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HORSE SENSE
Periodic updates about issues and actions concerning New York City's Carriage Horses +
Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages
www.banhdc.org
Horses Without Carriages International
www.horseswithoutcarriages.org
PLEASE FORWARD TO LISTS, FRIENDS & COLLEAGUES ** Intro 35A passes ** contact Mayor Bloomberg ** ironic blog
RATE BILL INCREASE PASSES COUNCIL ON 4/14
Carriage Horses get to be treated "slightly better"
As many of you know by now, Intro 35, the
industry bill, passed easily in the City
Council last Wednesday, April 14th. Most if
not all of the press got the story wrong and
seemed to like the idea of horses having a
five-week
vacation when so many people do not get that
much. Attempts to correct their
perception of this bill only met with glazed
over eyes. While a disappointment that so
many Council Members
voted for the bill, the outcome was expected.
The bill was all about getting a rate
increase for the drivers and any give backs
were not substantive and in many cases were
things that were already being done.
Thanks to all of you who contacted your
Council Members. As long as this is still a
democracy - perhaps in name
only - they must hear from you
since they represent you in the Council.
Besides, if
everyone gave up and did not speak up and be
counted, where would we be. The Council
would think that no one supported a ban of
the industry. Four Council Members voted
against the bill -- Melissa Mark Viverito,
Annabel Palma, Rosie Mendez and Daniel Dromm.
Gale Brewer abstained.
This is the way the NYC Council works to
those who do not already know: There are 51
Council Members representing the five
boroughs. The Council Speaker, elected by
the Council Members, is Christine Quinn.
There is always lots of drama and lobbying to
see who will be the next Speaker. Quinn was
very tight with the
late Tom Manton who was head of the Queens
Democratic Party when he used his influence
to get her elected Speaker. Prior to that he
was a Congressman and NYC Council Member.
He was a die hard supporter of the Carriage
industry as is the current leader of the
Queens Democratic
Party, Joe Crowley.
The Speaker of the Council is the force
behind which bills come up for a vote. Most
Council Members will do what she asks because
their career in politics could be negatively
affected if they do not -- such as losing
committee chairmanships or special stipends.
Bills generally do not come up for
a vote unless their outcome is known - as
with this one. When a bill gets scheduled
for a vote, it is because the votes to pass
it are already there. It is a done deal.
CONTACT MAYOR MICHAEL BLOOMBERG
ask him to veto Intro 35A
Mayor Bloomberg is expected to sign Intro 35A
into law some time this coming week. But it is
crucial that you let him know how you feel.
Please tell him that this bill does not help
the horses and you want a total ban of the
industry - substituting the horses with
classic cars.
If you do not let his office know how you
feel, then the other side has really won and
the administration will think no one cares.
You can make it as brief as possible. If you
want to make
it longer, refer to this
link on our web site
about Intro 35A.
Click
on this link to send a message to
Mayor Bloomberg.
WHAT HAPPENS NOW?
we continue advocating for the horses
Intro 86, the bill that phases out the
carriage industry and substitutes vintage
cars, was introduced in March into the City
Council. We have been told that some
changes will be made, including adding the
language from Intro 92 about real humane
disposition of the horses so they do not
continue to fall through the cracks. The
bill is in the Consumer Affairs Committee,
which is where Intro 35 was. This committee
is made up of supporters of the industry.
It is possible that the bill will remain in
the Committee for a long time, which would
not be a bad thing. It will provide the
opportunity to lobby and get attention for
the issue. So for now, we will continue
getting the word out about this inhumane
industry. We ask that you contact your
Council Members to express your
disappointment in their vote.
TESTIMONY AND TRANSCRIPT OF HEARING ON LINE
The testimony from the March 12th hearing of
the carriage horse bills and the actual
transcript of the hearing is available on
line. Click
here.
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PROPOSALS
withdrawn...
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
held a hearing in early March to hear
testimony on Chapter 4 of the Commissioner's
Regulations and Health Code Article 161. We
all testified in good faith, many taking time
off from work and losing income.
The DoH regs would have required that the
drivers have a NYS drivers license, something
that is not required by Intro 35A. It also
recognized and prohibited some of the many
distractions the drivers engage in while
working. The drivers will still be able
to use their cell phones while driving;
texting, talking and playing video games;
reading newspapers, taking videos and
photographs while working and standing up and
turning around backwards while driving.
We have not been able to get a satisfactory
answer as to why these proposals were
withdrawn since much of the content was not
covered in
Intro 35A. One can only assume it is a
result of the long tentacles of the industry.
What a waste of tax payer money!
MIRACLE ON THE HACK LINE or WHAT I DID ON MY SUMMER VACATION
an ironic blog about an "iconic" industry
Ya gotta see the humor in it if you are to
survive. Get an inside peak at how the
carriage horses reacted to the news that they
are getting an additional square inch of space in
their stalls. And how they are just giving
it up to a vacation where they will bring
their swim trunks and get to play tennis.
Yes horses just wanna have fun.
But then read the wise words of Roger, that
handsome steed who knows that they have never
gotten so much attention from so many people
who want to free them from bondage. He says
that this is just a temporary setback. He
feels it in his withers. Click
here.
COMMENT BY DONNY MOSS
director of Blinders: the Truth Behind the Tradition
We shouldn't be surprised that Christine
Quinn pushed through a rate hike and blocked
the bills that would end the abuse because,
since becoming Speaker, she has blocked every
single bill introduced at City Hall to
protect animals, including the bill that
requires pet stores to install sprinklers so
that no more dogs and cats burn to death in
their cages, a tragedy that has occurred too
many times in NYC. As long as Quinn is in
office, NYC's animals don't stand a chance.
Thanks to NYC taxpayers, Quinn has a staff of
people (the "Community Affairs Unit") already
working hard to ensure that she is elected
Mayor in 2013. The burden is on each of us
to ensure that NYers know the truth about
Quinn and that she is voted out of public
office for good: See Youtube
video.
CORRECTION
A few newsletters ago, I criticized several
animal organizations for testifying at the
March 12th Council Hearing on Intro 35A --
but only for Intro 86. They did not talk
about humane disposition of horses -
something that we worked very hard to get
into the old Intro 658 - language that would
address the loophole that allows the horses
to go to auction. It is part of Intro 92 and
CM Melissa Mark Viverito has met with us and
said that she will include this language in
her bill, Intro 86. The testimony from The
Committee on Legal Issues Pertaining to
Animals, which is part of the NYC Bar
Association, actually did include testimony
for both 86
and 92. Mention of their support for Intro
92 did not come until some time into their
testimony and I missed it. My apologies.
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.
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Thank you for caring about the horses,
Elizabeth Forel - Coalition to Ban
Horse-Drawn Carriages - a standing committee
of The Coalition for New York City Animals,
Inc.
Please DONATE
to our campaign to ban
the inhumane and unsafe carriage horse industry.
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