. The Developers were being cute and left off the word “casino.” And it is the beginning of Summer and some parents were very tired because school just ended and they have their children at home all day.
Yet, if a child did not wear the lobbyist’s t-shirt, they were not allowed to play basketball! That’s just low.
Robert Cornegy, former NYC Council representative is a lobbyist on this project. Cornegy owes Coney Island families and apology. Cornegy is seen in a video wearing a shirt at the event!
Do you think Robert Cornegy’s children were forced to wear t-shirts with a casino’s name on it? Of course not! But it’s okay for your children because it’s happening in Coney Island and no one will know!
Pictures of the children wearing the shirts were taken, so the lobbyist can make it seem that people in Coney Island support the casino, but that’s far from the truth.
In the pictures I saw, all the children and coaches were wearing the shirts. As a side note, the coaches just want the children to be able to play and have fun. They don’t realize that lobbyists and politicians have infiltrated community sports all for a Instagram-worthy photograph!
No politician or lobbyist should be using children as pawns for a one-day basketball event. Corporate sponsorship for leagues should remain on signs or banners on the walls – not placed on children!
I sent this to Speaker Adrienne Adams on Twitter because I believe she would be surprised that the lobbyists were bothering families in Coney Island.
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Hugs,
marlene
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