Borgata casino in Atlantic City — © Brian Rose
Built on a barrier island, Atlantic City is increasingly prone to flooding, especially in areas that are home to lower income residents. Unless global warming is stabilized soon, the viability of Atlantic City is in serious jeopardy. A well-researched insightful article about Atlantic City in the online journal Climate Central lays out the problems and dire prognosis for this resort community.
Raising three children on Arizona Avenue, Gitto and his wife have been unemployed since the closure last year of Trump Taj Mahal, where they worked. He said the flooding has become unbearable but property prices are so low that they feel trapped.
My heart goes out to this town — one wants to root for people struggling to make things work — but the politicians, both state and local, have stripped this place bare for their own benefit. The Trumps and Icahns, and the Wall Street banks that lent the money, have all fattened their purses while the poverty rate has almost doubled — to 40% — since the introduction of casino gambling. Remember, casinos were supposed to save Atlantic City.
On Arizona Avenue, residents say they feel abandoned by all levels of government. Like an Appalachian coal town, many here depend upon a single industry — an entertainment sector that’s in decline, anchored by casinos that draw visitors to hotels, arcades, restaurants, gas stations and strip clubs.
Rebuilding the boardwalk in Atlantic City — © Brian Rose
All of America is now at the mercy of Donald Trump who abandoned Atlantic City and a political party that refuses to acknowledge the existence of man-made climate change, even as fires burn in California and the waters rise in the streets of this city and others. That’s why I made my book. To do what I can. Atlantic City is in big trouble. We are all in big trouble.
