Last Updated on May 25, 2023
The county legislature of Nassau County New York, a purple suburban county on Long Island, unanimously approved a deal to bring mega casinos to Long Island. The deal is being called out by many as a corrupt bargain.
Nassau County New York, is a dense suburban county of New York City in Long Island and home to over a million people. The county is mostly middle-class Americana suburbs, with its north shore being home to stunning affluent communities nestled on the Long Island Sound, like Oyster Bay.
While in recent memory Nassau was a narrowly Democrat county, the tables have turned with Nassau turning into a red county with a Republican County Executive and two Republican congressmen and went solidly red for Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY) during his governor bid.
Yet, The Nassau County legislature undermined the will of its voters this week by approving a plan to transfer a Las Vegas casino to Nassau County, turning Uniondale into a new Vegas. This measure was widely opposed by local citizens, concerned that the casino would ruin the suburban feel of the area and bring degeneracy to their neighborhoods.
Local concern also includes that a casino would bring gambling problems and crime to their quaint suburb. Many have speculated that there is a financial incentive for different officials for bringing the casinos to Nassau.
Kathy Hochul has pushed the expansion of Casinos in New York, which has been exposed as graft due to her family ties to Delaware North a Buffalo-based casino and hospitality service. Hochul has been accused of making money off of her casino expansion through the Delaware North group.
Further, Robert Zimmerman (D Oyster Bay), who was Congressman George Santos’ (R-03) Democrat opponent, connected to the Nassau county establishment, has been exposed as aiding the casino effort with Nassau’s Republican establishment in a potential corruption scandal.
Santos, an America First congressman from Long Islands North Shore has called out the casino deal as a corruption scandal, also calling out County Executive Bruce Blakeman (R-Valley Stream) for going through with the deal, calling it corrupt.
Bruce Blackman is in Manhattan (out of his jurisdiction on taxpayer dime) engaging in distraction tactics.
He doesn’t want anyone talking about the corrupt deal he’s cutting for a Casino in Nassau County.
Stop the casino now!
— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) May 24, 2023
Santos also stated the other day about the casino deal that, “The CORRUPT UNIPARTY of Nassau County sold out its residents to the highest bidder”.
The entire CORRUPT UNIPARTY of Nassau County sold out its residents to the highest bidder!
This is a disaster and needs to be stopped by We The People!
Reach out to your county elected officials and make your voice heard.
Don’t give up, your quality of life is on the line! https://t.co/v3PZnd8YJi
— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) May 23, 2023
Hochul is expected to approve the casino license bringing this controversial casino to Long Island.
This report was authored by Adam Danberg. Adam is a reporter based in the Hudson Valley of New York. He is involved in local politics and is an avid history buff dedicated to saving New York.