Driver Conor McHugh, wondered aloud why the activists were there -- to him, we had lost. Intro 86 and 92 are still viable bills and we are in this to win. Sorry Conor.

We are sorry that it has become necessary to publicly criticize the ASPCA about this issue. But their actions greatly hurt and interfere with all the work we and others have done over the last four years. They are the animal organization of record in NYC even though they are often inactive on many issues and do not act quickly enough on others. Nevertheless because they do humane law enforcement and are an old and conservative organization, it is thought that the City Council would listen to them. This is not a criticism of any one person at the ASPCA but about their policies.

Write letters to the editor. See the list of neighborhood newspapers and the e-mail addresses on our web site. Click Here. Scroll to the bottom for the list. (you can comment on my letter in the Riverdale Press -- see below)

NPR radio in Philadelphia interviews Edita Birnkrant from Friends of Animals and Midge Leitch, an equine veterinarian. Should Horse-Drawn Carriages Be Banned? 4/27/10

The ASPCA issued this press release, dated April 23rd about the bill. Click here. Some excerpts: The ASPCA and NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets) submitted amendments to Intro. 35, including requiring stables to be equipped with operational sprinkler systems; setting higher veterinary care standards for the horses; and restricting the use of cell phones, headphones and other distracting devices that interfere with the driver's ability to safely operate the carriage. None of these amendments were incorporated into the final version of the bill. .... While the carriage horse industry is trumpeting the bill as a piece of humane legislation, publicizing its provisions for minimum stall size and time off for horses, they have managed merely to codify conditions that are already the norm for New York City's working horses.

If you can volunteer and commit to only two hours on Saturday each month, please contact volunteerforthecoalition@gmail.com. We are counting on you.

You should have a committed interest in this issue, have a computer, be detailed oriented, keep online records, be interested in the legal process, know something about city agencies (this can easily be learned), do follow up -- but mostly have a focused and responsible nature. I will explain everything. E-mail me at coalition@banhdc.org

I have paid my dues many times over and while I do not wish to appear arrogant, I ask that the ASPCA seriously consider these points:

• Money: The main purpose of this industry is to make money. It is not to show off pretty horses.
• Money: Any provision that will negatively affect their earning ability, will not be accepted. This includes adding a windchill/humidity factor; reducing hours worked, keeping the horses in the park, reducing the area worked, requiring NYS drivers' license
• Money: The drivers will cheat on the street as much as they can possibly get away with since it is all about money. This means double shifting, overloading carriages, cheating customers, doing the bare minimum for their horses, working in off limits areas because there is no one to enforce the law.
• Unholy Alliance: CM Gennaro and the Council asked for your suggestions on changes to Intro 35A. By participating in this alliance, a partnership from hell was created, making you complicit. You were used. The industry has never, ever negotiated in good faith. Do not negotiate with them -- it does not work. History has confirmed that you will lose every time.
• Why?? You knew that the "improvements" in the bill were simply codifying what already existed - such as small box stalls or doing simple things that were hardly improvements and did not cost them anything. Why didn't you come to the bill signing to say this?
• Speak out for a ban of this industry. Tell the mayor publicly that there is no way this industry can be made to live up to humane standards. Tell him that it represents a deadly human accident waiting to happen.
• Get Cindy Adams to write a retraction to her very harmful piece in the Daily News, which makes you look like you are in cahoots with the industry.
• Your Image: You are often so concerned with your image that you appear paralyzed. You do not speak out adequately when you are opposed to something -- such as just posting press releases on your web site rather than trying to get them into newspapers. But most everyone else does speak out, including the mayor, which makes you appear to be weak and emasculated. You do not have to do stunts like "I'd rather go naked than wear fur" but you must develop a new stronger image - an image that can be respected. The Mayor needs a worthy adversary.
• Your Image? You continue to take the "white gloves" approach not wanting to align yourselves with us or any other animal rights group - thinking that this is a good thing to do and you will win in the long run. Wrong! I doubt very much if Henry Bergh would have approved of your lack of will and "cream puff" position on issues. The ASPCA was the only animal organization that did not participate in the Tony Avella press conference when the ban bill was introduced - December 2007. Instead you sent a statement for Tony to read. What was that all about?
• In the two years that Intro 658 - the bill to ban the industry - was active, the ASPCA did not once make a public appearance with CM Avella, even though they said they supported the ban.
• Remember that we - the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages - are a totally all volunteer group and do this in our spare time. We are David to your Goliath. Yet we made this an issue in NYC and around the world. Our coalition began the campaign to ban the carriage industry in NYC although we were told it would never happen. The other organizations only joined the campaign after we made it an issue and it was safe to go into the water. We got the Comptrollers' office to issue the first ever audit, which made history - then we got the NY Times to run the story; we got Council Member Tony Avella to introduce the first ever bill to ban the carriage industry in NYC. This was historic. We helped to expose the issue of the lack of water in Central Park during the cold months by an opinion piece in Metro. We have the most comprehensive web site about this issue in NYC and we keep people around the world informed; we continue to fight this good fight because we know it is the right thing to do for the horses. We have the will!
• You must do more. If we could have done all of this with no salaries and a minimum shoe string budget, surely the ASPCA - with all of your resources - can do a lot more.
And lastly -- Don't you every wonder why so many people who care about animal issues in NYC - (from rights to welfare) often criticize the ASPCA's policies or lack thereof? Are we all wrong?