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 ** Sign our petition to ban horse-drawn carriages ** ** Contact the mayor ** new blog about the media ** ad in Metro ** Metro article ** demo on 3/29 ** Veggie Pride Parade ** Video statements of support
SIGN OUR PETITION TO BAN HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES IN NYC
to Mayor and City Council
If you have not already signed this important petition, please do so now. We want Mayor deBlasio to keep his campaign promise and shut down this inhumane and unsafe carriage trade. We do not want a 3-year phase out because it will not work. a So please click here to sign the petition and please share it with your friends and colleagues.
HAVE YOU BEEN BRAINWASHED BY THE MEDIA
In the case of NYC's carriage horse trade?
New Blog - this gets to what is really going on in the media about the horse-carriage issue and it's not pretty. Have You Been Brainwashed by the Media in the case of NYC's carriage horse trade? Even if you give a resounding no - that you do think for yourself - I will bet that you've been unduly influenced by the media - especially with this issue of "to ban or not to ban;" - that you've believed what you heard simply because it came from an "authority" who said it on TV, or you read it in the papers -- after all the printed word -- especially in a newspaper - must always be correct. (not)
Since September when Bill deBlasio won the mayoral primary, there's been a media onslaught against the pending ban of horse-drawn carriages.
The horse issue has become a metaphor for something else.
It's become unreasonably important and seems to represent deBlasio's liberal policies, which are opposed by most of the editorial boards. After all, this is the first time ever that NYC has had a progressive mayor. Ever! It's a way to beat him up and hopefully win. It's arm wrestling with the mayor of one of the biggest cities in the world.
This is about power and influence - not about horses, drivers, animal activists or real estate tycoons.
The editorial boards of the NY Times, NY Daily News, NY Post and Newsday/AM-NY are all against a ban of horse drawn carriages and are using their bully pulpit to make it known. This is also true of Fox 5 News; CNN, some on NY-1;
PIX11; WABC. Fox 5 in NYC is doing editorials against the ban. The others just follow suit because they see it as a model of how to present this issue.
Many of them - especially the News, Post and Am-NY have allowed their editorial philosophies to leak over into their news reporting. Fiction and opinion become fact and there's no way for an observer to tell the difference. It's Yellow Journalism at its best and it's a fight for your soul. CLICK HERE to continue.
NEXT WEEK IN METRO US
ad depicting Charlie who dropped dead on 10/25/2011
We are the organization that began this ban campaign in 2006 and we plan to continue our ad campaign until this inhumane, unsafe and abusive trade is stopped. If you would like to contribute to our advertising campaign, you may donate here. Please remember we are all volunteer and do not take salaries. Every penny you donate is put back into the organization. We will be running ads twice a week in Metro for as long as we can. We are hoping Mayor deBlasio takes positive action soon.
We decided to go back to our original ads depicting what happens to carriage horses in NYC. This ad runs next week on Tuesday and Thursday.
CONTACT MAYOR DEBLASIO -THROUGH THE INTERNET
we want the ban NOW - not in three years
For the last 5-6 months, there has been an onslaught by the media against the proposed carriage horse ban. The media has presented the issue from the carriage drivers' point of view. From Fox News to CNN and Channel 11 in NYC. They have all done it with no shame. See my blog posted above.
Contact Mayor deBlasio - tell him that you want a ban of horse-drawn carriages this year. If he delays it for three years or if there is another accident, it will hurt him politically. Tell him that you voted for him because he promised to ban the trade - and even on the first day he took office, which we knew was an impossibility. . So far, nothing has been done. Click Here. Please be respectful.
ANTI-CARRIAGE HORSE ACTIVISTS SPLIT ON ALTERNATIVES
Metro US - 3/17/14
Anti-carriage horse activists split on electric car alternative
At least this article addresses a different issue - the proposed alternatives. This paragraph from the article requires further comment. The writer should never have printed this non expert opinion as if it were fact.
- "A better and cheaper option, Forel said, would be to retrofit existing carriages with motors. Feldman, in turn, said converted carriages would never pass federal highway safety requirements."
- I do not pretend to be an expert in these "alternatives" so I reached out to the people from Michigan who know this issue. This is what they said: Mike: "The highway approval would have to be a variance. They would get classified as a slow moving vehicle and have a speed limit of under 25. That all can be done. " Dave: " Regarding the comment from Allie, she is in error. Approval of a retrofitted carriage is a state by state issue. Specifically, the state of Michigan has passed legislation in 2013 for retro fitted carriages to operate state wide. You can find the bill by going to www.legislature.mi.gov. Type in bill #4254, then once up,scroll down the history to the last entry showing PA36,13."
It is our educated opinion that the electric cars are much too risky to attract investors. If the new bill is the same as the old one - Intro 86A, it would mean that 23 cars would be introduced the first year, completing against 45 carriages. It would cost about $4,000,000 - just for the first year. And even if the money were raised, the cars would not be allowed in Central Park - nor should they be. The deck would be stacked against them resulting in a failed ban. The retrofitted carriages, on the other hand, would cost between $15,000 and $20,000 and allow the owners to keep their medallions and existing businesses with little disruption.
People voted for Mayor deBlasio because he said that he would ban the horse-drawn carriage trade - and it was assumed it would be in a short period of time. He did not say "3-year phase-out."
OUR VIDEOS - STATEMENTS OF SUPPORT FOR A BAN ON HDCS
We are very pleased with the results of these videos. Thanks to everyone who participated in this project providing us with a short video clip supporting a ban on horse-drawn carriages. We are planning to do a third one since we have more people who want to participate. If you live outside NY state and would like to give us a 15-30 second video statement of your support for a ban, please contact me - coalition@banhdc.org.
These videos show the extent of interest, awareness and support for a ban of the horse-drawn carriage trade in NYC. Many feel that if NYC goes, it will be the first domino.
EDUCATIONAL DEMO ON SATURDAY MARCH 29, 2014
Please join the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages for an educational demo against the horse-drawn carriage trade.
- WHEN: Saturday 3/29 - 1pm to 3pm
- WHERE: north side of Central Park South near Fifth Ave. at the hack line
VEGGIE PRIDE PARADE
we are participating
On Saturday, March 30th we will be participating in the Veggie Pride Parade and will have a table
- WHEN: Sunday March 30, 2014
- WHERE: north side of Union Square at 17th St.
The Veggie Pride Parade begins to line up in the west village at 11:00 am. Check the information on line as indicated above.
PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Blog & Flickr
HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE
Also check out Cafe Press to purchase CBHDC merchandise
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.
