12/1/2014: If you like this page and you havent already (or even if you have) Tweeted, written a letter, called or sent an e-mail to NYC city council members voicing how you feel about NYC carriage horses, this might be your last chance to make a difference in the lives of over 300 drivers, 200 horses, and millions of tourists and all around animal-people who like having horses in our city...Contact Info Is Listed Under How To Help on SaveNYCHorseCarriages The administration of Mayor Bill de Blasio is poised to introduce legislation next week that would eliminate the New York City horse-drawn carriage industry, fulfilling a promise by the mayor to animal-rights activists who played an important role in securing his campaign victory last year... Mr. de Blasio’s team is unveiling a bill that would phase out the industry by the middle of 2016, while offering soon-to-be-unemployed carriage drivers a carrot of sorts: job training classes and a waiver of most fees for licenses to operate “green” taxicabs, which can pick up passengers outside the busiest parts of Manhattan. The bill would also prohibit the use of horse-drawn carriages throughout the city... NYClass, a small but vocal group of animal-rights activists, endorsed Mr. de Blasio in last year’s mayoral race, calling him an “animal hero” after he pledged opposition to the horse-carriage trade. That placed Mr. de Blasio, a proud populist, in the odd position of opposing a working-class industry populated by Irish immigrants. And despite talk about curbing the influence of money in politics, Mr. de Blasio did not object when a “super PAC” financed by NYClass spent roughly $1 million on ads attacking his major opponent in the Democratic primary, Christine C. Quinn. After Mr. de Blasio took office, his administration struggled to find feasible ways to check the carriage industry, batting about ideas like installing stables in Central Park. Animal-rights advocates also stepped up pressure, telling the mayor in a recent meeting that they were prepared to finance an ad campaign and mail pamphlets directly to voters... The donors behind NYClass, which is led by a local real-estate and parking-garage magnate, include several of Mr. de Blasio’s biggest campaign supporters — among them a labor group led for years by his cousin, which contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to NYClass. The close ties between Mr. de Blasio’s campaign and NYClass have drawn scrutiny, with critics accusing the mayor of a quid pro quo. (Mr. de Blasio has said his opposition to horse carriages comes from genuine concern for the animals’ welfare.) Federal investigators have also examined the actions of a political affairs firm that worked with NYClass on its ads during the campaign... The Teamsters union local representing the Central Park carriage drivers objected in strenuous terms. “This is awful news to give a working family just before the holidays,” George Miranda, president of the Teamsters local, said in a statement... (Full article in the link below...)
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 02:51:59 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015