| Horse Sense 2 |
The Carriage Horse
Issue: challenging and disputing the
rampant lies of the carriage trade - a new mini-blog focusing on one issue at time
What! 40,000 signatures?! … This is the best the Daily News could
do?!
The NY Daily News reports that they
delivered 40,000 petition signatures to City Hall on Wednesday in opposition to a ban on horse-drawn
carriages. Several Teamsters and
carriage drivers showed up with bags of petitions for a photo op. This was intended to intimidate and
strong-arm Mayor deBlasio into giving up
on a ban of horse-drawn carriages – an important campaign promise. Furious
that the mayor did not drop everything he was doing and kowtow to the carriage and
union elite, the DN's cover headlines said "You're an ass, Mr. Mayor."
How embarrassing. And this is supposed to be a grown-up
newspaper?
Is 40,000 a lot of signatures? It depends.
The NY Daily News is owned by billionaire,
Mort Zuckerman who also serves as Editor-in-Chief. Mr. Zuckerman does not support Mayor deBlasio's progressive policies and endorsed his rival, Christine Quinn, in the Primary. Quinn came in a distant third.
In their media kit, the Daily News
reports that 16,793,000 people access dailynews.com and print circulation is
516,165 for a total of 17,309,165.
But the petition signatures represent only .002% of its readers – a minuscule,
embarrassing number.
The Teamsters, which “represent” the
carriage drivers in an odd local that includes owners and drivers and does
not provide any union benefits since it is not a union shop and not everyone
belongs, report that they have 1.4 million members nationwide.
On the other hand, compared to the
mega wealthy, gargantuan Daily News,
which continuously uses its bully pulpit on this issue, and the enormous, massive, and also wealthy
Teamsters Union, which also continues to use its bully pulpit through mailings
and cable television, the Coalition to Ban Horse-Drawn Carriages, is barely a blip on the radar screen … a grass roots all-volunteer not-for-profit organization that
started the campaign to ban horse-drawn carriages in New York City in 2006 and operates on a shoe string
budget.
Yet without the aid of a tabloid newspaper and expensive mailings, 70,000 people signed our paper petition (not on line) directed to former Mayor Bloomberg and former Speaker Christine Quinn in support of a ban. 132,292 people signed the on line petition in support of bill in the NYS legislature to ban NYC horse-drawn carriages and 11,781 people signed the current on line petition directed to Mayor deBlasio to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC – for a total of 214,073 people who want this inhumane and abusive trade to be shut down.
Yet without the aid of a tabloid newspaper and expensive mailings, 70,000 people signed our paper petition (not on line) directed to former Mayor Bloomberg and former Speaker Christine Quinn in support of a ban. 132,292 people signed the on line petition in support of bill in the NYS legislature to ban NYC horse-drawn carriages and 11,781 people signed the current on line petition directed to Mayor deBlasio to ban horse-drawn carriages in NYC – for a total of 214,073 people who want this inhumane and abusive trade to be shut down.
214,073 signatures is more than 5 times what these huge
bulldozer organizations managed to get through lies and deceit.
There are approximately 20,000 people
who get the Coalition weekly newsletter – either indirectly or directly.
These petition signatures
represent a little more than 10 times its readers – a much more impressive
number than those of the Daily News and Teamsters.
So with all of their many assets,
which include money, people and a bully pulpit
– a newspaper with significant readership and a union with many, many members and also a bully pulpit, the Daily News and Teamsters were only
able to get .002% of its members and readers to sign a petition.
What a joke!
CONCLUSION: A viewpoint that consists of yellow
journalism, bullying/intimidation and a “money talks” philosophy does not always work.
Compassion, ethics, and honesty often
win in the end.
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| Legally this horse should not have been working in adverse weather conditions, which includes heavy rain. |
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5 comments:
Yep, this is the best they could do! Even with their "macho man" Liam Neeson leading the charge with his ignorance and Irish brogue! Even with their horse- abusing spokesperson, Madame Hansen, spewing forth her lies and BS. This is the very best they could do!!!
Pls don't bring his irishness into it - he is nothing but an embarrassment to us for his views on horses & the carriage industry. Many Irish people support a total ban.
Daily News... a complete embarrassment on the same level as the Fox News Propaganda Disinformation Machine.
More lies upon lies by the Daily News and they are so disrespectful! As the Daily News keeps lying and distorting the truth the carriage horses continue to suffer and are further away from getting the freedom they so deserve. Then we see the carriage drivers continue to abuse and exploit these gentle horses because they have no voice.
Thank God for The Coalition to Ban Horse Drawn carriages Banhdc.org who is the only group in NY who works to ban the carriage horses period. We don't need any alternative business to replace the horses. The electric cars is another lie and scam by NYClass.
I hope Mayor deBlasio will see the truth and help to get the carriage horses off the street to end their misery.
You said it - - - nailed every point. Thank you for being an eloquent voice for these poor animals. As someone who works in animal rescue and has worked caring for rescued horses, I stand with all the people who want to see this outmoded and embarrassing blight on the city banned. It is time to evolve. The Daily News headline is so embarrassing (For them.)
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