INTRO 86 & 92 TO BE MERGED
so what's next?
As we stated in our last newsletter,
Intro 86, the bill that would exchange
classic cars for horse-drawn carriages, does not
address what will happen to the horses. This
was particularly distressing to us since
saving the horses (who are privately owned)
was the only reason we got involved with
this issue -- not to create a new industry.
Unless "horse disposition" is addressed in
the bill, the horses will continue to fall
through the cracks and many will end up at
the auctions. It is naive to believe
anything else. It must be spelled out in
black and white. It must be a legal
requirement.
Existing Section
17-329 of the
Health section of the Administrative code
allows for this huge loop hole.
The Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
had previously worked with the Council on
crafting acceptable language to address this.
It was included in former
Intro 658, which is now Intro 92 as
Section
17-330, which repealed Section 17-329.
Someone forwarded to us an e-mail from
NY Class, the prime sponsor of Intro 86. They
acknowledged that Intro 86 does not include
language "specifically mandating the terms
of the disposition of the carriage horses."
It went on to say that one of their
founders would "work with the horses'
owners to ensure that the horses are able to
live out their remaining days on sanctuaries
and farms." While this is a nice
sentiment - it is either very naive or very
arrogant. This must be addressed in the
bill. These horses are privately owned
and it would be an understatement to say that
the horse owners have a lot of animosity to
all of us, but particularly NY Class.
Shortly after the hearing, we met with
Council Member Melissa Mark
Viverito, the sponsor of Intro 86 about
merging Intro 92 and Intro 86.
She was very agreeable to our
suggestions.
We also pointed out some inconsistencies with
Intro 86 and ways the issue of jobs can be
improved. There is a lot of work to be done
with creating a new and better bill that all
of us can support. We are very happy to have
CM Viverito on our side. She was the second
council member to sign on to
Intro 658 - the original bill to ban
horse-drawn carriages. When asked what we
can suggest to people to do now, she said to
work on defeating Intro 35. It will
probably
be voted out of committee soon.
GOTHAMIST POLL: ON CARRIAGE HORSES
Winner: Ban the industry completely
The Gothamist,
an online publication,
recently ran a poll concerning NYC carriage
horses. The poll is now closed.
The question posed was How should the
carriage horse industry be
transformed?
A total of 871 votes were cast.
These are the results:
- Only allow horse-drawn carriage rides in
Central Park. 10% (87 votes)
- Replace horses with antique
fuel-efficient electric cars. 31% (267
votes)
- Provide the horses with a vacation and
safer working conditions. 24% (211 votes)
- Eliminate the carriage horse industry all
together. 35% (306 votes)
The winner was clearly the option to
eliminate the carriage horse industry
winning more than 1/3 of the votes cast.
However, what makes this even more compelling
is that when coupled with the option of
replacing the horses with electric cars,
which got just under 1/3 of the votes - it
equals about 66% of the vote.
The people have said it is time to move this
city forward and retire the horses.
Is the City Council listening?
TAKE ACTION - OPPOSE INTRO 35 - CARRIAGE INDUSTRY BILL
Contact your Council Member
Intro 35 was introduced in early February. Click
here for the text. The main purpose
of this bill is to give the drivers a 221% rate
increase, with a clause that rates shall be
indexed for inflation every three years.
However, because
the industry knows a straight increase
without any give backs might not be palatable,
they have added some "concessions," which are
clearly window dressing. They
are designed to deceive the gullible.
Please contact your council member to oppose
this bill. Click
here to get to the council web site
for contact information. Please note the
following:
- Snail mail letters are best. They should
be sent to the district office. Mail to the
legislative office takes longer.
- E-mails are discouraged. E-mails to the
Council Member at the official address listed
may bounce, be deleted or otherwise not get
into the right hands.
- RECOMMENDED: Call your council office
and ask for the e-mail address of the
legislative person, that you have a specific
matter to discuss with them.
- Consider writing to all Council Members
and the Mayor.
- FAXES - also a good solution
Please see
our web site for a Sample Letter and
e-mail addresses. This provides arguments
against Intro 35.
- New Yorkers and everyone who lives
outside NYC: Please contact Mayor Bloomberg:
- Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg - City Hall -
New York, NY 10007
- PHONE 311 (or 212-NEW-YORK outside NYC)
- FAX (212) 312-0700
- E-mail on line:
http://www.nyc.gov/html/mail/html/mayor.html
ACTIVIST MEETING
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Please come to an activist meeting to discuss
the carriage horse bills and what we can do
to defeat Intro 35.
- WHEN: Wednesday, April 7, 2010 -
6-8 PM
- WHERE: LGBT Community Center - 208 W.
13th St. (west of 7th Ave.)
- Drop us an e-mail to let us know if you
will be attending:
coalition@banhdc.org
CNN REPORTS ON MUSTANG ROUNDUP
77 horses have died during cruel roundups
Click here
to see CNN's excellent report by Jane Velez
Mitchell
on the mustang roundup in the western United
States. The demonstration took place in
Washington, DC on Thursday, March 25th. It
was organized by the Cloud Foundation and
Friends of Animals. Actress Wendy Malick,
participated. The CNN report includes
Madeleine Pickens and Ginger Kathrens of the
Cloud Foundation.
If you have not yet done so - or even if you
have, please call
President Obama's office at
202-456-1111 and leave a message
asking him to strop these cruel and
unnecessary roundups. (Calico Horses, sweaty
in the cold - by Kurt Golgart, courtesy BLM)
JOIN US ON FACE BOOK & SIGN ONLINE PETITION
"Never doubt that a small group of
thoughtful, committed citizens can change the
world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever
has." Margaret Mead.
