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 - In this issue: * Horse-drawn carriages are accidents waiting to happen - new blog in The Dodo ** Telephone Tuesday** report 311 to report cruelty ** Jane Velez Mitchell - Jane Unchained ** Blinders available to rent ** Upcoming demos ** Do you buy online? Help us by signing up with i-Give **
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CARRIAGE HORSES: ACCIDENTS WAITING TO HAPPEN
new blog on The Dodo
Horse-Drawn Carriages are Accidents Waiting to Happen - by Elizabeth Forel, published in The Dodo - November 14, 2014. - Almost every day there is something in the media about the carriage horse issue in New York City. During his election campaign last year, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York, but we are still waiting. Will the bill be introduced this month or next, or do we have to wait for the new year? If the Mayor does not do as promised, it could hurt him politically and he will be seen as a flip flopper. Let's hope that is not the case and when the bill is finally introduced, it has weight and is something we can support.
We also hope the Mayor's office gets behind it and fights for it with gusto. We do not want inaction and a shrug of "well, I tried but the Council does not support it." We will not buy that. The Wall Street Journal recently addressed our frustration and compared it to other issues.
In the meantime, the carriage trade has had more than one year to strengthen their argument; to create lies that are picked up by the media as truths with no one to counter them. They range from how "spectacular" the stables are; how they have virtually no accidents or dead horses; to the age of their industry (see our blog CarriageHorsesNYC, which addresses many of these issues).
The media is firmly on the side of the carriage trade. Why is anyone's guess, but it is not because they love the horses or care so much about the drivers or because it is a tradition that New York simply cannot do without; I do not buy that. I suspect the Daily News, which has led the charge, is using the carriage horse issue as a metaphor for their dislike of de Blasio's progressive agenda. Its publisher, Mort Zuckerman, had previously enjoyed access to City Hall under Michael Bloomberg. CONTINUED
JANE VELEZ MITCHELL NEW ENDEAVOR
Jane Unchained
Jane Velez Mitchell's new venture is Jane Unchained. This is her report on the ALDF's NYPD Incident Reports. Critics Say Take the Carriage Horses of The Streets!
Listen to Jane's message to Mayor deBlasio.
DON'T FORGET: TELEPHONE TUESDAY - November 18th
Please take a few minutes to call your Council Member
Telephone Tuesday is our new initiative to help you remember to make your call to your Council Member. Please take a few minutes to call your Council Member -- if you have not yet done so. Thanks to all of you who have made the calls -- particularly those who called from outside NYC. Thanks for caring so much.
Your participation is the only way to make a difference -- not standing on the side lines and expecting someone else to do it. If you do not make the small effort to call your Council Member, how do you expect they will know your views?
Eleven months into the deBlasio administration and we are no closer to shutting down the inhumane and unsafe carriage trade than we were one year ago. Please contact your council member and ask him or her to support a bill to ban horse-drawn carriages. CALL THEM. Do not e-mail or fax. These methods of communication are more likely to be ignored.
- NYC RESIDENTS: www.council.nyc.gov -- Call your Council Member.
- OUTSIDE NYC: Call Speaker Melissa Mark Viverito's office. 212-828-9800
Instructions
- http://www.council.nyc.gov/html/members/members.shtml
- Plug in your address to find out who your Council Member is.
- Look for the telephone number for the District Office.
- SUGGESTED SCRIPT - YOU: Good morning, my name is [your name] and I am a constituent. I live on [your address] I support an unconditional ban on horse-drawn carriages and I would like to know what [your Council Member's name] position is on this issue. You might also tell them it is a public safety issue and it is inhumane. If you live outside of NYC, call Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito's office and tell them were you live.
- COUNCIL OFFICE: the person who answers the phone may transfer you to someone else or suggest you call the Legislative Office or actually take the message.
- YOU: If they support a ban - thank them; If they are on the fence ask them why and if they would be open to receiving some links to articles. If they are against the ban - ask them why and if they would be open to receiving some links to articles.They might say that there a bill had not yet been introduced. Tell them that the Mayor has said a bill will be introduced soon and you want to know in general whether they would support a ban or not.
- IMPORTANT: If they say they would be willing to receive some information, ask them for the e-mail address of a specific person - maybe the Chief of Staff, maybe the Legislative Aide. Do not agree to send it to their office e-mail. You can say that you want to be sure someone receives it.
- Note: If the Council Office is not able to give you an answer, tell them that you will follow up in a week. Tell them this is a very important issue and you would like an answer. And follow up.
THESE ARE THE ARTICLE LINKS:
RESULT OF PHONE CALL: Please let us know what happened - e-mail us at coalition@banhdc.org
SAVE THE DATE - UPCOMING CARRIAGE HORSE DEMOS
Please note the demos for November and December:
- Sunday November 30th
- Saturday December 6th - Horses Without Carriages International Day
- Sunday December 14th
- Saturday December 20th
- Sunday December 28th
- TIME: 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm
- LOCATION: Hack line - north/west side of Central Park South off Fifth Avenue
As the weather gets colder, please dress warmly so you will feel comfortable standing outside for a few hours. This means warm socks, gloves, scarves, hats - the usual. We supply all posters and flyers. This is a "silent" protest. We do not chant and we ask that you do not engage in any altercations with the drivers or their passengers.
HOW TO REPORT ANIMAL CRUELTY TO 311
NYC: It remains a mystery just how the NYPD has taken over for the ASPCA to enforce anti cruelty laws and the carriage horse regulations, which means that the industry is out of control as usual. We continue to try to find out. But eleven months later, we still do not have any answers. The deBlasio administration has ignored this issue although we have tried to get them to take responsibility.
If you see anything involving animals that you want to report -- and it is not an emergency - please go on line to 311. If it is about a carriage horse, please remember to get the license plate number on the back of the carriage and a description of the horse and if possible, the 4-digit engraved number on the left front hoof.
Please note that even if you report something directly to the NYPD, use this system as a a back up.
- DIRECTIONS:
- go to this link http://www1.nyc.gov/311/index.page
- Click on "Make a Complaint"
- Select: Get Help with - "Public Health and Safety"
- Specifically "Animal Abuse"
- Click on "Report the neglect or abuse of an animal."
- User Alert page comes up next
- Note: Dial 911 if an emergency response is required
- Click on "Start" at the bottom
- Follow the instructions and submit.
Print out a copy and take a reference number if available. (the image above is of Barney, who spooked recently. We are trying to find out if he is still in the business.)
BLINDERS DOCUMENTARY AVAILABLE ON VIMEO
this is a must see expose on the NYC carriage trade
Blinders by film maker Donny Miss is available to rent for $2.99 on Vimeo. Click here.
The New York City horse-drawn carriage industry is highly controversial. "Blinders" takes viewers behind the scenes to expose the truth behind the tradition.
PLEASE JOIN US ON OUR SOCIAL MEDIA ACCOUNTS
Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, Google Blog & Flickr
HELP OUR ORGANIZATION BY SHOPPING ON LINE - iGIVE
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." Click here to begin. 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.
