7- 56/015 April 21, 2013
 
 

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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 FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES ** new ad campaign ** educational demo ** NYC mayoral race ** NYS Avella/Rosenthal bill - take action **

NEW ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN
Ban horse-drawn carriages
flash Thanks to all of you who have donated to this cause, the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages is launching an advertising campaign, placing ads in various NYC newspapers over the next several months. In the next few weeks, watch out for Metro, Ourtown/West Side Spirit and City & State. Other papers to follow. Thanks to Jane Denny and Terry Russo for their excellent design contributions.

If you would like to contribute to our advertising campaign, please send us a donation via this link. Click here. You may pay by PayPal or by check.

WHAT'S NEW IN THE NYC MAYORAL RACE?
Every week, we address the most important media coverage in the NYC mayoral race. To see past newsletters, please check out out archives - click here.

We often look to the Facebook page of Defeat Christine Quinn for the latest news on the race. If you are on Facebook, please like this page.

POLITICIANS - TAKE OFF YOUR BLINDERS
The time is now to ban horse-drawn carriages
blinders Recently an article appeared in the Staten Island Advance talking about CM Oddo (who is out of office in December) who said he would support a "pilot" program for the electric cars - a program that does not need anyone's approval and is just a delay tactic. Click here for the article. This is my response - published in the Advance on Friday April 19, 2013.

Horse-drawn carriages should be abolished in NYC - In making a "commitment" to carriage drivers, Councilman James Oddo exhibits a lack of compassion for the exploited carriage horses and an ignorance of the human safety issue. Where is the creativity and thought to shutting down this inhumane, unsafe and anachronistic business that has held New York City hostage for years? Banning the horse-drawn carriage trade must not be dependent on the success of an untried and expensive risky, private business of electric cars. Continuing to pretend this will happen is hurting the horses. At a cost of more than $12 million, the money simply does not exist. The atrocity of human slavery was abolished in 1862. It was not conditional. No one said, "Let's try it out in Georgia and if it works; then we can move on to Mississippi." Or, "Let's phase out slavery over a three-year period and see how it goes." Absurd then and surely absurd now. Horse slavery must be abolished also. A better and very simple approach, which would keep the current business model, is to convert the existing carriages to battery-operated conveyances at a cost of a few thousand dollars each - a business that already exists elsewhere. Good homes and not auctions would be found for the horses. Elizabeth Forel - [The writer is the president of the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages.]

BILL TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYS LEGISLATURE
Please make calls - Bill Numbers: S667 and A997 + Sign the petition
steam The only bill to support in the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC is the Avella/Rosenthal bill in the State Legislature. It is a pure ban. There are no strings attached. This is a link to a petition we have on change. org. Please sign it if you have not done so already.

You can read the legislation by clicking on the bill numbers, S667 and A997 . Text in CAPS is new. Text with a strike through is deleted. (photo of horse parked over steam - by Mickey Z)

WHAT YOU CAN DO
to support S667 and A997 - The horses need your help!
Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to make calls and write e-mails to state legislators. If you have not yet done this, please do it now. It does not have to be done at one time. The horses need your help.

All of the information we previously published on our newsletter is now on our web site under What You Can Do. Please read it and take action.

PLEASE JOIN US ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK & YOUTUBE

HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE
Also check out Cafe Press to purchase CBHDC merchandise
igive Through a free registration with iGive, when you buy merchandise on line, your purchase will help us. There are over 700 stores that include such popular ones as Amazon.com, Staples, Best Buy and Barnes & Noble. Even Cafe Press is available if you purchase some of our merchandise. Click here to get started.

On iGive - the name of our organization is "The Coalition for NYC Animals, Inc." We also have three stores on Cafe Press with great t-shirts, bags, hats, mugs, mouse pads, etc. Purchasing this merchandise helps our organization. Click here.

"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.

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.