7- 76/35 September 22, 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

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NYC MAYORAL RACE - UPDATE
For those who don't already know, Bill deBlasio avoided a runoff when Bill Thompson, the second runner up, conceded the Democratic Primary election. DeBlasio won just over 40% with Thompson getting slightly more than 26%. It appears that the votes from all voting machines were recounted. Democrat deBlasio will be up against Joe Lhota, the Republican nominee, on election day Tuesday November 5th. A recent Marist poll shows deBlasio with a significant lead of 65 % to 22 % for Lhota.

THE HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGE TRADE MAY WELL BE COMING TO AN END
if deBlasio or Lhota becomes the next mayor
null NY Daily News - 9/14/13 - Regardless if Bill de Blasio or Joe Lhota takes the mayor's seat, it might spell trouble for carriage drivers Hold your horses. Democrat or Republican, both Bill de Blasio and Joe Lhota have plans to end horse-drawn carriage rides in the city, which is worrying for the drivers of the carriages.

It certainly looks like the carriage horse trade is coming to an end. This is a business that for years has received entitlements, perks, had officials turning the other way as the drivers continued to violate the law - pretty much carte blanche to do what they wanted. Why? Politicians do not like to make change. Most do not have the courage to do so - they like the status quo. if you study their records - you will know this is true. They are afraid if they stand up to be counted on a controversial issue, they may not be elected again. They generally go along to get along. Yet the hand writing has been on the wall for some time.

THE CARRIAGE HORSE ISSUE - THE TRUTH
you will only read it here.
3-9-13 horse rubs We do not like to lie to our supporters or to twist the truth because it becomes a big burden to bear -- especially if you care about honesty. Sooner or later, the truth will be known. The Coalition started this campaign in 2006. We knew it would be a difficult challenge but we never gave up. Now it seems very close to happening. Our organization has always had substance, intelligence and ethics. We are grassroots and all volunteer but we defined the issue.

Here are some very important highlights to know about the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC:

  • Bill deBlasio has been quoted in the press as saying he will shut down the carriage trade at the beginning of his term. Click here for the NY Post article from March, 2013. He has not explained the logistics.
  • deBlasio has also told me in a personal conversation and others in a conference call that he will shut the horse carriages down; that his thinking has evolved and he realizes that it must not depend on the success of the electric cars. These phantom electric cars are an untried, risky and expensive vanity project. They have been dangled in front of unsuspecting activists for years - by NY Class, Peta and the ASPCA - but a prototype has yet to be produced. We have investigated this thoroughly and know it is dangerous to get caught up in this sham because it probably will not happen, will delay things, and will hurt the horses in the long run.
    • We cannot let that happen.
  • Yet NY Class continues to tell their supporters "The drivers have been offered the option of driving electric Horseless Carriages so they can keep their jobs. The carriage horses will be retired to loving sanctuaries and rescues. We have a long list of adopters ready and willing to take them." I say - what cars!? - and how will they take the horses if they do not own them?
  • The horses are privately owned. There is nothing in the existing law or proposed legislation that addresses taking the horses from the owners and finding homes for them. It has always been up to them. Even if they cooperate, they have every right to keep their horses or find a good home within the guidelines of the proposed bill. Yet once again, NY Class says "the carriage horses will be retired to loving sanctuaries and rescues. We have a long list of adopters ready and willing to take them."
  • The carriage trade likes to complain that their horses will be seized. Not true. Both NY Class and the carriage drivers are making it up as they go along to appeal to their supporters.
  • We would like to see an amendment to the existing bill Intro 92 that would provide jail time or hefty fines to owners if they do not abide by the law and find the right homes for their horses. It must be illegal to bring/sell the horses to dealers or directly to New Holland.
  • The drivers will not have much clout after the Bloomberg administration is finished. But they are digging in their heels and have threatened civil disobedience and law suits.
  • The driver/owners believe that just because they want the "industry" to continue that it should. It does not matter to them that they are in a time warp and the majority of New Yorkers want to see this industry hit the dustbins. Like selfish entitled children - prima donnas - they want what they want. Period. Instead of seeing the hand writing on the wall, where it has been for years and intelligently planning to move on to another career, they foolishly dug in their heels instead --
  • acting like bullies, viciously attacking us - calling us ageist, homophobic and racist remarks; setting activists up to get arrested by making false accusations; trying to get people fired from their jobs; reporting the organizations for anything they could make up - and always - the underlying theme is to call us liars; to defend everything they do - whether it is not reporting all they earn in their cash only business to parking a carriage horse over a steaming manhole cover. Their MO has always been that we are liars and do not know what we are talking about. This is an argument that is simply not viable. These are dangerous people and will not go quietly or gracefully.
  • I acknowledge that the owners are terrified of Steve Nislick/NY Class because he has money to burn and they see him as very powerful. Clout goes a long way. But it is no substitute for substance. NY Class recently posted this comment on their Facebook page "Hey carriage drivers - Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey, goodbye!" This is childish, inappropriate and a dangerous, arrogant attitude -- but we have previously seen these kinds of low class comments coming from NY Class - whether on their Facebook page or on posters. They need to grow up and be honest. Money and free t-shirts only go so far. Substance and honesty is required now that the piper will soon need to be paid.
  • So for now - this is the situation. We know this will be a complicated transition. We are ready to address it in a mature, knowledgeable and competent way. The question is - is Mr. deBlasio - or will he feel obligated to NY Class and Mr. Nislick for spending a fortune to defeat Christine Quinn? We hope not.
  • Bottom line is please think critically. Stay informed. Don't believe everything you hear, and always question. This will not be a walk in the park. DeBlasio promised us a ban - without cars. Let's see if he keeps that promise.
  • To be continued ...

    • HOW THE CITY SUBSIDIZED THE CARRIAGE TRADE
    read it and weep - this needs to end now!
    steam Concerning the driver/owner mentioned in the article above - Ian McKeever: McKeever owns several medallions or carriages. For years he had been the recipient of largess by the City. He was a partner in Shamrock Stables that once occupied space near the 59th St. bridge - city owned. It was in bad shape and was ordered to be closed down sometime in the 1990s. An outcry arose from his supporters. A City owned building on W. 45th St. was provided to McKeever as a new location for Shamrock Stable. It was planned and outfitted by the City at a cost of about $500,000. Your tax payer dollars at work. The City rented it to McKeever for $5,000 a month at a time when market value was $60,000.

    In 2010, the City sold this property to a developer to build affordable housing. Shamrock was evicted. No longer would the City give McKeever a sweetheart deal and he was forced to find other places for his horses. The ASPCA offered to help him. But McKeever refused! The NY Times article mentions these horses as being sent to McKeever's "farm." "The other six - Bosco, Molly, Chestnut, Max, Patty and Jeter (as in Derek) - were trucked to Mr. McKeever's farm in Morgantown, Pa., outside of Reading." A review of the most recent horse list from the Department of Health includes Molly but not the five other horses. What happened to them?

    So it was with incredulity that I read this quote attributed to McKeever - "My job has provided for my family," said driver Ian McKeever, 45. "I have a house out in Long Island. I have three kids. This is how I've raised them." What he and the Daily News fail to talk about is the corporate welfare that was provided to him by the City - with your tax dollars - allowing him to have that house on Long Island and to live well. . I am sure many people would love to be able to afford a house on Long Island to live beyond their means subsidized by the City of NY - i.e., taxpayers. . I can also imagine that many store owners would love to have the City subsidize the rent they pay to the tune of 92%. Perhaps Mr. McKeever will be forced to provide for his family based on an honest income in the future - the way most people do. And let's not forget that this business is cash only so no one really knows what they earn, what they report and what they pay in taxes. But we do know that the City - meaning the Mayor and the City Council - stood by for years and allowed this to happen.

    BAN CARRIAGE HORSE AD T-SHIRTS AVAILABLE
    roberto's shirt We are now offering great looking t-shirts based on our successful ad campaign - Carriage Horses Suffer - thanks to Roberto, the Nomadic Cat -for the Ts and Jane Denny - for the original art work. Click here.

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    "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.